Phys.org news
Phys.org / 'Absolutely huge' black coral among largest ever seen
Marine researchers have been wowed by the size of a centuries-old black coral found in Fiordland.
Phys.org / Homo habilis: The oldest and most complete skeleton discovered to date
An international research team has unveiled a significant discovery in human paleontology: an exceptionally well-preserved Homo habilis skeleton dating back more than 2 million years.
Phys.org / Researchers expand human genome map to 2.37 million regulatory DNA elements
A research team led by Zhiping Weng, Ph.D., and Jill Moore, Ph.D."18, at UMass Chan Medical School, has nearly tripled the known number of potential regulatory elements in the genome to 2.37 million, creating the most comprehensive ...
Phys.org / Why don't antibiotic-making bacteria self-destruct?
Early in 2025, scientists discovered a promising new antibiotic in a soil sample from a lab technician's backyard. The molecule, called lariocidin, is produced by the microbe Paenibacillus and shows broad activity against ...
Phys.org / Quantum simulator reveals how vibrations steer energy flow in molecules
Researchers led by Rice University's Guido Pagano used a specialized quantum device to simulate a vibrating molecule and track how energy moves within it. The work, published Dec. 5 in Nature Communications, could improve ...
Phys.org / Bulk inorganic crystals grown from water emit 'handed' light
Researchers at Kumamoto University have discovered that a purely inorganic crystal grown from water solution can emit circularly polarized light, a special form of light whose "handedness" distinguishes left from right.
Phys.org / Researchers film foraging strategy of wood mice choosing between healthy and moth-damaged chestnuts
A mouse scurries up to six chestnuts. Three look healthy. Three have exit holes where moth larvae ate the insides before they left. What does the mouse do?
Phys.org / Atomic-level surface control boosts brightness of eco-friendly nanosemiconductors by 18-fold
Light-emitting semiconductors are used throughout everyday life in TVs, smartphones, and lighting. However, many technical barriers remain in developing environmentally friendly semiconductor materials.
Phys.org / A 'cosmic clock' in tiny crystals reveals the rise and fall of Australia's ancient landscapes
Australia's iconic red landscapes have been home to Aboriginal culture and recorded in songlines for tens of thousands of years. But further clues to just how ancient this landscape is come from far beyond Earth: cosmic rays ...
Phys.org / Rocks and rolls: The computational infrastructure of earthquakes and physics of planetary science
Sometimes to truly study something up close, you have to take a step back. That's what Andrea Donnellan does. An expert in Earth sciences and seismology, she gets much of her data from a bird's-eye view, studying the planet's ...
Phys.org / First-time use of AI for genetic circuit design demonstrated in a human cell line
There are hundreds of cell types in the human body, each with a specific role spelled out in their DNA. In theory, all it takes for cells to behave in desired ways—for example, getting them to produce a therapeutic molecule ...
Phys.org / Frozen hydrogen cyanide 'cobwebs' offer clues to origin of life
A substance poisonous to humans—hydrogen cyanide—may have helped create the seeds of life on Earth. At cold temperatures, hydrogen cyanide forms crystals. And, according to computer models reported in ACS Central Science, ...
