Phys.org news
Phys.org / The 'nostalgia effect': Scientists produce less disruptive work as they age
You probably know that Einstein changed the face of physics with his theory of relativity in his twenties. What you may not know is that he spent his later career on a crusade against quantum mechanics, the model that would ...
Phys.org / Ancient soil temperatures may have steered millet farming across Neolithic East Asia
Millet has been an important crop in East Asia for much of the Holocene, a period beginning about 11,700 years ago. To better understand how environmental conditions may have shaped the development of millet agriculture, ...
Phys.org / These monster black holes did not form the usual way—their history of violence is written into spacetime ripples
The most massive black holes in the universe detected by the ripples they make in spacetime were not born directly from collapsing stars, according to a new study. These cosmic giants instead build up through a series of ...
Phys.org / Archaeologists unearth evidence of dogs being traded within Mayan societies
A University of Calgary archaeologist has found evidence that the Classic Period Maya were trading live dogs over long distances between the northern Yucatan peninsula and central Chiapas regions.
Phys.org / Team steers electron spin ballistically in graphene
Researchers at The University of Manchester's National Graphene Institute have shown that electrons in ultra-clean graphene can be steered with high precision while keeping their spin information intact, a key requirement ...
Phys.org / How soil bacteria help plants defend themselves against disease
A study led by researchers at the University of Liège reveals the mechanism by which surfactin, a molecule produced by beneficial soil bacteria, activates plants' immune defenses. This mechanism, distinct from the classical ...
Phys.org / Sharper brains switch to a 'not what you know, but who you know' mindset online and on social media, study shows
Forming social connections online and via social media reduces how much people engage with and learn from the content posted but significantly boosts their networking performance, according to new research. The study, published ...
Phys.org / LED light unlocks 3D optical fingerprints inside materials without lasers
Researchers have developed, for the first time in the world, incoherent dielectric tensor tomography (iDTT), a technology that can read complex three-dimensional optical fingerprints inside materials using only everyday LED ...
Phys.org / Pilot whales are already 'shouting' at full volume, but one busy waterway is pushing them to the edge
With over 60,000 ships passing through the Strait of Gibraltar each year, this stretch between the Atlantic and Mediterranean is one of the busiest waterways on the planet. This narrow strip of water is also home to a critically ...
Phys.org / Chilean wasp named in honor of Sir David Attenborough's 100th birthday
Scientists from the Natural History Museum, London have described a new genus and species of parasitic wasp found within the Museum's collections, and named it as a birthday present for Sir David Attenborough.
Phys.org / Thawing Arctic soil awakens only half of soil microbes, new study reveals
As the Arctic warms at an unprecedented rate, frozen soils that have remained locked in ice for most of the year are now thawing for longer periods. Yet new research led by an international team including scientists from ...
Phys.org / Gaming monkeys' curiosity: Japanese macaques actively explore moderately uncertain stimuli
The intrinsic information-seeking impulse we call curiosity is independent of extrinsic rewards, such as food or mating opportunities. Curiosity is purely the pursuit of understanding the unknown, driving both humans and ...
