Phys.org news
Phys.org / Oldest rocks on Australian continent offer insight into origins of Earth and the moon
An analysis of feldspar crystals within the oldest magmatic rocks in Australia has provided a unique insight into Earth's ancient mantle and continents, and the early beginnings of the moon.
Phys.org / Wild giraffes lose their conservation safety net as zoo populations hybridize
Zoos and private collections teach, inspire, and connect people to animals they may never encounter in the wild. And, in some cases, those animals represent valuable "assurance populations"—essentially, backups that could ...
Phys.org / When slowing down pays off: Physicists reveal surprising insights from taxi drivers
Taxi drivers who slow down when searching for passengers are not only more efficient but also earn more, according to a new study. The research analyzed over 2.3 billion GPS data points collected from 40,000 taxi drivers ...
Phys.org / Brains and stock markets follow the same rules in crisis, study finds
What do brains and the stock market have in common? While this might sound like a set-up for a joke, new research from U-M researchers reveals that the behaviors of brains and economies during crises can be explained using ...
Phys.org / Birch leaves and peanuts turned into advanced laser technology
Physicists at Umeå University, in collaboration with researchers in China, have developed a laser made entirely from biomaterials—birch leaves and peanut kernels. The environmentally friendly laser could become an inexpensive ...
Phys.org / Antarctic glacier retreats faster than any other in modern history, findings show
A glacier on Antarctica's Eastern Peninsula experienced the fastest retreat recorded in modern history—in just two months, nearly 50% of the glacier disintegrated.
Phys.org / Chemists find clues to the origins of buckyballs in space
Far from Earth, in the vast expanses of space between stars, exists a treasure trove of carbon. There, in what scientists call the "interstellar medium," you can find a wide range of organic molecules—from honeycomblike ...
Phys.org / Scientists recreate cosmic 'fireballs' to probe mystery of missing gamma rays
An international team of scientists, led by the University of Oxford, has achieved a world-first by creating plasma "fireballs" using the Super Proton Synchrotron accelerator at CERN, Geneva, to study the stability of plasma ...
Phys.org / Q&A: Rainfall tipping point predicts drought risk for crops
It matters where the rain that irrigates your food comes from.
Phys.org / Powerful tool can map gene regulation at single-nucleotide resolution
Understanding how cells turn genes on and off is one of biology's most enduring mysteries. Now, a new technology developed by chemist Brian Liau and his collaborators at Harvard offers an unprecedented window into this activity, ...
Phys.org / Tissue 'tipping points': How cells collectively switch from healthy to disease states
Cells convert mechanical forces into signals that influence physiological processes, such as exercise strengthening bones. A research team at Washington University in St. Louis and Tsinghua University in Beijing have discovered ...
Phys.org / Single atoms of silver and earth-abundant carbon turn pollutants into fertilizer
A single atom of silver working in synergy with carbon and nitrogen atoms can efficiently convert polluting nitrogenous waste in water from industries such as agriculture and mining into ready-to-use liquid fertilizer.
