Phys.org news
Phys.org / Rare observations reveal an X9 solar flare before it erupts
Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation from the sun's surface, which can wreak havoc on Earth's power grids, damage orbiting satellites, and pose serious radiation risks to astronauts. Yet despite decades of study, ...
Phys.org / Outdoor lights may keep mosquitoes biting and breeding deeper into autumn
In some parts of the world, autumn brings welcome relief from mosquitoes, such as the Northern house mosquito (Culex pipiens). As the days grow shorter, the waning light is a signal for them to enter a winter state of dormancy ...
Phys.org / Newly discovered 'thunder' of Atlantic sturgeons inspires awe
When a team of researchers recorded a low thundering underneath the surface of the Hudson River, they thought they were hearing the muffled rumble of trains. A closer look and listen led to a much more interesting discovery: ...
Phys.org / Fake predator eyes scare off seabirds until they learn they're not real
In Danish fisheries, fish-eating seabirds are a menace. They often swoop down and feed on fish trapped in nets, which can hit profits and also sometimes lead to the accidental death of the birds. So scientists deployed an ...
Phys.org / Perfect randomness realized for the first time
Creating perfect randomness is surprisingly difficult. Even modern random number generators never generate completely ideal random numbers: small systematic errors can result in some numbers appearing slightly more frequently ...
Phys.org / Reconstructed 1.5‑billion‑year‑old protein network reveals hundreds of hidden disease‑linked genes
A University of Texas at Austin-led team has reconstructed the most detailed map to date of the molecular machines that carried out the functions of life in an ancient ancestor that gave rise to all complex life on Earth, ...
Phys.org / Researchers push back fundamental limit on energy transfer between particles without 'spilling' radiation
Researchers at TU/e have demonstrated that energy transfer without loss via light or heat can occur over much greater distances than previously thought possible thanks to vibrations in microscopic gold rods. They succeeded ...
Phys.org / Moon base missions face an unseen threat, and these simulations show where it could strike first
Researchers have developed a novel virtual model for simulating how astronauts in future moon base operations might interact with each other and with their environment, with preliminary simulations revealing potential opportunities ...
Phys.org / 'Feathered dragon' has some of the longest tail feathers ever found on a fossil bird
Birds have all kinds of fancy decorations for attracting mates—male peacocks have a fan of feathers accented with shimmering blue eye-spots, birds of paradise do courtship dances that highlight their fluffy plumes, and female ...
Phys.org / Metamaterials enable control of heat transfer at nanoscale, potentially transforming energy and electronics
Heat behaves in predictable ways: a hot cup of coffee cools, a laptop warms your hands, the sun heats Earth. But at scales thousands of times smaller than a human hair, those rules begin to break down, and scientists are ...
Phys.org / How the greenhouse effect governs temperature changes across Antarctica
A decade ago, Bradley Markle, an assistant professor at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research at the University of Colorado Boulder, noticed an odd pattern while sifting through temperature records from the end of the ...
Phys.org / Monkey see, monkey do: Study sheds light on cooperative decision-making
The old "monkey see, monkey do" adage may rest on some neuroscientific evidence, finds a new Yale study. To examine how the primate brain facilitates cooperative behavior among individuals during social interaction, a team ...
