Phys.org news
Phys.org / Reed leafhopper's diverse microbes fuel its rise as a major crop pest
The reed leafhopper (Pentastiridius leporinus) was originally a specialist, limited exclusively to reed grass as a food source. Within a few years, however, it developed into a dangerous pest that attacks not only reed grass ...
Phys.org / G protein simulations reveal how a critical signaling step works inside cells
UNC researchers discovered how a key step in cell signaling works by showing exactly how G proteins detach from receptors that many common medicines target.
Phys.org / Sea level rise threatens the North Sea coast more than expected
As a result of climate change, rising sea levels are threatening low-lying coastal areas around the world, such as the Wadden Sea in the North Sea. Tidal basins form a natural protective barrier there. They connect the mainland ...
Phys.org / Earth's crust under stress: Researchers decipher energy release during earthquakes
Why do some earthquakes release more energy than others? A research team led by Prof. Dr. Armin Dielforder from the University of Greifswald has managed to demonstrate a clear physical connection between the energy released ...
Phys.org / Plant breeding discovery could pave way for new crop species
One of the great mysteries in plant biology is how, given the clouds of pollen released by dozens of plant species all at the same time, an individual plant can recognize which particular species' pollen grains will induce ...
Phys.org / Physicists explore optical launch of hypersound pulses in halide perovskites
A German-French team of physicists from TU Dortmund University, University of Würzburg, and Le Mans Université has succeeded in launching shear hypersound pulses with exceptionally large amplitudes in metal halide perovskites ...
Phys.org / When the air gets dry, cockroaches cuddle: Study reveals survival strategy
When conditions get too dry, Madagascar hissing cockroaches like to "cuddle." Under certain conditions, the large insects gather in groups, with many participants in physical contact with one another. According to recent ...
Phys.org / Theia and Earth were neighbors, new research suggests
About 4.5 billion years ago, the most momentous event in the history of Earth occurred: a huge celestial body called Theia collided with the young Earth. How the collision unfolded and what exactly happened afterward has ...
Phys.org / Mystery of how turtles read their magnetic map solved—they feel the magnetism
Loggerhead turtles are able to sense Earth's magnetic field in two ways, but it wasn't clear which sense the animals use to detect the magnetic field when navigating using the magnetic map they are born with. Now researchers ...
Phys.org / Could a kid have painted that? Jackson Pollock's famous pour-painting has child-like characteristics, study shows
What makes art art? Is it the method or the creator? Does it need a color palette and oil paints, or a canvas laid flat on the floor and paint splattered across it? Does it require a critically acclaimed painter, or a toddler ...
Phys.org / Bright squeezed vacuum reveals hidden quantum effects in strong-field physics
In a new study published in Nature Physics, researchers have demonstrated that quantum light, particularly bright squeezed vacuum (BSV), can drive strong-field photoemission at metal needle tips.
Phys.org / Climate change is now warming the deepest parts of the Arctic Ocean
While it is well known that climate change is heating the world's oceans, it was thought that the deep sea was safe from its effects—until now. Researchers have discovered that a rapidly warming part of the Atlantic is ...