The human brain would rather look at nature than city streets

There is a scientific reason that humans feel better walking through the woods than strolling down a city street, according to a new publication from UO physicist Richard Taylor and an interdisciplinary team of collaborators. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

Researchers find eleven million-year-old fossils in southern Germany's Hammerschmiede clay pit

Researchers from the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum in Frankfurt and the Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment at the University of Tübingen have discovered the fossil remains of a previously unknown species of prehistoric waterfo … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

Ancient example of modern global warming was too hot for tiny, important ocean creatures

During another time in which Earth warmed rapidly in conjunction with a spike in atmospheric carbon similar to our modern climate, seawater temperature and chemical changes decimated an important piece of the food web in the tropical Pacific Ocean, according to new research from … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

Immigration reform is key to keeping US economy competitive, says report

The United States' immigration system is failing to provide the nation's economy with enough high-skilled and productive workers to grow and remain competitive on a global scale, according to a new report from experts at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

Bioenergy scientists discover genetic pathway for better biofuel processing

A team of researchers working within the Center for Bioenergy Innovation (CBI) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory has discovered a pathway to encourage a type of lignin formation in plants that could make the processing of crops grown for products such as sustainable jet fuels easi … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

Study suggests childhood trauma is linked to risk of adult crime

People who have suffered extreme difficulties in childhood are more likely to commit crimes as adults than those who have not, a study suggests. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

Buzz Aldrin's famous 1969 moon walk picture sells at auction

More than 70 original NASA photographs including a celebrated image of Buzz Aldrin's moon walk taken by Neil Armstrong were sold at auction in Copenhagen on Wednesday for more than 155,000 euros ($172,000). | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

Researchers develop pressure-quench process to enhance superconductivity toward goal of wasting zero energy

In the simplest terms, superconductivity between two or more objects means zero wasted electricity. It means electricity is being transferred between these objects with no loss of energy. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

Frequent external childcare can affect children's behavior

The Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development at the University of Zurich has conducted a study to examine how external childcare influences the development of children into young adulthood. The analyzed data were collected as part of the Zurich Project on the Social Develop … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

International team creates first complete fruit fly cell atlas

An international research team has completed an atlas of every cell found in adult fruit flies, one of the most important animal models in science and medicine. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

Scientists use 196 lasers to recreate the conditions inside gigantic galaxy clusters

Galaxies rarely live alone. Instead, dozens to thousands are drawn together by gravity, forming vast clusters that are the largest objects in the universe. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

Caribbean coral reefs have been warming for at least 100 years

A new analysis outlines 150 years of sea-surface temperature history throughout the Greater Caribbean region, highlighting significant warming trends that have disrupted coral reef ecosystems. Colleen Bove of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and colleagues present … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

Office buildings with infrequent water use may have poor water quality

Low-consumption office buildings with infrequent water use could have chemical and microbiological safety issues, according to a study published in PLOS Water by Andrew Whelton at Purdue University, Indiana, United States, and colleagues. The research could have implications for … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

Gender gaps in daily time usage at different ages vary between countries

A new, 10-country analysis identifies between-nation differences in the amount of time men and women spend on various daily activities at different stages of life. Joan García Román of Centre d'Estudis Demogràfics in Bellaterra, Spain, and Pablo Gracia of Trinity College in Dubl … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

Giant impact crater in Greenland occurred a few million years after dinosaurs went extinct

Danish and Swedish researchers have dated the enormous Hiawatha impact crater, a 31 km-wide meteorite crater buried under a kilometer of Greenlandic ice. The dating ends speculation that the meteorite impacted after the appearance of humans and opens up a new understanding of Ear … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

Researchers unravel the inner workings of heat conduction in galaxy clusters

The inner workings of heat conduction in galaxy clusters have been unraveled by a collaboration of international researchers led by the University of Oxford, University of Rochester and the University of Chicago. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

Research suggests COVID-19 beliefs influenced by politicians, not scientists

As COVID-19 upended societal norms when it swept through the United States in 2020, a second pandemic—or "infodemic"— was also on the rise. An analysis of Twitter users by researchers at the University of California, Davis, and University of Texas, Austin, suggests that Republica … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

