Phys.org news
Phys.org / Ancient dust points to retreat of West Antarctic Ice Sheet during last warm period
Antarctica's Ross Ice Shelf and the West Antarctic Ice Sheet may have been far smaller during one of Earth's most recent warm periods, according to a new study that traced the origin of ancient dust preserved in Antarctic ...
Phys.org / Plastic upcycling method turns food packaging into faster-degrading materials
Scientists have discovered a way to convert widely used plastics into new materials with distinct properties that degrade more rapidly. Applying this new process to upcycle existing plastics—such as those used for food packaging ...
Phys.org / Surface design transforms thermal management and enables frictionless systems
A research team led by Professor Steven Wang, Associate Vice President (Resources Planning) and Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and School of Energy and Environment, has designed a revolutionary ...
Phys.org / Researchers capture inception of hydrogen-uranium reaction for the first time
When hydrogen gas interacts with uranium metal, the combination creates a chemically reactive powder and a runaway reaction that is difficult to stop. The result can impact the safety and lifespan of technology critical for ...
Phys.org / Discovery of furtivovirus advances understanding of giant virus evolution
In evolutionary biology, all life on Earth is theoretically part of a single phylogenetic tree, indicating common ancestry. This model suggests that every living organism can be traced back to a distant common ancestor. However, ...
Phys.org / How did we learn which plants are safe to eat? Food scientists explain
Have you ever eaten a green potato, or a bunch of rhubarb leaves? Hopefully not, because these two plant parts can be toxic to humans. While they may seem edible, they contain chemicals that can make you seriously ill.
Phys.org / Trophic rewilding by large herbivores supports insect diversity, scientists find
Insects are declining across Europe. Czech scientists have determined this decline can be mitigated by returning large ungulates—horses, aurochs cattle, and wisents—to landscapes. This has been shown by a recent study by ...
Phys.org / Heat stress linked to higher koala hospitalizations and deaths above 27 C
New research from the University of Sydney has provided the first associative link between heat stress and koala mortality. Published in Biology Letters, the results highlight how even moderate temperature rises can increase ...
Phys.org / Data-driven model captures dynamics of turbulence at scale
Whether the dust borne on the violent winds of a tornado or the sugar grains in a swirled cup of coffee, the behavior of particles carried along in turbulence is subject to some similarities—all of them difficult to predict ...
Phys.org / Dog daycare leptospirosis outbreak in Los Angeles reveals broader public health risks
A 2021 outbreak of leptospirosis that sickened more than 200 dogs in Los Angeles County reveals critical gaps in vaccination practices and raises broader concerns about the spread of the disease between animals and people, ...
Phys.org / It looks like rice's own defense, but this fungal trick turns a lifesaving response into a crop-killing weapon
For about half the global population, rice is the staple food. Yet every year, a fungal disease—rice blast—destroys harvests that could feed 60 million people. Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have ...
Phys.org / Single-step 8-9x expansion reveals nanoscale centrioles without electron microscopy
In a study published in ACS Nano, researchers from National Taiwan University report a new expansion microscopy strategy termed high-fold homogeneous expansion microscopy (hiHomoExM), capable of achieving approximately 8–9× ...
