Phys.org news
Phys.org / Strange 500-million-year-old marine fossils reveal a feeding strategy that still shapes oceans today
More than 500 million years ago, during what is known as the Cambrian period, the seas and oceans on Earth were filled with a myriad of marine animals, many of which have now become extinct. This evolutionary burst in new ...
Phys.org / Gold nanoparticles that behave like a liquid open path to adaptive materials
When inorganic nanoparticles come together, their optical, electronic, and magnetic properties depend strongly on how they are arranged. Being able to reorganize these arrangements in a controlled way could therefore provide ...
Phys.org / Molecular grappling hooks improve cancer drug targeting and effectiveness
Medications are designed to treat diseased tissues while sparing healthy ones, often by attaching the drug to something that helps guide it directly to its target. But drugs also need time to work, which means they need to ...
Phys.org / A hidden lubricant in creeping faults? Uncovering the mysteries of aseismic slip
Geological faults hold many secrets that may help us answer important questions about the nature of our planet and what really happens deep underground. One of the biggest mysteries lies within the Atotsugawa Fault System ...
Phys.org / Atomic bands in two transition metal dichalcogenides hint at long-theorized quantum state
Insulators are materials in which electrons cannot move freely. Past theoretical studies predicted the existence of an unusual insulating state dubbed obstructed atomic insulator (OAI), in which electrons are localized inside ...
Phys.org / Amazon's carbon clock is speeding up, and violent storms may be only part of why
Tropical forests store more than 60% of the world's vegetation biomass and are among the most important ecosystems for regulating the global carbon cycle and climate. However, their regulatory role is greatly influenced by ...
Phys.org / The cinema effect: Turning films into a gateway to science
The sci-fi film Project Hail Mary, currently in theaters, is capturing the attention of both audiences and the scientific community for its science-based content. It manages to engage viewers with complex, cutting-edge topics—from ...
Phys.org / Gravitational wave detectors can now 'autotune' signals to harmonize the heavens
Gravitational wave researchers working on the world's most sensitive scientific instruments have found a way to tune their detectors using a process akin to the pitch-correction used in music production.
Phys.org / Gravitational waves from colliding black holes may allow detection of dark matter
Dark matter is thought to make up most of the matter in the universe, but the only way it interacts with its surroundings is through gravity. If two colliding black holes spiral through a dense region of dark matter and merge, ...
Phys.org / 80 years after the Trinity nuclear test, scientists identify new molecule-trapping crystal formed in the blast
Matter behaves strangely under extreme conditions, and often, remnants of these behaviors are left behind even when conditions return to normal. The Trinity nuclear test in 1945 left behind such remnants, and now, 80 years ...
Phys.org / Largest-ever survey of physicists puts Standard Model of cosmology under scrutiny
The largest-ever survey of physicists from around the world—released today—shows a distinct lack of consensus across many of physics's most important questions, from the nature of black holes and dark matter, to the still-incomplete ...
Phys.org / Engineered exosomes reverse sleep deprivation brain damage in mice
Sleep is a vital physiological process that allows humans and other animals to restore both the mind and body, while also consolidating memories, clearing out toxins and regulating their metabolism. Several past studies showed ...
