Aboriginal people lived in Australia 50k years ago, earlier than first thought

New evidence shows that people have lived inland in Western Australia for more than 50,000 years. That's 10,000 years earlier than previously known for Australian deserts. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

First to red planet will become Martians: Canada astronaut

Astronauts traveling through space on the long trip to Mars will not have the usual backup from mission control on Earth and will need to think of themselves as Martians to survive, Canada's most famous spaceman half-jokingly said Friday. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

New battery gobbles up carbon dioxide

A new type of battery developed by researchers at MIT could be made partly from carbon dioxide captured from power plants. Rather than attempting to convert carbon dioxide to specialized chemicals using metal catalysts, which is currently highly challenging, this battery could co … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Japan space probe drops hopping rovers towards asteroid

A Japanese space probe Friday released a pair of exploring rovers towards an egg-shaped asteroid to collect mineral samples that may shed light on the origin of the solar system. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Octopuses on 'ecstasy' reveal genetic evolution link to human social behaviors

By studying the genome of a kind of octopus not known for its friendliness toward its peers, then testing its behavioral reaction to a popular mood-altering drug called MDMA or "ecstasy," scientists say they have found preliminary evidence of an evolutionary link between the soci … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

AI could help to manage natural disasters – but only to an extent

Residents are struggling with the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, a record-breaking storm that has hit the US east coast and led to at least 32 deaths, floods and damaged homes. Meanwhile, Typhoon Mangkhut has been ravaging southern China. More than three million people were eva … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Closest planet ever discovered outside solar system may be habitable with ocean

In August of 2016, astronomers from the European Southern Observatory (ESO) confirmed the existence of an Earth-like planet around Proxima Centauri – the closest star to our solar system. In addition, they confirmed that this planet (Proxima b) orbited within its star's habitable … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Newly discovered planet could be Spock's home world

Among the TV series Star Trek's many charms are its rich universe of characters and planets. Now, the Dharma Planet Survey, in a new study led by University of Florida (UF) astronomer Jian Ge and team including Tennessee State University (TSU) astronomers Matthew Muterspaugh and … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Greater than the sum of its parts

When it comes to designing and optimizing mechanical systems, scientists understand the physical laws surrounding them well enough to create computer models that can predict their properties and behavior. However, scientists who are working to design better electrochemical system … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Japanese billionaire businessman revealed as SpaceX's first Moon traveler

A Japanese billionaire and online fashion tycoon, Yusaku Maezawa, will be the first man to fly on a monster SpaceX rocket around the Moon as early as 2023, and he plans to bring six to eight artists along. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Ceres takes life an ice volcano at a time

Every year throughout its 4.5-billion-year life, ice volcanoes on the dwarf planet Ceres generate enough material on average to fill a movie theater, according to a new study led by the University of Arizona. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Gravitational waves provide dose of reality about extra dimensions

While last year's discovery of gravitational waves from colliding neutron stars was earth-shaking, it won't add extra dimensions to our understanding of the universe—not literal ones, at least. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Gravity theory saved from death

An international group of astronomers, including physicists at the University of St Andrews, has revived a previously debunked theory of gravity, arguing that motions within dwarf galaxies would be slower if close to a massive galaxy. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Researchers prevent the disappearance of quantum information

The properties of quantum mechanics could be used in technology and encrypting messages, but the disadvantage is the occasional disappearance of information. For the first time, a research group consisting of Finnish and Chinese scientists has found a way to fully control the inf … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Geologists reveal ancient connection between England and France

The British mainland was formed from the collision of not two, but three ancient continental land masses, according to new research. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Scientists discover a 'tuneable' novel quantum state of matter

Quantum particles can be difficult to characterize, and almost impossible to control if they strongly interact with each other—until now. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Illinois engineers protect artifacts by graphene gilding

Gilding is the process of coating intricate artifacts with precious metals. Ancient Egyptians and Chinese coated their sculptures with thin metal films using gilding—and these golden sculptures have resisted corrosion, wear, and environmental degradation for thousands of years. T … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Sensors that are literally 'music to one's ears'

Researchers have found a new use for a 3,000-year-old African musical instrument: detecting toxic substances and counterfeit medications. The sensor, based on the mbira (pronounced "em-bir'-uh") is inexpensive and easy to operate, allowing its use in developing regions, the resea … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Single gene mutation may have helped humans become optimal long-distance runners

Two to three million years ago, the functional loss of a single gene triggered a series of significant changes in what would eventually become the modern human species, altering everything from fertility rates to increasing cancer risk from eating red meat. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Pristine quantum light source created at the edge of silicon chip

The smallest amount of light you can have is one photon, so dim that it's pretty much invisible to humans. While imperceptible, these tiny blips of energy are useful for carrying quantum information around. Ideally, every quantum courier would be the same, but there isn't a strai … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Novel nano material for quantum electronics

An international team led by Assistant Professor Kasper Steen Pedersen, DTU Chemistry, has synthesized a novel nano material with electrical and magnetic properties making it suitable for future quantum computers and other applications in electronics. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

U.S. $23 trillion will be lost if temperatures rise four degrees by 2100

Imagine something similar to the Great Depression of 1929 hitting the world, but this time it never ends. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Separating the sound from the noise in hot plasma fusion

In the search for abundant clean energy, scientists around the globe look to fusion power, where isotopes of hydrogen combine to form a larger particle, helium, and release large amounts of energy in the process. For fusion power plants to be effective, however, scientists must f … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Supercomputing simulations and machine learning to improve power plants

