Phys.org news
Phys.org / The infant universe's 'primordial soup' was actually soupy, study finds
In its first moments, the infant universe was a trillion-degree-hot soup of quarks and gluons. These elementary particles zinged around at light speed, creating a "quark-gluon plasma" that lasted for only a few millionths ...
Phys.org / Saltwater crocodiles traveled thousands of miles across the Indian Ocean, genetic study suggests
Accounts from early expeditions to the Seychelles more than 250 years ago described crocodiles as common along the coasts of the archipelago. But after the first settlers established a permanent presence in 1770, the Seychelles ...
Phys.org / Deforestation is drying out the Amazon rainforest faster than previously thought
Deforestation is having a more devastating effect on the Amazon rainforest than earlier data suggested. While cutting down large swaths of trees destroys vital habitats, it also harms the region's ability to generate its ...
Phys.org / The first direct observation of a liquid charge density wave
Charge density waves (CDWs) are ordered, crystal-like patterns in the arrangement of electrons that spontaneously form inside some solid materials. These patterns can change how electricity flows through materials, in some ...
Phys.org / Roadkill offers an ethical alternative to live wildlife in scientific research
A recent review of over 312 studies has identified dozens of unique uses of roadkill in scientific research. The review, published in Biology Letters, discusses the advantages of using roadkill instead of live wildlife and ...
Phys.org / How dangling moss saves blue manakin eggs from hungry birds
If something exists in nature, there is most likely a very good reason for it. While there are exceptions, many features "selected" by evolution serve a purpose. Take the blue manakin, a small bird commonly found in southeastern ...
Phys.org / Warming may increase mangrove methane emissions—but these forests remain powerful carbon sinks
Mangrove forests play an important role in the global carbon cycle, particularly within the marine carbon system. Growing along tropical and subtropical coastlines, these salt-tolerant trees are among nature's most efficient ...
Phys.org / Multiwavelength analysis finds no radio pulsations from accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar
Using various space telescopes and ground-based facilities, astronomers have performed X-ray and radio observations of an accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar known as MAXI J1957+032. Results of the observational campaign, ...
Phys.org / A lost world: Ancient cave reveals million-year-old wildlife
Australian and New Zealand scientists have unearthed the remains of ancient wildlife in a cave near Waitomo on Aotearoa's North Island, the first time a large number of million-year-old fossils have been found—including ...
Phys.org / Just the smell of lynx can reduce deer browsing damage in recovering forests
New research shows that the mere smell of predators is enough to change deer behavior and limit browsing damage to tree saplings. The findings, published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, offer a potential tool for forest ...
Phys.org / Multiwavelength monitoring reveals distant blazar OP 313's behavior
An international team of astronomers has analyzed the data from long-term multiwavelength monitoring of a distant blazar known as OP 313. Results of the new study, published January 18 on the arXiv preprint server, shed more ...
Phys.org / Asteroid that wiped out dinosaurs had limited impact on sharks and rays, study shows
A new study using advanced artificial intelligence (AI) has revealed that the asteroid strike that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago caused only a modest decline in shark and ray species. The findings, published ...
