Phys.org news
Phys.org / Satellite data reveal Southern Ocean vertical currents diving 3,000 feet below surface
Ocean currents are not just horizontal motions that flow from side to side. There are also vertical currents that act like deep-sea elevators, pushing heat and carbon down into the deep, while bringing up vital nutrients ...
Phys.org / Maya altar and offerings at abandoned Belize sites highlight enduring ritual activities
Archaeologists excavating Maya sites at Kaxil Uinik and Ayiin Winik in Belize have discovered the first reported Late Postclassic altar in the region, along with additional evidence that Postclassic Maya people continued ...
Phys.org / Oldest Maya Long Count calendar date may reveal how royalty turned time into power
Archaeologists working at the ancient Maya site of El Palmar in Campeche, Mexico, have discovered what may be the earliest known Long Count calendar date in the Maya lowlands. It is carved into a stone monument and is interpreted ...
Phys.org / Quantum memory surpasses classical limits for storing unknown quantum operations
Quantum memories, systems that store and retrieve information leveraging quantum mechanical effects, can outperform classical storage systems on some existing tasks. Yet these promising memories could also complete operations ...
Phys.org / Physicists observe synchronized quantum dance of excitons and phonons
An international team of researchers has reported a major advance in understanding quantum dynamics in semiconductor materials. They directly observed how excitons and phonons evolve together in perovskite nanocrystals, revealing ...
Phys.org / Freshwater boundary breach deepens as climate and land use amplify extremes
Human activities have significantly altered the freshwater cycle, threatening its ability to support vital climatic and ecological Earth system processes. A new study led by researchers at the University of Eastern Finland ...
Phys.org / Brain removal in Iron Age Scotland burial reveals far-reaching family ties
It is difficult to identify funerary practices in Iron Age (c. 800 BC–AD 43) Britain, as human remains rarely survive. However, evidence is particularly prominent in north-west Scotland, because environmental conditions support ...
Phys.org / Chasing the ghost dog of the Amazon: New insights into a mythical canid
For decades, the short-eared dog (Atelocynus microtis) has been considered one of the least-known carnivores in Latin America, and potentially one of the least-known canids in the world. Because of its highly secretive nature, ...
Phys.org / Silent volcanic gas buildup revealed six months before La Palma eruption
Researchers at Geosciences Barcelona (GEO3BCN-CSIC) have developed a novel way to monitor the silent accumulation of volcanic gases beneath Earth's surface using seismic ambient noise. The results could significantly improve ...
Phys.org / A lack of sex held back life's diversity for millions of years, fossil study finds
The way that Earth's first animals reproduced held back life's diversity for millions of years, until stress and competition led to the development of sexual reproduction, which in turn accelerated the pace of evolution.
Phys.org / Precision measurement under impact—when the balance itself becomes the object of measurement
How do you take measurements using one of the most sensitive scales in the world? Researchers at TU Wien have demonstrated how the measurement process affects not only the object being measured but also the scale itself, ...
Phys.org / Adélie penguins use colony cues to switch foraging sites if their previous trip was unsuccessful
Many animals live in groups. Among seabirds in particular, most species form colonies during the breeding season. Although coloniality entails costs, such as increased competition for food and disease transmission, its repeated ...
