Phys.org news
Phys.org / Giant jars, ancient bells, buried bones and a mystery that endures
Helping to preserve artifacts, some potentially 2,000 years old, was an irresistible privilege. Since 2016, an Australian-Lao team led by Louise Shewan, Dougald O'Reilly and Thonglith Luangkhoth has conducted archaeological ...
Phys.org / A 'stemness checkpoint' helps control stem cell identity
A study published in Cell Research advances a central idea in stem cell biology by identifying a checkpoint that controls the identity of many different types of stem cells across developmental stages. For nearly two decades, ...
Phys.org / Satellites capture the volatile human–luminescence relationship
From space, Earth's populated areas glow on the otherwise "black marble" of the planet at night. For decades, scientists assumed this glow was steadily increasing as the world developed. However, a new study published in ...
Phys.org / Ancient tectonic processes are the key to locating rare minerals
New research from Adelaide University has revealed that geological processes dating back billions of years are critical to locating the rare earth elements needed for modern technologies and the global clean energy transition. ...
Phys.org / 'Pinprick of light': Artemis crew witnesses meteorite impacts on moon
During their historic lunar flyby, astronauts on NASA's Artemis II mission witnessed meteorites striking the rugged surface of the moon, a sight that has piqued scientists' curiosity.
Phys.org / Electron–atom scattering encodes the quantum state of electron wave packets
A new analysis reveals what happens when very short or narrow electron beams encounter a particle. The research is published in the New Journal of Physics. Scientists should be able to achieve a new level of control over ...
Phys.org / Optical control of nuclear spins in molecules points to new paths for quantum technologies
Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have reported important progress in quantum physics and materials science by optically initializing, controlling, and reading out nuclear spin states in a molecular ...
Phys.org / Neanderthals in Central Europe hunted pond turtles—not for food, but likely for their shells
Neanderthals hunted European pond turtles (Emys orbicularis) in Central Europe, though probably not for food. The careful cleaning of carapace elements at Neumark-Nord indicates that shells were reused, perhaps as small containers ...
Phys.org / Ancient architecture shows public opinion influenced Maya divine kings
Excavation of a council house at the major Lowland Maya center of Ucanal, Guatemala, reveals how the public gained some influence over Maya politics more than 1,000 years ago. These colonnaded, open halls were likely council ...
Phys.org / Climate change may speed evolution through inherited gene regulation changes
A new paper in Molecular Biology and Evolution, finds that changes in animal development induced by climate shock persist generations after the initial event. The escalating effects of climate change are likely to, in effect, ...
Phys.org / Robust against noise, geometric-phase swap gates bring stability to quantum operations
Researchers at ETH Zurich have realized particularly stable quantum logical operations with qubits made of neutral atoms. Since these operations, called quantum gates, are based on geometric phases, they are extremely robust ...
Phys.org / Pollinator-friendly gardens don't have to sacrifice style
For gardeners who love colorful, tidy flower beds, helping pollinators doesn't have to mean going fully wild. A new study from plant biologists at Northwestern University and the Chicago Botanic Garden found that some cultivated ...