Phys.org news
Phys.org / Tiny 60,000-neuron ant brains reveal how parental care evolved from feeding circuits
Long before the dawn of modern parenting, animals laid eggs and moved on, leaving their progeny to fend for themselves. Now, a study published in Nature uncovers one of the elegant ways evolution transformed neglect into ...
Phys.org / X-pinch plasma achieves radial proton acceleration for crisp imaging
Plasma pinches: From pursuits of nuclear fusion to an attractive point source of accelerated protons for proton radiography.
Phys.org / New probe could help trace Alzheimer's-linked lipids one cell at a time
Cells sitting side by side in the same tissues are not identical. Each cell carries its own subtly different chemical signature—a hidden individuality that can reveal how diseases take root and spread. Now, researchers from ...
Phys.org / New deep-sea measurements show how the ocean floor forms
The first-known direct observations of a seafloor spreading event at a mid-ocean ridge in the Indian Ocean are presented in Nature. The observations offer insight into how new oceanic crust is created.
Phys.org / Caddisfly silk gene evolves quickly without losing adhesive power
Caddisflies are among nature's master underwater builders, capable of spinning sticky silk that they use to form protective cases and webs in freshwater streams. Scientists like the University of Utah's Russell Stewart have ...
Phys.org / Astronomers dig deep to find tiny dangerous space debris
In a new study, published in the Journal of the Astronautical Sciences, Warwick researchers led an international effort to uncover some of the faintest debris in geosynchronous orbit ever observed, finding fragments as small ...
Phys.org / Primordial mini-moons may explain meteorite composition
A new Southwest Research Institute-led study proposes a solution to a longstanding puzzle in planetary science: What caused the concentration, assembly, and preservation of millimeter-sized, spherical mineral grains within ...
Phys.org / Wavelength-multiplexed diffractive optical storage enables massively parallel image retrieval
The explosive growth of data generated by artificial intelligence, cloud computing and modern digital infrastructure is placing increasing pressure on existing information storage technologies. Although magnetic storage systems ...
Phys.org / Space sensor could spot hidden nuclear weapons in orbit with 99% accuracy
In 2024, a U.S. government official warned that Russia could be developing a new satellite designed to carry nuclear weapons into space. The statement followed the launch of a suspicious Russian satellite into low-Earth orbit ...
Phys.org / Manganese risk in groundwater affects 200 million people, study shows
Manganese is an essential trace element. However, in excessive concentrations, the metal can cause health problems. Two Eawag researchers have now produced a global risk map for manganese in groundwater. Half of the world's ...
Phys.org / Indigenous peoples in the Amazon face massive cultural and ecological loss due to climate change
The Amazon region, Earth's most important ecosystem, is home to more than 400 Indigenous groups that use thousands of rainforest plant species. They pass on their knowledge of the flora primarily through oral tradition, usually ...
Phys.org / The language of play: Hyenas use facial expressions and vocalizations to de-escalate
Scientists observed spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) playing in the wild and found that their precise, sophisticated communication is on par with that of many primate species. Hyenas play and romp with one another at all ...
