Phys.org news

Phys.org / Fossil flowers of ancient lianas preserved in amber reveal the evolution of tropical rainforests

Tiny flowers trapped in amber around 15 million years ago are offering scientists a rare glimpse into the plant life of a tropical rainforest in what is now Southeast China. Researchers have studied two exceptionally well-preserved ...

8 hours ago
Phys.org / Sun's largest sunspots may have potential to trigger superflares

The sun is capable of great things. In massive eruptions, it repeatedly hurls particles and radiation into space. This solar bombardment can be dangerous for technical infrastructure on Earth: For example, satellites and ...

8 hours ago
Phys.org / A fake spider at the tip of this snake's tail helps it lure birds: Scientists get their first look inside it

Lots of animals use mimicry to survive. Some copy the appearance of threatening predators, and others have evolved to resemble plants or rocks so they can blend into the background and avoid being attacked. But a viper from ...

9 hours ago
Phys.org / Dangerous heat days are expanding beyond summer, with regional spring-fall shifts

Extreme heat has become more common—both research and lived experience document this—but when it arrives is a different question. A new study finds that, rather than occurring only during warm seasons, extreme heat events ...

8 hours ago
Phys.org / Scientists want to 3D print houses on Mars with the help of yeast

Mars is a terrible place to build a house. It's bitterly cold, blasted by radiation and a near vacuum. Not to mention that the building materials, even for a modest shelter, could spend months hurtling through space before ...

8 hours ago
Phys.org / BepiColombo measures Mercury's particle bombardment up close

The joint BepiColombo mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is settling into orbit around Mercury after an eight-year journey. In early September, BepiColombo's two orbiters, ...

9 hours ago
Phys.org / Chinese cave traces Denisovan hunting and adaptation across 120,000 years

An ancient cave in southwestern China has revealed new evidence about how Denisovans—an ancient human relative—lived, survived and adapted over more than 100,000 years.

9 hours ago
Phys.org / 'Peculiar' new species of Jurassic squid found in Wyoming

A "peculiar" new species of Jurassic squid-like animal has been unearthed in Wyoming, U.S., following the discovery of two exceptionally rare fossils dating to around 160 million years ago.

11 hours ago
Phys.org / Mercury is shrinking more than we thought

Mercury's surface is riddled with wrinkles, evidence of a once-larger planet that has shrunk over time. A new study finds that Mercury may have contracted 10% to 30% more than previously thought—a loss of nearly 12 miles ...

10 hours ago
Phys.org / 'Fingerprints' inside the sun could reveal if it once swallowed a planet

It is thought the sun may have engulfed a super-Earth-sized planet early in its history. Now, a new study has gone a step further, suggesting that such an event may have left behind detectable clues inside the sun that could ...

10 hours ago
Phys.org / Hungry scent detection dogs more likely to 'cry wolf'

Dogs trained in scent detection may be better at sniffing out the right smell after breakfast, with new research finding hungry dogs working for treats are more likely to falsely identify the wrong scent. The study, led by ...

10 hours ago
Phys.org / Scavenging linked to virus variety in wild birds

The scavenging behavior of many wild birds plays an important role in the type, number and variety of viruses they have, a new University of Otago–Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka-led study has found.

11 hours ago