Kenya launches bid to save wild bongos from extinction

The first mountain bongos have been released into a sanctuary beneath Mount Kenya under a world-leading programme to save the extremely rare forest antelopes from certain extinction in the wild. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

From quantum vibrations to nanodiamonds, unusual toolbox puts dangerous SARS-CoV-2 variants under surveillance

With each new SARS-CoV-2 variant that has emerged, global panic ensues to determine its level of threat. But a group of quantum biologists, engineers, and virus physicists think we already have the tools to more easily detect—and stop—dangerous coronaviruses and their variants. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

Scientists discover a new twist on an 80-year-old biochemical pathway

Every year, thousands of biochemistry majors and medical students around the world learn to memorize the major biochemical pathways that allow cells to function. How these 10 or so pathways are described in textbooks hasn't changed much since the early 20th century, when they wer … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

Stalagmites trace climate history and impact from volcanic eruptions

The soils and vegetation of Patagonia's fjord regions form a unique and highly sensitive ecosystem that is closely linked to marine ecosystems, sediment deposition and carbon storage in the ocean. A research team, including the University of Göttingen, has been working on reconst … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

A nanoscale look at coronavirus infection

A human cell being infected by a coronavirus is a crowded place as the virus turns its host into a virus-replicating machine. Now, for the first time, Stanford scientists have used super-resolution light microscopy to sift through the crowd and determine where in the cell viral m … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

'A job incomplete': Florida's statewide climate change response ignores root cause

Despite years of warnings from top scientists around the world, Florida's plan to address climate change only involves spending money to adapt to rising seas instead of cutting the emissions that cause them. In fact, the state has passed bills that work against those goals. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

How scientists are using DNA testing to disrupt international ivory smuggling networks

In recent years, DNA testing has been used to crack cold cases. What if it was used to shed light on international elephant poaching and ivory trafficking? | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

Simulations show using novel wheat genotypes coupled with deep sowing can increase yields

A quartet of researchers with CSIRO Agriculture & Food in Australia has found via simulations that planting novel wheat genotypes using deep sowing could increase yields. In their paper published in the journal Nature Climate Change, Zhigan Zhao, Enli Wang, John Kirkegaard and Gr … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

The untapped nitrogen reservoir

Guanidine is one of the most nitrogen-rich compounds. It could be a valuable source of organic nitrogen, but only very few organisms can access it. However, certain bacteria manage to obtain nitrogen from guanidine. A Konstanz-based research team led by chemist Professor Jörg Har … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

A remote control for functional materials

Intense mid-infrared excitation has been demonstrated as a powerful tool for controlling the magnetic, ferroelectric and superconducting properties of complex materials. Nonlinear phononics is key to this end, as it displaces specific atoms away from their equilibrium positions t … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

Oversized and understudied: Researchers begin to uncover the mysterious lives of jumbo bacteriophages

Viruses are tiny but mighty intruders that can be found in the environment including in human bodies, and they can play a variety of roles in ecosystems. Viruses also come in a range of sizes. Some are even larger than bacteria, which scientists thought were rare cases until rece … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

Avian secret: The key to agile bird flight is switching quickly between stable and unstable gliding

While it had been assumed that unstable gliding was the key to agility in bird flight, a collaboration between aerospace engineers at the University of Michigan and biologists at the University of British Columbia revealed that stability plays a role. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

Edible, biodegradable, anti-microbial plastic boasts higher tensile strength than petroleum-based plastic

Disposal of food packaging is a major cause of environmental pollution worldwide. More than 350 million metric tons of plastic are produced every year, and 85% of the garbage dumped in the oceans is plastic, according to estimates. Brazil is the fourth-largest producer, accountin … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

Nature-based solutions in mountains can reduce climate change impact on drought

New research, led by Dr. Petra Holden from the African Climate and Development Initiative (ACDI) at the University of Cape Town (UCT), has shown how catchment restoration—through the management of alien tree infestation in the mountains of the southwestern Cape—could have lessene … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

New study sheds light on early human hair evolution

Hair is an important feature of primate—including human—diversity and evolution, serving functions tied to thermoregulation, protection, camouflage and signaling. However, the evolution of wild primate hair remained relatively understudied until recently. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

