Study explores genetics behind evolution of flightless birds

Since Darwin's era, scientists have wondered how flightless birds like emus, ostriches, kiwis, cassowaries, and others are related, and for decades the assumption was that they must all share a common ancestor who abandoned the skies for a more grounded life. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Photodoping in 2-D materials for fabrication of logic devices

National University of Singapore scientists have discovered a method for photoinduced electron doping on molybdenum ditelluride (MoTe2) heterostructures for fabricating next generation logic devices. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

The uranium mine in the heart of Kakadu needs a better cleanup plan

Can a uranium mine be rehabilitated to the environmental standards of a national park and World Heritage site? | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Fewer cars a sensible plan for a liveable future

More shared spaces, safer streets and fewer cars in the city are all part of a newly released ten-year plan by the City of Melbourne. This evening, Town Hall will consider the ambitious draft transport strategy that would boost pedestrian, cycling and tram access across the CBD's … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Bacterial toxin research could improve pesticides and help treat cancer

Research into an intricate toxin delivery system found in bacteria could overcome the problem of pesticide resistance in insects, and might even lead to new cancer treatments. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Cannibalism was profitable for Homo antecessor

Jesús Rodríguez, Ana Mateos and Guillermo Zorrilla, scientists at the Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), have just published a study in the Journal of Human Evolution in which they analyze the cannibalistic behavior of populations at Atapuerca 1 … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Nanoparticles can aid in stroke therapy

Tiny selenium particles could have a therapeutic effect on ischemic brain strokes by promoting the recovery of brain damage. Pharmacologists, including Alireza Mashaghi from the Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research discovered that selenium nanoparticles inhibit molecular mech … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

When biodegradable plastic is not biodegradable

The idea of a "biodegradable" plastic suggests a material that would degrade to little or nothing over a period of time, posing less of a hazard to wildlife and the environment. This is the sort of claim often made by plastic manufacturers, yet recent research has revealed suppos … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

The fossilization process of dinosaur remains

A study conducted between the UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country and the University of Zaragoza has conducted an in-depth analysis of the dinosaur fossils at La Cantalera-1, one of the Iberian sites belonging to the Lower Cretaceous with the largest number of vertebrates. T … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Hunting jeopardizes forest carbon storage, yet is overlooked in climate mitigation efforts

The loss of animals, often due to unregulated or illegal hunting, has consequences for the carbon storage capacity of forests, yet this link is rarely mentioned in high-level climate policy discussions, according to a new study from Lund University in Sweden and the University of … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Naturally heat-resilient corals transplanted to nurseries survive El Nino bleaching event

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

Teenagers might not report online abuse because they often don't see it as a problem

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

Study finds gap between rich and poor growing regionally, too

There's an old saying about a rising tide lifting all boats—and for more than a century, as the gap between the richest and poorest parts of the U.S. shrank, it seemed as though, in America at least, it might be true. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Pesticide research must stay transparent and independent

Few people would make an important purchase on trust alone. The same logic applies to pesticides. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Study examines benefits of teaching math in culturally responsive ways

Teachers have long known that to reach learners, developing instruction that relates to those students' experiences can be a valuable tool. That is as true for mathematics as other subjects, yet there had not been a comprehensive review of the research on teaching mathematics to … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Exploring the effects of moisture and drying on cement

Although it is used to construct some of the world's largest structures, it turns out that cement actually has something in common with a sponge. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Lead contamination found in baby teeth of children living near Exide battery plant

Airborne lead from recycled car batteries at the Exide plant in Vernon ended up in the baby teeth of children living nearby, a USC study shows. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

New discovery could alleviate salty soil symptoms in food crops

New research published in Nature Scientific Reports (opens in new window) has found that a hormone produced by plants under stress can be applied to crops to alleviate the damage caused by salty soils. The team of researchers from Western Sydney University and the University of Q … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Self-healing cement could transform geothermal industry

A self-healing cement developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory can outperform conventional concrete, offering a potentially pollution-preventing technology for the growing geothermal industry. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Ocean activity is key controller of summer monsoons

Each summer, a climatic shift brings persistent wind and rain to much of Southeast Asia, in the form of a seasonal monsoon. The general cause of the monsoon is understood to be an increasing temperature difference between the warming land and the comparatively cool ocean. But for … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Effective incentives help people overcome procrastination

Researchers from Harvard, Yale and BYU have found a useful tool in overcoming procrastination when it comes to making financial decisions. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Two flower species show that close relatives can coexist

Scientists have discovered how two closely-related species of Asiatic dayflower can coexist in the wild despite their competitive relationship. Through a combination of field surveys and artificial pollination experiments, the new study shows that while reproductive interference … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Precise temperature measurements with invisible light

