Phys.org news
Phys.org / Quantum phenomenon enables a nanoscale mirror that can be switched on and off
Controlling light is an important technological challenge—not just at the large scale of optics in microscopes and telescopes, but also at the nanometer scale. Recently, physicists at the University of Amsterdam published ...
Phys.org / Cells use Morse code-like rhythms to coordinate growth
Cells experience many different types of stress, such as starvation or stress caused by too much salt or too high a temperature. Insulin signals respond to such stress signals by sending the protein DAF-16 into the cell nucleus ...
Phys.org / The electrifying science behind Martian dust
Mars, often depicted as a barren red planet, is far from lifeless. With its thin atmosphere and dusty surface, it is an energetic and electrically charged environment where dust storms and dust devils continually reshape ...
Phys.org / Astrophysicists map how many ghost particles all the Milky Way's stars send towards Earth
They're called ghost particles for a reason. They're everywhere—trillions of them constantly stream through everything: our bodies, our planet, even the entire cosmos. These so-called neutrinos are elementary particles ...
Phys.org / Some dogs can learn new words by eavesdropping on their owners
"Honey, will you take Luna to the P-A-R-K?" Both parents and dog owners know that some words should not be spoken, but only spelled, to prevent small ears from eavesdropping on the conversation. At the age of 1.5 years, toddlers ...
Phys.org / Behind nature's blueprints: Physicists create 'theoretical rulebook' of self-assembly
Inspired by biological systems, materials scientists have long sought to harness self-assembly to build nanomaterials. The challenge: the process seemed random and notoriously difficult to predict.
Phys.org / Deep Sulawesi cave dig could reveal overlap between extinct humans and us
Could Homo sapiens and an archaic and now-extinct species of early human have lived alongside each other on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi more than 65,000 years ago?
Phys.org / How did these strange, ancient organisms turn into such remarkable fossils?
In Earth's fossil record, soft-bodied organisms like jellyfish rarely stand the test of time. What's more, it's hard for any animal to get preserved with exceptional detail in sandstones, which are made of large grains, are ...
Phys.org / Sensor lights up to reveal scopolamine, a common substance used for sexual assault
A team from the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) has led the development of a new sensor capable of quickly and easily detecting scopolamine, one of the substances most commonly used in crimes of chemical submission, ...
Phys.org / Earliest known barred spiral galaxy spotted just 2 billion years after Big Bang
Research led by Daniel Ivanov, a physics and astronomy graduate student in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences at Pitt, uncovered a contender for one of the earliest observed spiral galaxies containing a stellar ...
Phys.org / Conserved genome regulatory elements found in both vertebrates and echinoderms
The conservation of genome regulatory elements over long periods of evolution is not limited to vertebrates, as previously thought, but also in echinoderms (invertebrates). This is one of the most notable conclusions of a ...
Phys.org / How light reflects on leaves may help researchers identify dying forests
Early detection of declining forest health is critical for the timely intervention and treatment of droughted and diseased flora, especially in areas prone to wildfires. Obtaining a reliable measure of whole-ecosystem health ...
