Phys.org news
Phys.org / Satellite data reconstruct 2025 LA fires, showing rapid spread in first day
A severe drought, powerful Santa Ana winds and a not-fully-extinguished brushfire combined to create the most destructive wildfire in the history of Los Angeles in early 2025. The Palisades Fire, which fully ignited on Jan. ...
Phys.org / Durable dual-atom catalyst enables high-temperature CO₂ to CO conversion
The conversion of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into carbon monoxide (CO), an industrial feedstock, has attracted significant attention as a key step for producing synthetic fuels and chemical products. However, because CO₂ is ...
Phys.org / Colliding dust and the sparks of creation: Carbon-coated grains provide new clue to life's early energy
Two microscopic grains collide and produce a tiny spark. This phenomenon may have provided the energy to kick off life on Earth. But if these solid particles have the same composition, what factor causes the charge to flow ...
Phys.org / Fossilized whale skulls reveal feeding secrets of sharks 5 million years ago
A new study analyzing two fossilized whale skulls from around 5 million years ago has revealed fragments of sharks' teeth lodged inside them. This provides rare evidence of how sharks fed on whales in north European waters ...
Phys.org / Why heights and snakes still hit harder: Study tracks fear sweat in 119 people
Fear-eliciting images of modern and ancestral threats are equally likely to evoke physiological reactions, despite their distinct evolutionary origins, according to a study published in the open-access journal PLOS One by ...
Phys.org / 3D model predicts mosquito flight paths from sight and CO₂ cues
A mosquito finds its target with the help of certain cues in its environment, such as a person's silhouette and the carbon dioxide they exhale. Now researchers at MIT and Georgia Tech have found that these visual and chemical ...
Phys.org / California's lead-ammo bans are working, but expanding condor ranges undercut gains
Recent data showing an increase in lead exposure and deaths among critically endangered California condors seems to fly in the face of decades of conservation measures, including bans on lead bullets and public-education ...
Phys.org / Plant survival under three simultaneous stressors may hinge on a single protein
Researchers at the University of Missouri have discovered certain proteins may be the key to saving plants' lives when multiple stressors hit at the same time. This knowledge may one day lead to crops that are more resistant ...
Phys.org / Cell-inspired sensor can monitor blood for 10 hours without sensitivity loss
A team led by La Trobe University has drawn inspiration from nature to develop a breakthrough sensor that can rapidly track tiny molecular changes in blood, paving the way to real-time, personalized medicine. The discovery ...
Phys.org / Using fiber-optic cables to detect moonquakes
Two recent studies suggest that fiber-optic cables laid directly on the moon's surface could potentially detect moonquakes, offering a simpler way to gather seismic data to support future human and robotic exploration.
Phys.org / What makes a genus real? Scientists use tree bats to evaluate a testable '2 Sigma Genus Concept'
Dr. Amy Baird, Professor of Biology at the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD), and her colleagues are seeking to change the attitude of biologists toward the meaning of taxonomic categories above the species level with ...
Phys.org / Finding Easter eggs in entertainment boosts enjoyment and fan behavior, study finds
If you've watched popular movies or television shows in the last decade, there's a good chance you've found an Easter egg or two: not an actual brightly colored egg but a subtle reference to another movie or story in the ...
