Phys.org news
Phys.org / Bolivian mummy rewrites scarlet fever's past, suggesting killer bacterium circulated centuries before colonization
Researchers have identified the genetic material of scarlet fever while examining a tooth from a naturally mummified skull housed at MUNARQ, the National Museum of Archaeology in La Paz. Using a method that reassembled previously ...
Phys.org / Machine learning tool pinpoints optimal locations for tree planting, offering a powerful tool for climate mitigation
Afforestation—establishing forests on previously non-forested land, or where forests have not existed for a long time—is one of the nature-based and cost-effective solutions for climate change mitigation because it offsets ...
Phys.org / One battered skull exposes a lost killer from dinosaur dawn and a vanished bloodline
"You want to stick your finger in a dinosaur brain?" asked Simba Srivastava. Surrounded by cabinets full of ancient bones in the paleobiology lab, the Virginia Tech undergraduate student held out a lumpy, pockmarked fossil.
Phys.org / Scientists develop 'light switch' for the love hormone
Researchers have developed a molecular "light switch" for the so-called love hormone oxytocin, offering new insights into how social behavior, partnership bonding, emotions, and mental health are wired in the brain. Professor ...
Phys.org / A backyard bug repellent is derailing bumblebees' ability to navigate
In the summer, many people turn to mosquito repellents to reduce the insects' buzzing and bites. One solution that has become increasingly popular in recent years is the Thermacell device, which releases vaporized, pyrethroid-based ...
Phys.org / Bottled lightning makes a cleaner fuel
Northwestern University chemists have discovered a new way to turn natural gas into liquid fuel—and it's lightning in a bottle. By harnessing tiny bursts of plasma—or mini "lightning bolts"—in glass tubes submerged in water, ...
Phys.org / Emerging in Alaska, dominant H5N1 strain spread continent-wide through migratory birds
An international group of scientists mapped the spread of the current dominant strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus through North American bird populations in 2024. Led by scientists from St. Jude Children's ...
Phys.org / Pill bugs don't just use the minerals they eat—they rebuild them inside their bodies
Placing small stones in a bug cage is beneficial when raising pill bugs, a type of woodlouse. Researchers at the University of Tsukuba have discovered that pill bugs do not directly incorporate ingested calcium carbonate ...
Phys.org / Researchers synthesize photosynthetic molecule found in bacteria
Researchers from North Carolina State University have successfully synthesized bacteriochlorophyll a, which is a photosynthetic pigment found in bacteria that absorbs infrared light. The work represents the first chemical ...
Phys.org / Color test 'sniffs out' dangerous staph strains fast
Researchers have developed a rapid color-changing test that can distinguish between different strains of golden staph, including those likely to be virulent and antibiotic resistant. Golden staph is a major human pathogen ...
Phys.org / Ancient seabird guano reveals how climate change may shape future populations
By analyzing peat cores, researchers have shown how populations of nesting seabirds have fluctuated on a sub-Antarctic island over 8,000 years. They found that bird numbers rose and fell alongside shifts in climate, offering ...
Phys.org / 'Safe' fertilizer linked to extreme water quality loss in Canadian Prairies
Research published in Nature Water found that widespread application of the common farm fertilizer, urea, severely degrades water quality in the Canadian Prairies. Researchers at the University of Manitoba and the University ...
