Phys.org news
Phys.org / Two decades of blazar observations, and the mysteries keep piling up
Narrow jets of luminous matter may be emitted toward Earth from the nuclei of active galaxies billions of light-years away. The galaxy then appears as a point source and is called a blazar. A Polish-German team of scientists ...
Phys.org / One-third of agricultural land accounts for two-thirds of global impact, study reveals
Agriculture covers more than 40% of Earth's habitable land and plays a central role in both climate change and biodiversity loss. Yet the impact of agriculture is far from evenly distributed across space.
Phys.org / Bacterial enzyme switch could weaken antibiotic defenses in MRSA and other pathogens
If you ask Vijay Parashar, associate professor of medical and molecular sciences (MMSC) at the University of Delaware College of Health Sciences, human bodies are bags of bacteria. "It sounds gross, but not all bacteria are ...
Phys.org / Super-Earths may be solid deep inside their mantles
Deep inside super-Earths—rocky planets with masses between 1 and 10 times that of Earth—high pressure can cause familiar minerals to take forms rarely seen on Earth. Understanding more about the temperature and pressure conditions ...
Phys.org / How 'smart' hydrogel packaging tells you if your food is still fresh
The cuts of meat in a supermarket case can look perfectly fresh even as bacteria are already multiplying inside the package. Is there a way to know before you open it?
Phys.org / Trillion-mile gas streamer may explain tilt of triple-star system's outer planet-forming ring
A team of astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has captured a massive stream of gas—one trillion miles, or 0.2 light-years, long—feeding the young triple-star system GW Orionis. These ...
Phys.org / First complete songbird genome exposes missing genes and chromosome architecture
The zebra finch is one of the best-studied songbirds and a model for understanding the biology and neuroscience of vocal learning. Now, researchers have produced the first complete genome assembly of the species, revealing ...
Phys.org / Siberia's growing methane threat could offset 20% of global methane reduction targets by 2050
The Arctic is warming at an accelerating pace. As permafrost thaws across vast areas and wildfires become more frequent, large amounts of methane (CH4) are being released. Together, these changes are reshaping the region's ...
Phys.org / One ant can trigger colony-wide activity bursts, mathematical model suggests
Scientists have long known that ant colonies sometimes seem to move as one. A nest that appears quiet can suddenly erupt into activity, with workers throughout the colony springing into motion almost simultaneously before ...
Phys.org / Sugars may have helped fuel the evolution of the human brain, new research suggests
Fruit, honey and other naturally sweet foods may have helped fuel the evolution of the human brain, according to new research from the University of Sydney and the University of Glasgow.
Phys.org / Powerhouses for fake meat: Muscle protein can now be grown in chloroplasts of lettuce and tobacco plants
Livestock farming requires valuable land to grow fodder, uses vast amounts of freshwater and contributes to global warming through methane and nitrous oxide emissions. And, for many consumers it is important to prevent animal ...
Phys.org / AI and 'Ramanomics' could eliminate a major obstacle to studying living cells
Fluorescent dyes have long been used in biological research to identify and visualize structures within living cells. Although effective, they have several drawbacks, including altering the cells under study, limiting the ...