Phys.org news
Phys.org / Spectroscopy system detects aerosols using light reflected from traffic signs and tree trunks
Researchers have developed and tested an infrared spectroscopy system that can rapidly detect chemical aerosols from a distance by using light reflected from common surfaces such as traffic signs, tree trunks or painted surfaces. ...
Phys.org / Likelihood of wildfires in Southern Europe has doubled since the 80s, study shows
Summer days featuring conditions that promote wildfire ignition, intensity and spread have more than doubled across large parts of the Iberian Peninsula, France, Italy and Greece since 1981, according to a study in Scientific ...
Dialog / Bacteria may identify a virus without recognizing its DNA
When a virus enters a cell, its top priority is to replicate its genome rapidly, creating new viruses to infect elsewhere. The host has the opposite priority: to destroy the virus, ideally before it can do any harm. Biology ...
Phys.org / Flash droughts can pull 'alarming' amounts of moisture from the landscape and intensify wildfires
When catastrophic wildfires capture global headlines, such as the unprecedented blazes sweeping through southern Europe this summer or the devastating 2019–20 "Black Summer" in Australia, they are almost always preceded by ...
Phys.org / Tiny fossils crack a Cretaceous cold case: Ocean acidification triggered one of the ocean's most severe extinctions
A 113-million-year-old marine murder mystery may finally be solved. Using chemical clues locked inside microscopic fossils, Northwestern University scientists found evidence that ocean acidification drove one of the largest ...
Phys.org / Neptune's inner moons may be shattered remains of ancient icy worlds
In 1989, the Voyager 2 mission discovered six new moons orbiting Neptune, including five tiny ones that orbit just outside the planet's main rings. Because of their small sizes and locations, these satellites have been difficult ...
Phys.org / Buried Roman workshop reveals large-scale pottery trade beyond local markets
A few years ago, the first ceramic finds came to light during construction work in the Burg district of the municipality of Hannersdorf. Geomagnetic surveys in subsequent years provided evidence of numerous kilns thought ...
Phys.org / Uncovering the structure of the poxvirus 'portal complex'
Poxviruses have a long history in human disease as well as medicine: The first-ever vaccine was developed to protect against smallpox, which has since been eradicated. Despite this, scientists still don't fully understand ...
Phys.org / Neutron star collisions may forge gold more slowly than expected
Where do gold, platinum and uranium come from? This question has fascinated astrophysicists and nuclear physicists for decades. A research team from Technische Universität Darmstadt has now taken an important step toward ...
Phys.org / Redistributing sunlight boosts algae biomass productivity sixfold
Algae are increasingly being explored as sustainable "living factories" that can convert sunlight and carbon dioxide into renewable fuels, plastics, pharmaceuticals and other valuable products.
Phys.org / Light's hidden properties save quantum information from the chaos of bad weather
For years, researchers have tried to harness the "twist" of light to transmit data. This property describes how light spirals as it travels forward, and because it can be molded into a virtually infinite number of different ...
Phys.org / Ancient turtle hunting could inform modern conservation throughout southern Caribbean
Despite the promise of rebounding green sea turtle numbers, many sea turtle populations continue to flounder under the pressures of changing climates, overfishing and urbanization.
