Phys.org news
Phys.org / Chaotic polymer vibrations may unlock stronger, flexible thermal insulators
University of Massachusetts Amherst researchers have demonstrated a possible new avenue for developing flame-retardant and generally low-conductivity (low-heat-transfer) plastics that retain the benefits of being strong and ...
Phys.org / Crashing insect populations lead to smaller tree swallows that reproduce less
Since the 1970s, the number of insects at Canada's Long Point Bird Observatory has dropped by more than 60%, according to a new study led by the University of Michigan. Because of this, today's birds are smaller and facing ...
Phys.org / Ordinary enzyme that evolves into 'control switch' reveals tuberculosis weak spot
Researchers at the University of Surrey have identified a protein that acts as a control switch, preventing Mycobacterium tuberculosis from accessing the energy sources it needs to survive. The discovery points to a specific ...
Phys.org / 125-million-year-old fossil reveals 'pregnant' shellfish
An international team of scientists led by Dr. Graciela Delvene of the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (CSIC) has uncovered the oldest known evidence of maternal care in shellfish, revealing that some freshwater ...
Phys.org / How AI-generated cartoons reshaped Taiwan's 2024 protests
In spring 2024, more than 100,000 people protested in Taiwan's streets. On Threads, a parallel fight was underway.
Phys.org / Primordial halo simulations reveal how cosmic storms shaped the universe's first stars
Just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang, the universe was a dark and simple place. There were no galaxies like the Milky Way, no planets, and no heavy elements such as carbon or oxygen. Instead, vast clouds of ...
Phys.org / The Caspian Sea has lost an area nearly the size of Sicily: Human activities are a major reason why
The Caspian Sea, the largest inland body of water on Earth, is shrinking. Not fluctuating, not entering another natural cycle, but shrinking.
Phys.org / Molecular 'Velcro' gel removes PFAS from water without fluorinated materials
A new gel-based material developed by University of Florida chemical engineers filters PFAS forever chemicals from water more efficiently than many widely used commercial options. The advance offers a potential new path to ...
Phys.org / Machine learning helps identify six promising solvents for carbon dioxide electroreduction
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a primary driver of climate change in Earth's atmosphere. At the State University of New York at Stony Brook (Stony Brook University), Ph.D. researcher Kuldeepsinh Raj, along with principal investigator ...
Phys.org / High-severity fires burn 30 times more acreage than 40 years ago, researchers find
Forest fires now burn 10 times more acreage annually than in 1985, while wildfire severity has gotten even worse. In California, 30 times more acreage burned from high-severity, forest-killing fires, according to new UCLA ...
Phys.org / CRISPR safety check evaluates intended and unintended mutations
A team of researchers led by Professor Akitsu Hotta (Department of Clinical Application) developed a comprehensive framework that combines computational prediction, experimental validation and whole-genome analysis to evaluate ...
Phys.org / Heat stress exposure climbed from 16% to 22% worldwide over 50 years, study shows
The number of people exposed to dangerous heat stress worldwide has risen sharply over the past half-century, propelled by climate change, according to a study released Monday as Europe sweltered through a punishing heat ...
