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81 articles from PhysOrg

Impact that killed the dinosaurs may have triggered a 'mega-earthquake' that lasted weeks to months

Some 66 million years ago, a 10-kilometer asteroid hit Earth, triggering the extinction of the dinosaurs. New evidence suggests that the Chicxulub impact also triggered an earthquake so massive that it shook the planet for weeks to months after the collision. The amount of energy released in this "mega-earthquake" is estimated at 1023 joules, which is about 50,000 times more energy than was...

Creating 'political economy of hope' at Pakistan-India border

Pakistani nationals of the Hindu faith migrate to India based on religion, caste, culture and history—and lately Indian government officials all the way up to the prime minister have been encouraging them to "return," according to Natasha Raheja, assistant professor of anthropology in the Cornell University College of Arts and Sciences (A&S).

What drives ecosystems to instability?

Trying to decipher all of the factors that influence the behavior of complex ecological communities can be a daunting task. However, MIT researchers have now shown that the behavior of these ecosystems can be predicted based on just two pieces of information: the number of species in the community and how strongly they interact with each other.

Discovering new cancer treatments in the 'dark matter' of the human genome

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Switzerland. Among the different types of cancers, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) kills the most patients and remains largely incurable. Unfortunately, even newly approved therapies can extend the life of patients by only a few months and only few survive the metastatic stadium long-term. Thus, new treatments that attack the cancer in novel ways...

Widespread pipe repair technique sends nanoplastics into the atmosphere, new study finds

The tiny bits of plastic that wear off bottles, plastic bags, automotive parts and even cosmetics get into the soil and the water supply. They disrupt chemical cycles, throw off ecosystem health and pollute environments both marine and terrestrial. They eventually also get into the air, where they can damage lungs much more effectively. But for that to happen, they have to be worn away by water or...

How light can be used to control processes in synthetic cells

Synthetic (artificially produced) cells can imitate certain functions of biological cells. These synthetic cells could open up new medical possibilities in the future. In laboratories, such cells can already help in chemical processes on a miniature scale as "mini-reactors." Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research have now developed a method to control the course of these...

Team develops new tools to help search for life in deep space

Are we alone in the universe? An answer to that age-old question has seemed tantalizingly within reach since the discovery of ice-encrusted moons in our solar system with potentially habitable subsurface oceans. But looking for evidence of life in a frigid sea hundreds of millions of miles away poses tremendous challenges. The science equipment used must be exquisitely complex yet capable of...

Rabbit virus has evolved to become more deadly, new research finds

A common misconception is that viruses become milder over time as they become endemic within a population. Yet new research, led by Penn State and the University of Sydney, reveals that a virus—called myxoma—that affects rabbits has become more deadly over time. The findings highlight the need for rigorous monitoring of human viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, monkeypox and polio, for increased...