Phys.org news
Phys.org / Genome-wide analysis uncovers clues to Faroese ancestral history
Genome sequencing has revealed insights into how current-day residents of the Faroe Islands can trace their ancestry to a North Atlantic founder population and how evolutionary forces have shaped their genomes since. The ...
Phys.org / A flexible graphene-based neural interface can 'speak and listen' to the brain
Neural interfaces are devices that can detect or modulate neuronal activity when placed in contact with the brain. They are already used to treat various conditions related to the nervous system. However, current technologies ...
Phys.org / Cotton's roots traced to Yucatan Peninsula, where wild gene pool runs deepest
There's nothing like this in nature, Jonathan Wendel said as he showed a visitor in his Bessey Hall office the long white puffs billowing from a cotton boll—the protective flower capsule of the plant cultivated by humans ...
Phys.org / Santa Cruz trail study reveals how mountain lions and outdoor recreation can safely share spaces
California's iconic Santa Cruz Mountains are an outdoor recreation wonderland. With a world-class network of hiking, mountain biking and equestrian trails, they draw millions of visitors each year from neighboring Santa Cruz, ...
Phys.org / Black holes unleash delayed radio 'burps' years after tearing apart stars
Astronomers using the U.S. National Science Foundation Very Large Array (NSF VLA) have found that when a supermassive black hole tears apart an unlucky star, the fireworks are not over when the first flash fades. Years after ...
Phys.org / Why one famous predator shrank two ways: Fossils reveal distinct growth strategies in early Permian Dimetrodon
The sail-backed predator Dimetrodon is one of the most iconic animals of the early Permian—long before dinosaurs dominated Earth. Most known species of this early relative of mammals reached large body sizes, sometimes up ...
Phys.org / A new explanation for the mystery death of Botticelli's Birth of Venus model, Simonetta Vespucci
A paper on new research into the cause of death of Simonetta Vespucci, model for the world-renowned Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli, has been published by researchers at Queen Mary University of London, Universita Campus ...
Phys.org / Rare B meson decays tighten search for hidden particles and dark matter links
A University of Melbourne researcher has placed the strongest constraints yet on certain rare decays of subatomic particles, narrowing the window for where new "hidden" particles could be lurking.
Phys.org / One of the world's most important plate boundaries is older than previously thought
A chain of remote islands and underwater volcanoes between Alaska and Kamchatka has revealed a much older chapter in Earth's tectonic history than previously known. Along the Aleutian Arc, the Pacific Plate dives beneath ...
Phys.org / Cockatoos learn when touchscreen rewards 'die,' then apply rule to new contexts
For humans, death is surrounded by culture, emotion, ritual and language. But the question can be framed in a much more basic way: What would an animal have to understand in order to recognize that someone has died?
Phys.org / Female chickadees seek cognitively skilled males for extra‑pair matings, study shows
Female chickadees living in monogamous mating systems will proactively seek out males that have better cognitive skills than their nest mate, according to new findings.
Phys.org / Honeybees adjust their dances based on information reliability, study reveals
A new study demonstrates that honeybees can evaluate the reliability of their own communication, actively adjusting the vigor of their "waggle dance" based on the truthfulness of the information they provide. By manipulating ...