Phys.org news
Phys.org / Tiny DNA fragments, big agricultural insights: New genomic approach helps improve crop resilience
The genes that could help the world's crops survive drought, heat, and disease probably already exist. But much of this genetic diversity remains hidden within ancient plant varieties and forgotten seed collections, among ...
Phys.org / Research reveals why beavers are getting busy sooner in spring
A University of Alberta study has whittled down climate-related reasons beavers are emerging earlier onto the ice from their lodges in the spring—a shift that helps them store more winter food but could also lead to more ...
Phys.org / Rainforests can buffer rising CO₂ in the short term—but this comes at a cost
Tropical forests are among the world's most important carbon sinks. A new study by the Technical University of Munich (TUM), the University of Vienna, and Brazil's National Institute for Amazonian Research suggests that even ...
Phys.org / Why do high-speed particles bounce higher in wet collisions?
Researchers have uncovered a counterintuitive phenomenon in collision dynamics: high-speed particles bounce back from wet walls much more strongly than expected. Integrating experimental observations with advanced numerical ...
Phys.org / Handle with care: Mobile microgrippers pick up cells in a pinch
In tissue engineering, the tiniest bit of improper force can harm a living culture. Spheroids—3D clumps of cells—can be used to model complex human tissues, because they can re-create specific cell-to-cell and cell-to-matrix ...
Phys.org / Antarctica's ice shelves are vulnerable to melting from below—knowing how far ocean heat reaches is crucial
A rare dataset collected by instruments at the point where Antarctica's largest ice shelf begins to float reveals ocean processes that drive melting at this critical part of the continent.
Phys.org / Single X-ray photons reveal hidden light-matter interactions in 50-nanometer double slits
A rainbow reveals with colors what otherwise remains hidden: light is "refracted" by transparent matter, in this case water droplets. This same physical effect underlies many everyday technologies, like LCD screens and broadband ...
Phys.org / Bacterial defense system builds DNA in unexpected new way to stop viruses
Scientists at Stanford University have discovered that DRT3, a unique defense system found in bacteria, creates DNA to protect against viral infections. DRT3 is made up of two different enzymes called reverse transcriptases, ...
Phys.org / Simulations predict ground motion for earthquakes on Bay Area's Hayward fault
The Hayward fault, part of the larger San Andreas fault system, runs 74 miles through the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. The fault is overdue for an earthquake that could cause extensive damage to such a dense population ...
Phys.org / This ultracold quantum device turns electricity into something far stranger that could unlock sound-based lasers
Researchers at McGill University have developed a novel device that generates sound-like particles known as phonons at extremely cold temperatures. The technology could be used to create phonon lasers, with possible applications ...
Phys.org / An unprecedented Antarctic heat wave hit in the dead of winter—what it signals for the decades ahead
In the middle of the Antarctic winter, during months of darkness when temperatures often dip below −30°C, the continent warmed dramatically. In July and August 2024, temperatures in parts of East Antarctica rose by up to ...
Phys.org / Sewers have been hiding a climate problem in plain sight, and this new tool finally exposes its true scale
Methane is the second-largest greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide. According to the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, anthropogenic methane emissions account for nearly 45% of current net warming, making it an important factor ...
