Phys.org news
Phys.org / Ancient asteroid barrage may explain why early Earth had no stable continents
New research led by Curtin University and QUT (Queensland University of Technology) has revealed that repeated asteroid impacts may have been the dominant force shaping early Earth, delivering vast amounts of heat into the ...
Phys.org / Warming may slow forest growth and cut carbon storage by 30%, model shows
Forests and land play an important role in absorbing carbon dioxide emissions, but current models and forecasts don't incorporate a surprising ecological discovery: Despite more available carbon, climate change and warmer ...
Phys.org / Inorganic nanoscale device behaves like a single neuron, opening doors for AI and retinal implants
McGill University researchers have developed a light-detecting nanoscale structure that mimics how a neuron processes information. The neuron-like behavior emerges from the materials themselves, reducing the energy demand ...
Phys.org / Artificial 'leaf' powers wireless biomedical device
Plants convert light into energy efficiently through photosynthesis—an ability that scientists and engineers still struggle to match with electronic devices. Recently, researchers have looked beyond traditional semiconductor ...
Phys.org / Trios of quantum particles form checkerboard layouts when particle density hits sweet spot
Trions form when three particles, like quarks or electrons, come together. This formation occurs in quantum particles in nuclear physics, semiconductors and magnets, and understanding its behavior can be challenging. Rice ...
Phys.org / Centuries-old planktonic shell mystery solved with discovery of self-assembling proteins
Biomaterials with extraordinary properties, such as spider silk, have so far been known primarily from animals. Researchers at the University of Salzburg in Austria have now deciphered a surprising counterpart from the world ...
Phys.org / Fossils upend catastrophist narrative that flowering plants flourished only after dinosaur extinction
A unique cache of plant fossils from volcanic deposits in New Mexico contradicts the common narrative that flowering plants were minor players in Earth's forests until dinosaurs disappeared 66 million years ago.
Phys.org / Microscale hydrogel fibers could enable imaging inside tiny tissue structures
Researchers have developed light-transmitting hydrogel fibers that are just hundreds of micrometers in diameter. With further development, these soft fibers could one day make it possible to use imaging techniques to detect ...
Phys.org / Laser pulses capture unexplored polaronic states
In an international experiment, researchers observed Jahn–Teller polarons—quasiparticles that could play an important role in future ultrafast spintronic devices. These polarons emerged within the crystal lattice of cobalt ...
Phys.org / Ultra-precise technology can count damaged DNA fragments
The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science has developed an ultrasensitive immunoassay-based analytical platform that can detect and quantify trace amounts of "Small Excised Damaged DNA (sedDNA)" fragments generated ...
Phys.org / Sponges may cut methylmercury contamination in marine food webs by more than 50%
Marine sponges may play an important, previously underestimated role in reducing methylmercury contamination in marine food webs. In a new modeling study, researchers at Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon showed that sponges can significantly ...
Phys.org / Fossil fish tooth chemistry uncovers Southern Hemisphere role in Earth's ice age shift
To understand where Earth might be headed, it's important to know where it has been. Throughout its existence, especially over the past couple of million years, Earth has experienced periodic cold and warm intervals, known ...
