Phys.org news
Phys.org / Fossil plankton shells reveal reduced nitrogen fixation in warmer oceans 3 million years ago
Nitrogen is a key nutrient because it fuels the growth of plankton, which forms the basis of the marine food web. Two opposing processes determine the global nitrogen cycle: nitrogen fixation and denitrification.
Phys.org / Using sound waves to turn iron and water into magnetic nanoparticles
Iron rusts on its own, slowly, over months or years. Now, researchers at Tohoku University have found a way to compress the process of metal reacting with water to form oxide, taking mere hours and using nothing more than ...
Phys.org / A glimpse of the solar system's origins: Striking details on the molecules inside a meteorite
Researchers at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory and Brookhaven National Laboratory have teamed up to get a fresh look at the complex makeup of meteorites and glimpse into our solar system's past.
Phys.org / Ubiquitin marks abnormal glycogen for destruction to protect the brain, study finds
Researchers at the University of Cambridge and the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology have discovered a previously unknown cellular defense system that protects the brain from abnormal glycogen accumulation, which is linked ...
Phys.org / A finely tuned mess—how disorder can make networks more stable
Perfection is overrated—at least when it comes to complex systems like the power grid, food webs and advanced materials. For decades, scientists generally assumed that networks function most reliably when their individual ...
Phys.org / Nullarbor mapping reveals surface signs of deep, hidden cave systems
Mysterious trenches stretching for kilometers across southern Australia's Nullarbor Plain have been revealed as the surface footprints of deep, hidden ancient cave systems.
Phys.org / Black holes from stellar to supermassive size may follow one jet-launching rule
An early-career Western Australian astrophysicist has helped uncover a universal rule behind one of the most powerful behaviors in the universe: when black holes launch jets. The discovery, published in the journal Nature ...
Phys.org / Newfound fungal nutrient-sensing mechanism could advance biofuels and disease control
Scientists have taken a step toward a better understanding of how fungi sense and respond to nutrients in the environment, which is critical for engineering fungi for green technologies and combating fungal pathogens and ...
Phys.org / Portable metasurface biosensor turns molecular signals into images, bypassing spectrometers
What if signs of disease could be detected using nothing more than a tiny chip that fits in the palm of your hand and a camera, without ever visiting a hospital? A scene that once seemed possible only in science fiction has ...
Phys.org / How accurately can we measure the ocean's deepest point?
How deep is the deepest ocean—and how precisely can we actually measure it? A Japanese research team led by the National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR), SOKENDAI, the University of Tokyo and other Japanese institutions ...
Phys.org / Disorder is key to tuning a high-temperature superconductor
Cornell physicists have discovered that minimizing disorder, not varying electron count, is the key factor for controlling superconductivity in the unique material iron selenide (FeSe), a new insight for understanding high-temperature ...
Phys.org / Laser shocks turn plastic into ultra-small, high-purity nanodiamonds
Nanodiamonds are tiny diamond particles that usually measure mere millionths of a millimeter. They are extremely hard, stable and heat-resistant and highly adaptable for various purposes in medicine, new materials, catalysis ...
