Phys.org news
Phys.org / Unsupervised free time increases the likelihood that adolescents will engage in violent behavior, 21-country study finds
A study involving more than 58,000 adolescents from 21 countries found that "unstructured free time"—defined as periods without adult supervision or activities guided by educational, cultural or athletic goals—is strongly ...
Phys.org / Unfamiliar with rattlesnakes, blackbirds still avoid striking them while defending nests
In a rare study of snakes as nest predators, scientists found nesting birds were loath to strike rattlesnakes even though they likely had no previous experience with vipers.
Phys.org / Severe weather now a key predictor of where bird species occur in North America
Scorching heat waves, severe cold snaps and other extreme weather events are limiting where species can exist—and affecting biodiversity estimates—for more than 500 North American bird species, according to a new, Yale–led ...
Phys.org / Europe's worst medieval flood highlights risk of successive extreme events
New research involving the University of Liverpool has provided comprehensive insights into the largest flood event in Europe over the past millennium—the flood traditionally known as "St. Mary Magdalene's Flood" of 1342.
Phys.org / New evidence helps solve how earliest birds took flight
The first bird to inhabit Earth used its robust hind legs to make two or three powerful leaps while flapping its way to flight, according to a study by the University of Southampton published in Developmental Biology.
Phys.org / Graphene nanowrinkles could reshape electricity in future ultrathin devices
Rice University researchers have shown that tiny wrinkles in graphene can change the material's electrical properties, providing evidence for flexoelectricity, a phenomenon in which a material generates an electric charge ...
Phys.org / African grasslands expanded 5 million year earlier than previously thought, molecular fossils suggest
The iconic grassland savannas of Africa are geographically extensive and important for both local fauna and the global climate. But where did they come from, and how will they change in the future? Ongoing warming, rising ...
Phys.org / Drug-carrying nanoparticles shrink venous malformations by 70% in mice
Venous malformations are abnormally shaped veins that develop when the cells lining blood vessels grow too fast when they aren't supposed to. Children can be born with them, and as the child grows, the venous malformations ...
Phys.org / Microbes turn CO₂ into protein and vitamin B9 at commercially viable prices
Researchers are developing biotechnological processes that enable microbes to produce proteins and vitamins for human consumption using basic chemical ingredients, such as carbon dioxide, hydrogen and oxygen—entirely bypassing ...
Phys.org / Stellar stream beyond Milky Way offers new tool to map dark matter
In the image above, a faint trail of stars can be seen stretching across the galaxy. These structures, known as globular cluster stellar streams, are coherent stellar structures that retain a record of their dynamical history ...
Phys.org / Space travel doesn't affect the strength of heart muscle cells, study finds
It's common to see images of astronauts on the International Space Station exercising, running on special treadmills and pedaling cycles designed for tight quarters.
Phys.org / Pain isn't the point: European viper venoms may have evolved to subdue prey
For many people, the fear of venomous snakes is linked to one thing: pain. Yet new research led by scientists at Bangor University suggests that, for Europe's vipers, at least, causing pain may never have been a driving force ...