Ordinarily, you won't encounter a radiation thermometer until somebody puts one in your ear at the doctor's office or you point one at your forehead when you're feeling feverish. But more sophisticated and highly calibrated, research-grade "non-contact" thermometers – which measu … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Ensuring oral medicines are protected from the acidic conditions of the stomach

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

Predicting early spring budburst with genetics against a climate change backdrop

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

Scientists identify bioactive compounds in cacao pods to develop drugs to combat skeletal disorders

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

El Nino has rapidly become stronger and stranger, according to coral records

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

Freshwater mussel shells were material of choice for prehistoric craftsmen

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

Synthetic and living micropropellers support convection-enhanced nanoparticle transport

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@phys.org | 5 years ago

Bypassing popular passwords

Every year computer security companies share their findings regarding passwords and data breaches. Again and again, they warn computer users to use complex passwords and not to use the same passwords for different accounts. And, yet, data breaches and other sources show that too … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Telescopes in space for even sharper images of black holes

Astronomers have just managed to take the first image of a black hole, and now the next challenge facing them is how to take even sharper images, so that Einstein's Theory of General Relativity can be tested. Radboud University astronomers, along with the European Space Agency (E … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

No one-size-fits-all solution for sustainable agriculture

Sustainable agriculture production through the use of conservation farming is far from a global one-size-fits-all solution, according to new research from the University of Arizona. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

The most stable microscope in the world

Ph.D. candidate Irene Battisti of the Leiden Institute of Physics has developed the most vibration-free cryogenic scanning tunneling microscope in the world. The new microscope could shed light on unconventional superconductivity. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

The Green New Deal is going global

It's the third period of Game 7 of the Stanley Cup playoffs and we're trailing, badly. It's time to pull the goalie and send out the top forward line. We don't know if we can actually win, but we're going to give it everything we've got. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Banning offshore oil and gas drilling

Last week, New York's Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill passed in February that banned oil and gas drilling off New York's coastline. The state's action was in part a response to the Trump Administration's plan to encourage drilling any place and in any way they can. New York's … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Opinion: Forests instead of cathedrals

Notre Dame should not be rebuilt, argue Guillaume Habert and Alice Hertzog. In times of climate change and in light of the current religious landscape its reconstruction is no longer a priority. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

New class of catalysts for energy conversion

Many chemical reactions relevant for new energy sources are highly complex and result in considerable energy loss. Thus, energy conversion and storage systems or fuel cells are not yet widely used in commercial applications. Researchers at Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) and Max-Pl … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Twisting whirlpools of electrons

In Jules Verne's famous classic 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, the iconic submarine Nautilus disappears into the Moskenstraumen, a massive whirlpool off the coast of Norway. In space, stars spiral around black holes; on Earth, swirling cyclones, tornadoes and dust devils rip acros … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Driving chemical reactions with light

The chemistry of photosynthesis is still poorly understood. However, researchers from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) in Germany and Rice University in Houston have now uncovered a major piece of the puzzle. Their findings have been published recently in Science Advance … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Rice husks can remove microcystin toxins from water

Scientists at the University of Toledo have discovered that rice husks can effectively remove microcystin from water, a finding that could have far-reaching implications for communities along the Great Lakes and across the developing world. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Quantum computing with graphene plasmons

A novel material that consists of a single sheet of carbon atoms could lead to new designs for optical quantum computers. Physicists from the University of Vienna and the Institute of Photonic Sciences in Barcelona have shown that tailored graphene structures enable single photon … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

US climate change refusal sinks Arctic declaration: delegates

Members of the Arctic Council meeting in Finland's far north on Tuesday failed to issue their traditional final declaration due to a US refusal to mention climate change, delegates said. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Global health benefits of climate action offset costs

The price tag for cutting global emissions may seem expensive, until the human toll of deaths from air pollution and climate change are factored in, new research says. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Homemade energy gets boost to go mainstream

New rules and initiatives to support communities wanting to produce their own renewable energy could help ordinary people play a key role in the European Union's transition to clean energy. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Monster cartel charge puts brakes on BMW earnings

German high-end carmaker BMW on Tuesday reported a plunge in profits in the first quarter as it booked a 1.4-billion-euro ($1.6 billion) charge related to an EU cartel probe. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Indonesia's Mt. Sinabung spews massive smoke-and-ash column

An Indonesian volcano erupted Tuesday, sending a massive column of ash and smoke 2,000 metres (6,500 feet) into the air, coating local villages in debris. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Highly qualified staff at state preschools overcome private sector staffing advantage

Better-qualified staff maintain the quality of state-funded preschools, making up for the larger number of children per staff member in comparison to private and voluntary settings, finds a new study by researchers at the University of Oxford. They also show that the quality of p … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago

Developed countries benefit economically from counterterrorism efforts

A new study in Oxford Economic Papers suggests that developed counties may see significant economic gains from their efforts to combat terrorist threats. Developing counties, in contrast, appear to suffer economically from counterterrorism threats. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 5 years ago