Phys.org news
Phys.org / Seals filter sound through blood-filled tissue to hear underwater, study reveals
The secret of how seals can hear in air and water has been revealed, thanks to pioneering research led by Natural History Museum scientists.
Phys.org / A new stellar census strengthens the case for a 13.8-billion-year-old universe
Astronomers have used the ages of more than 155,000 stars in the Milky Way to independently estimate the age of the universe, and their findings may be good news for the standard cosmological model. The new research was reported ...
Phys.org / Model highlights patterns in how humans move across different locations
Every day, billions of people travel from their homes to work, schools, health care facilities, restaurants, public venues and other destinations. The complex patterns that shape how people move between these different locations ...
Phys.org / The secret to hydrogen's quantum behavior lies in symmetry
As interest in clean hydrogen power grows, so does the need for safe storage and transportation materials. One such material, vanadium, is a leading candidate because it readily absorbs hydrogen and allows it to move through ...
Phys.org / Elephants turn footsteps into messages through ground and skull vibrations
Elephants can communicate with other elephants across distances of up to five kilometers (3 miles) by producing sounds that travel through the air. However, they have a second way of sending signals: seismic waves traveling ...
Phys.org / Biodiversity boosts productivity most during extreme drought in drier grasslands
When extreme drought strikes, drier grasslands receive the greatest productivity benefit from biodiversity. By contrast, forests did not show the same context-dependent pattern under drought, according to a new global synthesis ...
Phys.org / Frame-dragging observations validate Einstein yet again
More than a century after Albert Einstein first transformed our understanding of gravity, his general theory of relativity continues to withstand ever more demanding experimental tests. Now, an international team led by Ignazio ...
Phys.org / Two atmospheric patterns may explain why some heat waves in Europe persist
Many parts of Western Europe are currently wilting under a heat wave. These blistering spells can last for a week or more, and although they are common in most summers, it is difficult to predict how long they will last.
Phys.org / A new smart coating could improve the cleanup of nuclear wastewater
Scientists in China have developed a smart coating that could make it easier to remove tritium (a radioactive form of hydrogen) from nuclear power plant wastewater.
Phys.org / Why we may still be choosing our friends like it's the Stone Age
Choosing friends may involve more than clicking with others who share our interests or outlooks. According to new research, people may select friends based on traits that made them valuable survival partners in our evolutionary ...
Phys.org / Direct observation of spontaneous magnon coherence at room temperature
Researchers at RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau have achieved a key experimental breakthrough: For the first time, the spontaneous macroscopic coherence of magnons—the quantized excitations of magnetic materials—has ...
Phys.org / DNA origami turns secret messages into nano–Morse code that acts as multiplayer molecular encryption
Mathematics has always been at the core of securing information. From online banking to government communications, modern society relies on cryptography, in which complex mathematical algorithms transform readable information ...
