Phys.org news
Phys.org / A tiny wall spider named for Pink Floyd is hunting urban pests up to six times its size
A team of researchers from institutions across South America have expanded scholarly knowledge of the Pikelinia spider genus, with their recent discovery of a new crevice weaver species: Pikelinia floydmuraria. The new species ...
Phys.org / High school student designs low-cost teabags to remove arsenic from water and help millions
Arsenic contamination in drinking water is a global issue, with over 200 million people estimated to be at risk. While water treatment plants remove the metal, the problem persists in low-resource areas or undertreated well ...
Phys.org / Contaminants, including ink, detected in meteorites suggest sample preparation needs improving
The IBeA group of the EHU-University of the Basque Country is proposing new measures to safeguard the purity of extraterrestrial samples. Several contaminants, including traces of ink, originating in the preparation of subsamples, ...
Phys.org / The once-theoretical skyrmion could unlock supercomputing memory
When looking to the future of information technology, researchers have pinpointed a once-theoretical particle-like structure: the skyrmion. Magnetic skyrmions are very stable structures found on micromagnetic materials that ...
Phys.org / Quantum simulations tackle photon polarization flip, but today's hardware falls short
For the last 80 years, the theory of quantum electrodynamics (QED), which describes all electromagnetic interactions, has been a cornerstone of the standard model, withstanding the scrutiny of countless experiments and agreeing ...
Phys.org / A tiny predator from ancient Spain just doubled the weasel family's evolutionary timeline
Weasels are small carnivores with a long body and short legs. They also have a stout skull and sharp teeth. These creatures, along with ferrets and minks, make up the Mustelinae subfamily. Until now, researchers believed ...
Phys.org / Next-generation atomic clock successfully tested at sea
Adelaide University researchers have successfully tested a new type of portable atomic clock at sea for the first time, using technology that could help power the next generation of navigation, communications and scientific ...
Phys.org / AI spots hidden behavior patterns in self-organizing bacteria
Life moves in mysterious ways—and perhaps especially so for organisms that undergo dramatic shifts in levels of self-organization, such as Myxococcus xanthus. A custom-built artificial intelligence system developed by Rice ...
Phys.org / Ancient graves and DNA uncover family bonds that went beyond genetics
You probably have a member of your family that you're not related to by blood—a step-parent, an adopted cousin, your mom's best friend who you grew up calling your aunt. They're indisputably part of your family, but a DNA ...
Phys.org / Cosmic dust identified as the source of Venus' enigmatic lower haze
Venus, often called Earth's twin, is in fact a planet of extremes. Beneath its thick carbon dioxide atmosphere are crushing surface temperatures and dense clouds of sulfuric acid. While the planet's main cloud layer sits ...
Phys.org / Four weeks of 'safe' low-level PFAS exposure in tap water altered embryo development in mice
An Adelaide University study has revealed that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) found in tap water, at levels currently considered safe, affected the development of embryos, causing irreversible damage that may ...
Phys.org / A 'blob' in a tank is helping scientists tease out the secrets of turbulence
In a tank on the bottom floor of a University of Chicago research laboratory, scientists summon "The Blob" into existence by firing water jets to create an artfully choreographed series of rings.