Heatwave hotspots linked to urban agglomerations in Africa

Due to global warming, heatwave events will likely cause severe damage to natural ecosystems and human society. Urban areas are at higher risk owing to the significant economic activities carried out there and the populations residing in them. As such, it is becoming important to … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

Beyond CRISPR: New DNA tools rewrite genes to fight diseases like COVID-19

When Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2020, their CRISPR gene editor had revolutionized medicine, agriculture, and genetics in just a few short years. But already, plans were in the works to move beyond CRISPR's simple scissors, which … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

Our climate has changed. How do we learn to live with extreme events?

By some measures, climate change is in the past. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

A surprisingly soft mineral may control how Earth recycles rocks

The geological events we see on the surface of the Earth as mountains, volcanoes and earthquakes are expressions of processes that are happening deep in our planet. Here on the Earth's crust, we're part of a conveyor belt system called plate tectonics where old crust at the margi … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

Europium and light: An innovative platform for quantum computers and communications

The ability to interact with light provides important functionalities for quantum systems, such as communicating over large distances, a key ability for future quantum computers. However, it is very difficult to find a material that can fully exploit the quantum properties of lig … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

New technology enables unprecedented glimpse inside single brain cells

Salk Institute researchers have developed a new genomic technology to simultaneously analyze the DNA, RNA and chromatin—a combination of DNA and protein—from a single cell. The method, which took five years to develop, is an important step forward for large collaborations where m … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

When ribosomes collide: How bacteria clean up after molecular crashes

The knobby, 3D structure on the screen in front of Rachel Green showed an intracellular car wreck never before seen by scientists. It also confirmed a hypothesis a team in her lab had been working on for months. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

Black hole billiards in the centers of galaxies may explain black hole mergers

Researchers have provided the first plausible explanation to why one of the most massive black hole pairs observed to date by gravitational waves also seemed to merge on a non-circular orbit. Their suggested solution, now published in Nature, involves a chaotic triple drama insid … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

How the transition to agriculture affects populations in the present day

The transition of human societies from hunter-gatherers to farmers and pastoralists is a more nuanced process than generally thought, according to a new study of peoples living in the highlands of southwest Ethiopia. The work was published March 9 in Current Biology. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

Scientists capture the fleeting dance of moiré excitons

Published in the journal Nature, scientists from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST), SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), and Stanford University have, in a world-first, imaged and measured the two parts of a unique particle called … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

An 'oracle' for predicting the evolution of gene regulation

Despite the sheer number of genes that each human cell contains, these so-called "coding" DNA sequences comprise just 1% of our entire genome. The remaining 99% is made up of "non-coding" DNA—which, unlike coding DNA, does not carry the instructions to build proteins. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

Forget mammoths—These researchers are exploring bringing back the extinct Christmas Island rat

Dinosaurs went extinct 65 million years ago, mammoths 4,000 years ago, and the Christmas Island Rat 119 years ago. Since becoming a popular concept in the 1990s, de-extinction efforts have focused on grand animals with mythical stature, but in a paper published March 9 in the jou … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

Rethinking community in upland, 'indigenous' South Asia

Indigenous communities are often perceived as intrinsically cohesive, cherishing shared values, and united by common interests. The "tribes" of South Asia are no exception. Stereotypical and outdated characterizations such as these cannot do justice to the economic, religious and … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

Phase-separated compartments support human cytomegalovirus replication

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) replicates its DNA genome in specialized replication compartments, whose exact formation was thus far unclear. A research team from the Leibniz Institute for Experimental Virology (HPI) and the Center for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB) has now show … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

Doctor assessing refugees in Poland sees deep trauma

Humanitarian groups and the Polish government are so far keeping up with the waves of Ukrainian refugees fleeing Russia's invasion, according to Morgan Broccoli, a Harvard physician in Poland, but aid has yet to reach areas of active conflict and relief workers are bracing for th … | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago

Following rain, desert microbes exhale potent greenhouse gas

New UC Riverside research shows how, after it rains, microbes in desert soil convert one form of pollution into another—laughing gas. | Continue reading


@phys.org | 2 years ago