Phys.org news
Phys.org / Some rays flash decoy eyes while others never do, as evolution's hidden trade-off comes into focus
From butterflies to peacocks, bold circular "eyespots" are among nature's most eye-catching patterns. But why do they appear in some animals and not others? A new study of skates and rays finally provides an answer—and it ...
Phys.org / Amazon recovery masks diversity loss as fires, droughts and windstorms reshape forest edges
Even after fires, severe droughts, and windstorms, the vegetation in degraded Amazonian forests demonstrates a high capacity for regeneration, including tree species. However, recovery occurs under new ecological conditions, ...
Phys.org / A third of animal habitats on land could experience multiple extreme events by 2085, new study suggests
By 2085, 36% of species' current habitats on land could be exposed to multiple types of climate-driven extreme events such as heat waves, fire or floods if warming continues to rise into the latter half of the century. The ...
Phys.org / These eight coastal cities sit on America's flood front line, and AI shows why
New York, New Orleans and Miami are among the eight cities along the US Gulf and Atlantic coasts facing the highest flood risk, according to a new study published in Science Advances. Scientists developed a new AI-driven ...
Phys.org / Physicists revive 1990s laser concept to propose a next-generation atomic clock
Researchers in the US and Germany have unveiled a theoretical blueprint for an atomic clock driven by a highly synchronized laser, where atoms work in concert rather than independently. Publishing their results in Physical ...
Phys.org / Neanderthals may have shared key DNA for complex language, reshaping when human speech began
In a first-of-its-kind finding, researchers at University of Iowa Health Care discovered that specific genetic sequences have an outsized impact on humans' language abilities and that these sequences evolved before humans ...
Phys.org / Why groups slowly stop working well together, even when conditions are good
Humans are generally a cooperative bunch and most of us probably like to think of ourselves as reliable team players. Cooperation is useful for all sorts of reasons, from running a business and managing community resources ...
Phys.org / Mysterious gas clouds near Milky Way's black hole now have a likely source
New observations and simulations by a team of researchers led by MPE reveal that a massive binary star near our galaxy's center is responsible for creating a series of enigmatic gas clouds—compact gas clumps that help feed ...
Phys.org / Quantum chips could scale faster with new spin-qubit readout that reduces sensors and wiring
Quantum computers, devices that process information leveraging quantum mechanical effects, could tackle some tasks that are difficult or impossible to solve using classical computers. These systems represent data as qubits, ...
Phys.org / Giant octopuses may have ruled the oceans 100 million years ago
Today's octopuses are intelligent, remarkably flexible animals that lurk in reefs, hide in crevices, or drift through the deep sea. But new research suggests that their earliest relatives may have played a far more predatory ...
Phys.org / Climate and competition alone cannot explain Neanderthal extinction, study finds
A new modeling study suggests that greater connectivity between groups may have given Homo sapiens the edge over Neanderthals. Why Neanderthals went extinct and Homo sapiens established a lasting presence in Europe is still ...
Phys.org / From the Pampas to Patagonia, DNA reveals South America's human history
A new genetic study shows that cultural diversity in the so-called Southern Cone—the roughly triangular southernmost part of South America—was strongly influenced by extensive human migration. An international research team ...
