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Phys.org / Decoding the DNA switches behind gene regulation
Understanding gene regulation may be key to interpreting human disease genetics. Genes are regulated in part by stretches of DNA called enhancers, which define when, where and how strongly each gene is turned on. Mapping ...
Phys.org / Moles' wide-armed posture reshapes how their shoulder bones carry loads
While the scapula is the primary bone supporting the body in terrestrial quadrupedal mammals, an analysis of internal bone structure in underground moles (family Talpidae) showed a more important role for the clavicle.
Phys.org / Astronomy's decades-long quest to understand cosmic topology
If some aspects of cosmic topology turn out to be true, the idea that starships might voyage across the cosmos for hundreds of thousands of light-years without ever returning to the same neck of spacetime could be problematic.
Phys.org / A sharper picture of a pandemic: Uncovering the complex history of the plague after the Black Death
The Black Death is often remembered as a single catastrophic event that swept across Europe between 1347 and 1353, killing millions. Yet the disease did not disappear after that first devastating outbreak. For more than four ...
Medical Xpress / The body's warmth sensor is secretly a pain switch—blocking it may ease arthritis
Chronic pain, including arthritis pain, affects more than one-third of U.K. adults. Current painkillers such as methotrexate and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) work by damping down the immune system, which ...
Phys.org / Endurance running or endurance diving—which came first?
A new study combines paleoanthropology and diving physiology to address a fundamental question in human evolution: Why did humans evolve their exceptional aerobic endurance? Did our ancestors begin endurance running to exhaust ...
Phys.org / Who benefits from tariffs, according to research
Tariffs are usually debated as trade policy. But a study from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business treats them as something else: a mechanism for redistributing wealth.
Phys.org / Q&A: Economist explores how to balance environmental protection with economic growth
As a kid growing up in North Carolina, Prakash Mishra was interested in planets. "My parents got me a telescope when I turned 6 or 7, and that was my personality for probably 10 years," he says, noting that he thought he ...
Phys.org / Handheld scanner delivers lab-quality chemical composition maps using infrared light
Researchers have developed a compact, handheld mid-infrared imaging spectrometer that can produce high-resolution chemical maps of a sample without using stains or labels. With further development, the handheld device might ...
Phys.org / Who do you trust in an emergency? Researchers ask people in places hit by extreme weather
One evening in August 2025, a Pakistani shepherd, Abuzar Hussain, was tending sheep and goats on the mountain slopes of Shijar. At about 6 p.m., a thunderous roar shattered the silence of the valley.
Tech Xplore / AI imagines a harsher social world, expecting punishment where people expect inaction
Artificial intelligence (AI) systems, particularly the large language models (LLMs) that underpin ChatGPT and similar platforms, are remarkably skilled at answering queries about a wide range of topics. However, the extent ...
Phys.org / Biophysical model suggests how cells optimize information gathering without using too much energy
In both biological and engineered systems, cells and sensors must make sense of noisy, changing signals to function. However, collecting and using this information consumes valuable energy. A new study, published in Physical ...
