Phys.org news
Phys.org / Human evolution was messy and gradual, not an abrupt revolution, argues archaeologist
It is generally accepted by archaeologists that modern humans originated in Africa and dispersed worldwide, while other hominins went extinct. Yet how and when Homo sapiens dispersed out of Africa, and whether it was an abrupt ...
Phys.org / Silver nanoparticles pave the way for precise DNA cutting and joining
DNA is composed of long chains that act as the blueprint for living organisms. In genetic engineering, scientists cut DNA at specific sites and join the resulting fragments to other DNA sequences, enabling applications such ...
Phys.org / Chimpanzees react negatively to unfairness, especially when close partners are nearby
Primates, including humans, are among the social animals living on Earth. Their survival relies heavily on cooperation with others, alliances, the sharing of resources and other social interactions.
Phys.org / People have an inherent preference for counterclockwise motion, study reveals
Researchers in Spain and Japan tested a broad range of pedestrians in varying group sizes to see whether there were any patterns in their turning behaviors, and what factors influenced them, if any. It turns out that the ...
Phys.org / Is your dog a lefty? New 'Doginburgh' test captures paw preference
Just like left- or right-handed humans, domestic dogs have a preference for their left or right paw, a trait known as laterality. This can vary depending on the tasks they perform, which has made it difficult to create a ...
Phys.org / Annual global migration has nearly tripled since 2000, reshaping where and how people move
Global migration has risen sharply from approximately 13 million people per year in 2000 to around 35 million people per year in 2023. This is according to a new dataset on human migration published in Nature by researchers ...
Phys.org / AI helps reveal large-scale quantum effects hidden in stacked atomic sheets
Quantum materials are a class of exotic materials with special properties that are governed by quantum mechanics rather than classical physics. Those properties—like superconductivity, entanglement and unusual forms of magnetism—often ...
Phys.org / Archaeologists uncover 4,000-year-old evidence of siege warfare in ancient Mesopotamia
At Kurd Qaburstan, an ancient site in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, archaeologists have uncovered the first substantial group of cuneiform administrative tablets found in the Erbil region, along with evidence of large-scale ...
Phys.org / 'Black hole stars'—Webb finds strongest evidence yet
The complex puzzle known as little red dots has become more complete since their initial discovery by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope in 2022. Now a particular little red dot's spectrum is helping connect many of the pieces.
Phys.org / Antiviral soil compound disrupts phage infection cycle before viruses can reproduce
Bacteria also produce molecules that have an antiviral effect. Researchers from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) and Jülich Research Center (FZJ) have examined the antiviral molecule daunorubicin and decoded its ...
Phys.org / Global rice production has nearly doubled over 50 years despite climate change
Global rice production nearly doubled between the 1960s and the 2010s, despite the negative impacts of climate change, according to a new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The study found that management ...
Phys.org / Algorithm visualizes how cells 'talk' to one another across tissue and time
People communicate with each other, sometimes face to face, sometimes with a text message or phone call. Cells also communicate with each other, sometimes by touching and sometimes by sending signals across space and time. ...
