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Phys.org / The Batman effect: The mere sight of the 'superhero' can make us more altruistic

If "Batman" appears on the scene, we immediately become more altruistic: in fact, research conducted by psychologists from the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, shows that the sudden appearance of something unexpected—Batman—disrupts ...

Nov 20, 2025 in Other Sciences
Medical Xpress / 'Mental model' approach can reduce misconceptions about mRNA vaccination

In two experiments, researchers have found that introducing people to "mental models" about how mRNA vaccination works and how the body protects itself from foreign DNA can preemptively or reactively protect against misconceptions ...

Nov 24, 2025 in Health
Phys.org / Malaria parasites move along right-handed helices to navigate host tissues, research reveals

With victims numbering in the millions, malaria is an infectious disease caused by the bite of a mosquito carrying the malaria parasite. After penetrating the skin, the pathogen moves with helical trajectories. It almost ...

Nov 24, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Metasurfaces etched into 2D crystals boost nonlinear optical effects at nanoscale

In January, a team led by Jim Schuck, professor of mechanical engineering at Columbia Engineering, developed a method for creating entangled photon pairs, a critical component of emerging quantum technologies, using a crystalline ...

Nov 22, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Biodegradable mulching film can protect plants without pesticides or plastics

Whether you're a home gardener or an industrial farmer, you might be familiar with mulching films—plastic sheets laid over the soil to protect seedlings and promote crop growth. But like many other plastic materials, these ...

Nov 21, 2025 in Biology
Medical Xpress / Pro fighters risk damage to the brain's 'garbage disposal'

The brain's waste-clearing system significantly declines in function with repeated head impacts, according to a new study of cognitively impaired professional boxers and mixed martial arts fighters. The findings are being ...

Nov 26, 2025 in Neuroscience
Phys.org / How cancer cells tolerate missing chromosomes

A hallmark of cancerous cells is an abnormal number of chromosomes or chromosome arms, known as aneuploidy. While aneuploidy is detrimental to regular cells, it occurs in as many as 90% of tumors. How cancer cells tolerate ...

Nov 24, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Copper nanoparticles unexpectedly prove suitable for ultraviolet SERS spectroscopy

Lithuanian researchers at the Center for Physical Sciences and Technology (FTMC), Habil. Dr. Gediminas Niaura and Dr. Martynas Talaikis, together with international colleagues, have for the first time demonstrated that copper ...

Nov 26, 2025 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / COVID vaccine tech could limit snakebite venom damage

The same technology used in COVID-19 vaccines could help prevent muscle damage from snakebites, according to a study published in Trends in Biotechnology.

Nov 24, 2025 in Biology
Medical Xpress / Five key blood proteins may reveal hidden danger of early death

Elevated levels of five proteins in our blood can help predict risk of mortality, a new study from the University of Surrey finds. Scientists believe the proteins (PLAUR, SERPINA3, CRIM1, DDR1 and LTBP2), that play key roles ...

Nov 24, 2025 in Health
Phys.org / Info to decipher secret message in Kryptos sculpture at CIA headquarters sells for close to $1M

The information needed to decipher the last remaining unsolved secret message embedded within a sculpture at CIA headquarters in Virginia sold at auction for nearly $1 million, the auction house announced Friday.

Nov 22, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Sea level doesn't rise at the same rate everywhere: Mapping where Antarctica's ice melt would have the biggest impact

When polar ice sheets melt, the effects ripple across the world. The melting ice raises average global sea level, alters ocean currents and affects temperatures in places far from the poles.

Nov 25, 2025 in Earth