Phys.org news
Phys.org / New satellite method maps 'creeping drought' in Canada's mountain snow
Researchers at Concordia have developed a new method of measuring the amount of usable water stored in snowpacks. The comprehensive technique, known as snow water availability (SWA), uses satellite data and climate reanalysis ...
Phys.org / Mapping 'figure 8' Fermi surfaces to pinpoint future chiral conductors
One of the biggest problems facing modern microelectronics is that computer chips can no longer be made arbitrarily smaller and more efficient. Materials used to date, such as copper, are reaching their limits because their ...
Phys.org / Unusual RNA caps reveal previously unknown mechanism of genetic transcription
Scientists at IOCB Prague are uncovering new details of gene transcription. They have identified a previously unknown molecular mechanism by which the transcription of genetic information from deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) ...
Phys.org / Freestanding 3D MXene structures push the limits of microscale devices
In a breakthrough that could power next-generation electronics, sensors, and energy storage devices, CMU engineers have developed a fabrication technique that arranges MXene nanosheets, each a million times thinner than a ...
Phys.org / Novel quantum refrigerator benefits from problematic noise
For quantum computers to function, they must be kept at extremely low temperatures. However, today's cooling systems also generate noise that interferes with the fragile quantum information they are meant to protect. Now, ...
Phys.org / Programmable terahertz vortices enable dual electric and magnetic skyrmion modes
Researchers have created an optical device that can generate both electric and magnetic vortex-ring-like light patterns. These structured light vortices, known as skyrmions, are highly stable and resistant to disturbances, ...
Phys.org / Kangaroo and wallaby evolution tied to Australia's past climate shifts
A QUT-led study has found how increasing aridity and habitat variation and the subsequent emergence of grasslands shaped the evolution of modern kangaroos and wallabies. The study, published in Molecular Phylogenetics and ...
Phys.org / AI models retrace evolution of genetic control elements in the brain
Artificial intelligence allows tracing the evolution of genetic control elements in the developing mammalian cerebellum. An international research team led by biologists from Heidelberg University as well as the Vlaams Instituut ...
Phys.org / How fire-loving fungi learned to eat charcoal
Wildfire causes most living things to flee or die, but some fungi thrive afterward, even feasting on charred remains. New University of California, Riverside research finds the secret to post-fire flourishing hidden in their ...
Phys.org / Scientists develop high-performance Hg-based crystal for mid-far infrared birefringence
Mid- and far-infrared birefringent crystals are key functional materials for polarization control, laser technologies, and infrared photonics. However, existing materials generally suffer from limited infrared transparency, ...
Phys.org / Caribbean heat waves intensify over five decades, study finds
A new study led by climatologists at the University at Albany has found that extreme heat waves across the Caribbean are becoming significantly more frequent, longer and severe. This study examined extreme summer heat waves ...
Phys.org / Bacterial 'brains' operate on the brink of order and disorder
The sensory proteins that control the motion of bacteria constantly fluctuate. AMOLF researchers, together with international collaborators from ETH Zurich and University of Utah, found out that these proteins can jointly ...
