Phys.org news

Phys.org / Time crystals could become accurate and efficient timekeepers

Time crystals could one day provide a reliable foundation for ultra-precise quantum clocks, new mathematical analysis has revealed. Published in Physical Review Letters, the research was led by Ludmila Viotti at the Abdus ...

11 hours ago in Physics
Phys.org / Could the discovery of a tiny RNA molecule explain the origins of life?

One of the greatest mysteries of our planet is how a soup of lifeless chemicals transformed into the first living cell. There are several competing theories about where this happened, from frozen polar ice to superheated ...

12 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Northern Britain's oldest human remains are of a young female child, DNA analysis reveals

The oldest human remains ever found in Northern Britain have been identified as a young female three years after being discovered in a Cumbrian cave. Excavated at Heaning Wood Bone Cave in Cumbria's Great Urswick by local ...

10 hours ago in Other Sciences
Phys.org / How a key receptor tells apart two nearly identical drug molecules

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are one of the largest families of cell surface proteins in the human body that recognize hormones, neurotransmitters, and drugs. These receptors regulate a wide range of physiological ...

7 hours ago in Chemistry
Phys.org / The IceCube experiment is ready to uncover more secrets of the universe

The name "IceCube" not only serves as the title of the experiment, but also describes its appearance. Embedded in the transparent ice of the South Pole, a three-dimensional grid of more than 5,000 extremely sensitive light ...

9 hours ago in Physics
Phys.org / Syntax discovered in the warbling duets of wild parrots

With a few minutes of searching, anyone can find videos online of chatty birds: macaws talk to their keepers, cockatoos sing to the camera, corvids mimic the jarring sounds of construction sites. Research has shown that some ...

11 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Recently discovered SN 2024abfl is a low-luminosity Type IIP supernova, astronomers find

An international team of astronomers has conducted photometric and spectroscopic observations of a recently discovered supernova designated SN 2024abfl. Results of the observational campaign, presented February 4 on the preprint ...

17 hours ago in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / How did humans develop sharp vision? Lab-grown retinas show likely answer

Humans develop sharp vision during early fetal development thanks to an interplay between a vitamin A derivative and thyroid hormones in the retina, Johns Hopkins University scientists have found. The findings could upend ...

11 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Recycling strategies of fungi can affect how forests store carbon

Some fungi are wasteful, while others recycle—and this can determine how much carbon is stored in a forest. Researchers at Lund University have now revealed how fungi manage their mycelium, the network that builds the structure ...

10 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / A microfluidic chip for one-step detection of PFAS and other pollutants

Environmental pollutant analysis typically requires complex sample pretreatment steps such as filtration, separation, and preconcentration. When solid materials such as sand, soil, or food residues are present in water samples, ...

10 hours ago in Chemistry
Phys.org / Hologram processing method boosts 3D image depth of focus fivefold

Researchers from the University of Tartu Institute of Physics have developed a novel method for enhancing the quality of three-dimensional images by increasing the depth of focus in holograms fivefold after recording, using ...

11 hours ago in Physics
Phys.org / Most precise map yet of agricultural emissions charts a path to reduce hotspots

To lower agricultural emissions, policymakers and communities first need to pinpoint the sources—not just by country but crop by crop, field by field. In a study published in Nature Climate Change, researchers have synthesized ...

12 hours ago in Earth