Phys.org news
Phys.org / Fungal secrets of a sunken ship: Advanced decay found throughout USS Cairo despite past wood preservation efforts
University of Minnesota researchers studied the microbial degradation of the USS Cairo, one of the first ironclad and steam-powered gunboats used in the United States Civil War. Studies of microbial degradation of historic ...
Phys.org / Radiocarbon dating of Egyptian artifacts puts Thera (Santorini) volcanic eruption prior to Pharaoh Ahmose
One of the largest volcanic eruptions in the last 10,000 years took place at the Greek island of Thera (Santorini) in the Aegean Sea, but its dating during the late 17th or 16th century BCE remained controversial. Volcanic ...
Phys.org / A 15th-century Inca building was built for sound—researchers are working to understand why
The Inca empire is renowned for its architecture; its buildings were intricately designed and extraordinarily durable.
Phys.org / Planetary scientists link Jupiter's birth to Earth's formation zone
New research from Rice University suggests that the giant planet Jupiter reshaped the early solar system in dramatic ways, carving out rings and gaps that ultimately explain one of the longest-standing puzzles in planetary ...
Phys.org / 3 billion-year-old white dwarf still consuming its planetary system challenges previous assumptions
In approximately 5 billion years, the sun will deplete its hydrogen fuel and collapse under its own gravity, becoming a white dwarf. Though Earth-sized, this dense remnant will retain much of the sun's gravitational influence.
Phys.org / Rainforest animals are using tourist walkways, offering clues for conservation design
Look up in the woods and you may see a familiar sight: squirrels using tree limbs like a leafy highway, crossing a patch of land without putting their paws on the ground.
Phys.org / Scientists release new survey of the biggest objects in the universe
Scientists have released a new study on the arXiv preprint server that catalogs the universe by mapping huge clusters of galaxies.
Phys.org / Telescope hack opens a sharper view into the universe
A novel imaging technique used for the first time on a ground-based telescope has helped a UCLA-led team of astronomers to achieve the sharpest-ever measurement of a star's surrounding disk, revealing previously unseen structure.
Phys.org / Underwater thermal vents may have given rise to the first molecular precursors of life
A study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society has recreated in the laboratory chemical reactions that may have occurred on Earth about four billion years ago, producing the first molecular precursors for ...
Phys.org / Physicists unlock secrets of stellar alchemy, yielding new insights into gold's cosmic origins
You can't have gold until a nucleus decays. The specifics of that process have been hard to pin down, but UT's nuclear physicists have published three discoveries in one paper explaining key details. The results can help ...
Phys.org / Carpenter ants act fast to amputate fellow ants' injured legs
Carpenter ants are not squeamish when it comes to caring for the wounded. To minimize the risk of infection, the insects immediately amputate injured legs—thereby more than doubling their survival rate.
Phys.org / New malaria drug candidate blocks protein production in resistant parasites
It has long been known that bacterial pathogens are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics. However, common medications are also becoming less effective against malaria, a tropical disease caused by a parasite.
