Phys.org news
Phys.org / Microscale roughness breakthrough defies 80 years of fluid dynamics
Logically, you would think a sleek surface has optimal aerodynamics—but recent research at Tohoku University turns this fundamental principle on its head. Applying an irregular microscale surface texture reduced the aerodynamic ...
Phys.org / Genetically distinct avocados discovered in Nicaragua
A team of scientists led by researchers at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and Texas A&M University recently uncovered genetic traces of ancient migration in DNA from avocados growing in Nicaragua. They ...
Phys.org / Genome tool places large genetic sequences precisely in rice and tobacco without DNA breaks
Researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have developed a new way to add large pieces of genetic information to plants, overcoming a challenge that has limited plant biotechnology for decades. ...
Phys.org / Reusable magnetic invention removes microplastics plus some PFAS from water
Microplastics are an increasing global concern, with growing evidence of their presence in water systems. RMIT University researchers have developed a water treatment material that rapidly removes micro- and nanoplastics ...
Phys.org / 2,000 volunteers join a painstaking effort to restore massive skeleton of prehistoric predator
Volunteers armed with chisels, brushes and protective goggles chip away at rock encasing the bones of a massive prehistoric amphibian in a glass-walled laboratory on the ground floor of Warsaw's Copernicus Science Centre.
Phys.org / Reflooding the Aral Sea could prevent massive CO₂ emissions
About 90% of the Aral Sea has dried up. The exposed sediments have already released enormous amounts of carbon dioxide (748 megatons) since 1960. However, through restoration, the lake could once again become a carbon sink. ...
Phys.org / Water-surface vortices drive tiny rotors without electricity, magnets or chemicals
Reliably generating controlled miniature rotations has long been a challenge: Chemical propulsion systems wear out, and methods that use electric or magnetic fields require complex setups. A team from KIT's Institute of Microstructure ...
Phys.org / Neural networks unlock larger quantum simulations with lower computational costs
In recent years, research using artificial intelligence to predict material properties has advanced rapidly. Neural network quantum Monte Carlo methods have attracted attention as highly accurate simulation techniques. However, ...
Phys.org / Carbon footprint of metal production could be more than 10 times higher than estimated
New research from the University of St Andrews has found that metal production carbon footprints could be more than 10 times higher than previously estimated, with serious implications for the ambition to reach net zero.
Phys.org / Storms that built a graveyard: Ancient monsoons created a spectacular dinosaur fossil site
Around 80 million years ago, a stretch of tropical coastline in what is now northeastern Italy was lashed by monsoon rains and tropical cyclones. Those storms swept dinosaur carcasses, crocodiles, plants and river mud onto ...
Phys.org / Marine animals first colonized empty seashells about 470 million years ago
An international study led by researchers from the University of Tartu shows that approximately 470 million years ago, a significant ecological change took place in the world's oceans: For the first time, the interiors of ...
Phys.org / Light-driven chemistry method could create antiviral compound libraries 10 to 100 times larger within weeks
As the world faces new and often untreatable viral threats, Simon Fraser University researchers have found a way to cut years off the time it takes to discover antiviral drugs. The new research enables scientists to quickly ...