Phys.org news
Phys.org / Distant exoplanets may be hiding water beyond Webb Telescope's reach, study finds
The planets that appear most common in the universe could have a lot of water—but it could be hiding where telescopes can't detect it, according to a new study led by scientists with the University of Chicago.
Phys.org / Invasive aoudad pose deadly risk to native bighorn sheep
An invasive species found across West Texas may pose a greater threat to native bighorn sheep than previously understood.
Phys.org / Melting icebergs can weaken a massive, far-off ocean current system
Melting and breaking icebergs in the far-off northeastern Pacific Ocean can weaken a massive current system in the Atlantic Ocean, according to a University of California, Davis study published in Nature Communications.
Phys.org / New imaging method reveals how electric fields reshape ferroelectric materials
New research is shedding light on longstanding debates over the behavior of ferroelectric materials when those materials are exposed to electric fields. The findings stem from the use of a novel technique that allows researchers ...
Phys.org / Famous puzzle-solving chimps lost 20 years of life after harsh Berlin winters
A University of Auckland scientist has uncovered the fates of chimpanzees who starred in seminal psychological studies of the early 20th century.
Phys.org / Chemists make elusive carbon-bridged sandwich molecule once thought too strained to exist
Progress in chemistry is often gradual, with some of its most important advances taking years—sometimes decades—to unfold. A case in point is the discovery of a novel "ferrocenophane" from the class of compounds known as ...
Phys.org / Scientists and citizens are more persuasive than government and industry in mobilizing action, study finds
In environmental, health and technology crises, Americans are more persuaded to take action by scientists and public consensus than by leaders in government and industry, according to a study in the Proceedings of the National ...
Phys.org / Hidden in plain sight: Caribbean reef fish nestle in tube worms, revealing previously undocumented partnership
On Caribbean coral reefs, an unlikely partnership has gone largely unnoticed: Tiny fish regularly nestle within the feathery structures of tube worms. While these sensitive worms typically snap shut at the slightest disturbance, ...
Phys.org / Where mainshocks strike may explain earthquake size patterns better than timing, data suggests
Japan is well known for its large earthquakes, but not all regions show the same patterns of earthquake activity. One way to understand which places tend to experience large or small earthquakes is the b-value, a key statistical ...
Phys.org / The family tree of viruses just grew, and it paves the way for a new approach to agricultural research
Researchers have discovered that a group of viruses known to infect an agriculturally important plant pathogen has remained genetically stable for an astonishing four decades. The discovery of a disease-fighting virus that ...
Phys.org / Solving a 30-year-old puzzle about a mysterious superconducting material
A material made from yttrium, barium and copper oxide (better known as YBCO) has intrigued scientists since its discovery in 1987, largely because it retains its superconductive properties at a higher-than-normal temperature. ...
Phys.org / Study reveals how gas bubbles shaped Kīlauea's 2018 lava flow
The lava that buried entire neighborhoods during the 2018 Kīlauea eruption was composed of nearly 80% gas bubbles near its source. A recent study shows that those bubbles played a central role in controlling how fast and ...