The size of the human brain expanded dramatically during the course of evolution, imparting us with unique capabilities to use abstract language and do complex math. But how did the human brain get larger than that of our ...
Biotechnology
Feb 19, 2015
12
1216
The world is filled with tiny creatures that find us delicious. Bacteria and viruses are the obvious bad guys, drivers of deadly global pandemics and annoying infections. But the pathogens we haven't had to reckon with as ...
Ecology
Jan 30, 2023
0
130
(Phys.org) —If you want to know your body's mass, you hop on a scale and watch the needle swing. But if you want to know the mass of a region out in space, there's no cosmic equivalent—the best you can do is consult a ...
General Physics
Mar 18, 2014
9
0
Touch a hot stove, and your fingers will recoil in pain because your skin carries tiny temperature sensors that detect heat and send a message to your brain saying, "Ouch! That's hot! Let go!"
Biochemistry
Jan 18, 2016
0
1593
When monkeys landed in South America 37 or more million years ago, the long-isolated continent already teemed with a menagerie of 30-foot snakes, giant armadillos and strange, hoofed mammals. Over time, the monkeys forged ...
Plants & Animals
Jan 3, 2014
2
0
If you have a deep-seated, nagging worry over dropping your phone in molten lava, you're in luck. A research team led by materials scientists at Duke University has developed a method for rapidly discovering a new class of ...
Analytical Chemistry
Jan 3, 2024
1
186
Researchers at Duke University and the University of Maryland have used the frequency of measurements on a quantum computer to get a glimpse into the quantum phenomena of phase changes—something analogous to water turning ...
Quantum Physics
Jun 10, 2022
0
695
(PhysOrg.com) -- Duke University and United States Army scientists have found that a cheap and nontoxic sunburn and diaper rash preventative can be made to produce brilliant light best suited to the human eye.
Nanophysics
Dec 18, 2008
6
0
Electrical engineers at Duke University have devised a low-cost method for passively locating sources of radio waves such as Wi-Fi and cellular communication signals.
Optics & Photonics
May 13, 2020
0
201
What do a tree and the Eiffel Tower have in common? According to a Duke University engineer, both are optimized for flow. In the case of trees, the flow is of water from the ground throughout the trunk, branches and leaves, ...
Aug 14, 2008
1
0