High-performance computing resources and data-driven machine learning help University of Stuttgart researchers model how coal, nuclear and geothermal power plants could be retrofitted for cleaner, safer, and more efficient and flexible operation. In conventional steam power plant … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Graphene enables clock rates in the terahertz range

Graphene—an ultrathin material consisting of a single layer of interlinked carbon atoms—is considered a promising candidate for the nanoelectronics of the future. In theory, it should allow clock rates up to a thousand times faster than today's silicon-based electronics. Scientis … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Superbugs jumping frequently between humans and animals

MRSA staphylococcus is an example of a superbug. These bacterial strains are resistant to most antibiotics and can cause serious infections. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Artificial intelligence helps track down mysterious cosmic radio bursts

Artificial intelligence is invading many fields, most recently astronomy and the search for intelligent life in the universe, or SETI. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Scientists discover how to turn light into matter after 80-year quest

Imperial College London physicists have discovered how to create matter from light - a feat thought impossible when the idea was first theorised 80 years ago. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Large solar farms effect on sahara vegetation

Wind and solar farms are known to have local effects on heat, humidity and other factors that may be beneficial—or detrimental—to the regions in which they are situated. A new climate-modeling study finds that a massive wind and solar installation in the Sahara Desert and neighbo … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Genes are key to academic success, study shows

Parents always worry about whether their children will do well in school, but their kids probably were born with much of what they will need to succeed. A new study published in npj Science of Learning by researchers from The University of Texas at Austin and King's College Londo … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Private Chinese space company places satellites in orbit

A rocket developed by Chinese company iSpace blasted into space Wednesday carrying three miniature satellites in another milestone for the country's budding private spaceflight industry. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

How the clownfish earned its stripes

Coral reef fishes, including clownfish, display a wide variety of colors but it remains unclear how these colors evolved or how they develop throughout a fish's life. Research published in BMC Biology sheds new light on the evolution of different stripe patterns in clownfish and … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Russia says space station leak could be deliberate sabotage

Russia launched checks Tuesday after its space chief said an air leak on the International Space Station last week could have been deliberate sabotage. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Testing whether Planck's radiation law applies at a very small scale

A recent discovery by William & Mary and University of Michigan researchers transforms our understanding of one of the most important laws of modern physics. The discovery, published in the journal Nature, has broad implications for science, impacting everything from nanotechnolo … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Going up Japan to test mini 'space elevator'

A Japanese team working to develop a "space elevator" will conduct a first trial this month, blasting off a miniature version on satellites to test the technology. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Quantum weirdness in 'chicken or egg' paradox

The "chicken or egg" paradox was first proposed by philosophers in Ancient Greece to describe the problem of determining cause-and-effect.   | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Quantum weirdness in 'chicken or egg' paradox

The "chicken or egg" paradox was first proposed by philosophers in Ancient Greece to describe the problem of determining cause-and-effect.   | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Egypt says village found in Nile Delta predated pharaohs

Egypt said Sunday that archeologists have unearthed one of the oldest villages ever found in the Nile Delta, with remains dating back to before the pharaohs. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Mars dust storm clears, raising hope for stalled NASA rover

One of the biggest Martian dust storms on record is clearing up after nearly three months, raising hope that NASA's stranded, solar-powered robotic vehicle, Opportunity, will soon come back to life. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

A new way to remove ice buildup without power or chemicals

From airplane wings to overhead powerlines to the giant blades of wind turbines, a buildup of ice can cause problems ranging from impaired performance all the way to catastrophic failure. But preventing that buildup usually requires energy-intensive heating systems or chemical sp … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Intl Astronomical Union agrees on a new reference frame for directions in space

In the future, when spacecrafts are sent to other planets or when the rotation of planet Earth is studied, a new reference frame will be used. On 30 August, at the General Meeting of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in Vienna, the new international celestial reference f … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Two new ways to measure the gravitational constant

A team of researchers affiliated with several institutions in China and one in Russia has devised two new ways to measure the gravitational constant. In their paper published in the journal Nature, the group describes the two methods and how accurate they were. Stephan Schlamming … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Scientists identify protein that may have existed when life began

How did life arise on Earth? Rutgers researchers have found among the first and perhaps only hard evidence that simple protein catalysts—essential for cells, the building blocks of life, to function—may have existed when life began. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Cosmologists propose new way to form primordial black holes

What is dark matter? How do supermassive black holes form? Primordial black holes might hold the answer to this longstanding question. Leiden and Chinese cosmologists have identified a new way in which these hypothetical objects could be produced immediately after the Big Bang. T … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

The fate of plastic in the oceans

The concentrations of microplastics in the surface layer of the oceans are lower than expected. Researchers at the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, the Kiel Cluster of Excellence "The Future Ocean" and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht experimentally demonstrated t … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Robot teachers invade Chinese kindergartens

The Chinese kindergarten children giggled as they worked to solve puzzles assigned by their new teaching assistant: a roundish, short educator with a screen for a face. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Long-sought decay of Higgs boson observed

Six years after its discovery, the Higgs boson has at last been observed decaying to fundamental particles known as bottom quarks. The finding, presented today at CERN1 by the ATLAS and CMS collaborations at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), is consistent with the hypothesis that … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago

Leading journalists join call for EU copyright reform

Leading journalists from more than 20 countries joined a call Tuesday for European MPs to approve a controversial media reform aimed at forcing internet giants to pay for news content. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 6 years ago