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Phys.org / Hidden process behind 2025 Santorini earthquakes uncovered

A mysterious swarm of earthquakes that occurred near the Greek island of Santorini in early 2025 was caused by rebounding sheets of magma slicing through Earth's crust, according to a new study by an international team involving ...

Nov 20, 2025 in Earth
Medical Xpress / Daily pill helps people lose 10% of weight in 18 months, study finds

A daily pill that is cheaper and easier to take than currently available weight loss drugs helps people lose around a tenth of their body weight over nearly 18 months, a study said Thursday.

Nov 20, 2025 in Medications
Phys.org / Understanding bacteria's role in transforming steroids to pharmaceuticals

For decades, pharmaceutical companies have been using bacteria found in soil and water to chemically convert steroids into effective treatments for human diseases. One example is cortisol, which is used to treat asthma and ...

Nov 20, 2025 in Chemistry
Medical Xpress / Why a foreign language sounds like a blur to non-native ears

Why is it so easy to hear individual words in your native language, but in a foreign language they run together in one long stream of sound?

Nov 20, 2025 in Neuroscience
Phys.org / From light to logic: First complete logic gate achieved in soft material using light alone

Researchers from McMaster University and the University of Pittsburgh have created the first functionally complete logic gate—a NAND gate (short for "NOT AND")—in a soft material using only beams of visible light. The ...

Nov 20, 2025 in Physics
Tech Xplore / The cost of thinking: Reasoning models share aspects of information processing with human brains

Large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT can write an essay or plan a menu almost instantly. But until recently, it was also easy to stump them. The models, which rely on language patterns to respond to users' queries, often ...

Nov 20, 2025 in Machine learning & AI
Tech Xplore / Nature-inspired hydrogel offers power-free thermal management

The poplar (Populus alba) has a unique survival strategy: when exposed to hot and dry conditions, it curls its leaves to expose the ventral surface, reflecting sunlight, and at night, the moisture condensed on the leaf surface ...

Nov 20, 2025 in Engineering
Phys.org / Smart toilets in Cambodia fall short due to improper use

A smart toilet design introduced in rural Cambodia was supposed to change lives—keeping families safe and protecting the environment. However, while households reported that they liked the new system, a crucial piece was ...

Nov 20, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Extinct rocket frog species identified from single 62-year-old museum specimen

Anyone walking through the Tarumã neighborhood in Curitiba (the capital of the state of Paraná, Brazil) today may find it difficult to imagine the area as it was in the past. Between the buildings, racetrack, and the city's ...

Nov 20, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Scientists map the hidden cellular 'postal codes' that shape every human face

Why do no two human faces look quite the same? Although we all follow the same biological blueprint, our features—the curve of a lip, the angle of a nose, the breadth of a jaw—diverge in endlessly subtle ways.

Nov 20, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Multicellular cyanobacteria switch gene activity between day and night cycles

Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, occur worldwide in many varieties, including in single-cell form and in chains called filaments. While these tiny life forms can strongly influence many ecosystems, the details ...

Nov 20, 2025 in Biology
Tech Xplore / Microrobots overcome navigational limitations with the help of 'artificial spacetimes'

Microrobots—tiny robots less than a millimeter in size—are useful in a variety of applications that require tasks to be completed at scales far too small for other tools, such as targeted drug-delivery or micro-manufacturing. ...

Nov 19, 2025 in Robotics