Phys.org news
Phys.org / How chromosomes find their partners
For a long time, so-called satellite DNA was considered largely worthless. Now, ETH Zurich researchers have shown in fruit flies that these repetitive sections of genetic material act as a kind of barcode, enabling the correct ...
Dialog / Blood-clotting protein may be SARS-CoV-2's hidden accomplice, helping it hide from antibodies and reach blood vessels
Fibrinogen, the abundant plasma protein best known for forming blood clots, may play a second and far less benign role during SARS-CoV-2 infection: acting as a molecular bridge that simultaneously hides the virus from neutralizing ...
Phys.org / How to CT scan a 400-pound crocodile
At 61, Bill had begun showing changes in his health—decreased appetite, weight loss and abdominal bloating. But his bloodwork was normal, leaving the cause of his symptoms unknown. The next step was clear: Bill should get ...
Phys.org / Meteorite dust holds records of magnetism that may have helped form the sun
Around 4.6 billion years ago, the solar system was little more than a giant ball of gas and dust. Over the next few million years, this "solar nebula" underwent a huge transformation, flattening into a disk of matter that ...
Phys.org / Mule helps scientists build the clearest horse and donkey genomes yet
A mule has helped researchers build the most complete reference genomes to date for horses and donkeys, giving scientists access to complex regions of DNA that earlier versions could not fully capture.
Phys.org / The 'wonder material' graphene can be made using a kitchen blender, a mobile phone and a newspaper
There is something slightly ridiculous about using a kitchen blender to make graphene. This is, after all, the "wonder material" associated with futuristic technologies. You might reasonably expect its production to involve ...
Phys.org / Supersized quantum sensors make faint photons easier to catch
Our everyday life is flooded with photons, the quantum building blocks of light. For cutting-edge technology, from quantum computing to deep-tissue imaging, detecting every single photon counts.
Phys.org / How fusion reactions can survive flaws—up to a point
Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have found that implosions designed for inertial fusion energy (IFE) can tolerate significant imperfections before performance abruptly declines, a finding that ...
Phys.org / New study reveals how space rocks become meteorites
What happens to a space rock as it falls through Earth's atmosphere and becomes a meteorite? By studying 75 meteorite falls captured on video and in photographs, researchers identified seven distinct phases in the journey ...
Phys.org / Natural gas drilling could raise salt levels, in turn boosting radium in water
Pennsylvania ranks second in U.S. natural gas production, accounting for about one-fifth of U.S. output in 2024, and has one of the most extensive histories of energy extraction in the country. A team of researchers from ...
Phys.org / One step closer to the ideal glass—simulations reveal hidden order at absolute zero
In the physical sense, glass is not limited to familiar window glass; it forms whenever a liquid is cooled so quickly that it cannot crystallize. As a result, glass has an amorphous structure—that is, its "building blocks" ...
Phys.org / New free-space optical link adds a wireless component to the nation's longest quantum network
There's a new lighthouse on Long Island. But instead of shining light to guide ships through waterways, this one transmits and receives particles of light that carry quantum information. Perched atop a seven-story building ...
