Phys.org news
Phys.org / A race against time to save Alpine ice cores that record medieval mining, fires, and volcanoes
Ice cores taken from glaciers reveal the air pollution of the past, using atmospheric particles incorporated in snow that fell on the glacier and became ice. Now, scientists have extracted a record of thousands of years' ...
Phys.org / Climate change is slowing Earth's spin at unprecedented rate compared to past 3.6 million years
Climate change is lengthening our days because rising sea levels slow Earth's rotation. Researchers from the University of Vienna and ETH Zurich now show that the current increase in day length—1.33 milliseconds per century—is ...
Phys.org / Palm-sized superconducting magnet achieves 42 tesla, rivaling the world's biggest
When we think of powerful magnets used in particle accelerators or for NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance), we often envision bulky machines, sometimes the size of buildings. But in an extraordinary breakthrough for physics, ...
Phys.org / We are not alone: Our sun escaped together with stellar 'twins' from galaxy center
Researchers have uncovered evidence for our sun joining a mass migration of similar "twins" leaving the core regions of our galaxy, 4 to 6 billion years ago. The team created and studied an unprecedentedly accurate catalog ...
Phys.org / Galactic islands of tranquility: 'Little red dots' may have brewed life's building blocks
Astronomers have found that both the core of our Milky Way and the earliest proto-galaxies in the universe share a surprising trait: They are unusually calm and quiet in terms of harsh radiation. This tranquility is not just ...
Phys.org / Researcher uncovers Zoroastrian 'ripples' in Jewish documents from ancient Egypt
In a study published in the journal Iran, researcher Gad Barnea has uncovered new evidence suggesting that Zoroastrian religious practices were more prevalent and left a deeper imprint on surrounding communities than previously ...
Phys.org / Fantastic fungi found with ability to freeze water
Can fungi influence the weather? Turns out, they just might. An international group of researchers that includes Virginia Tech's Xiaofeng Wang and Boris A. Vinatzer discovered the identity of fungal proteins that can catalyze ...
Phys.org / Good news for wastewater irrigation: Three crops store pharmaceutical byproducts in their leaves
In areas where freshwater is scarce, farmers often turn to treated wastewater to irrigate crops. And many regulators and consumers worry about exposing food to compounds routinely found in wastewater, including many psychoactive ...
Phys.org / Cell death's 'beautiful' rings have implications for biological resilience and immunity
Researchers at the University of Michigan have revealed that cells use a previously unknown feat of molecular craftsmanship to help protect their larger host organisms. The building blocks required for this work are found ...
Phys.org / Meet Crocodylus lucivenator, a 12- to 15-foot predator that hunted iconic Lucy's species
More than 3 million years ago, when our ancient ancestors embodied by the iconic Lucy were roaming the African landscape, they would have feared a big, bad crocodile with a prominent lump on its head, patiently lurking in ...
Phys.org / NASA's tiny spacecraft sends first exoplanet images
With the first images from the spacecraft now in hand, the team behind NASA's Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat, or SPARCS, is ready to begin charting the energetic lives of the galaxy's most common stars to help answer ...
Phys.org / Pollen-replacing feed strengthens honey bee colonies, long-term study confirms
A man-made food source provided honey bees a nutritious diet at a commercial scale over the course of two winter seasons, according to a new study led by Washington State University researchers. The study, published in the ...