Phys.org news
Phys.org / Back-to-basics approach can match or outperform AI in language analysis
A new study led by Dr. Andrea Nini at The University of Manchester has found that a grammar-based approach to language analysis can match or outperform advanced AI systems in identifying who wrote a text. The method, called ...
Phys.org / Jelly-like plankton fuel bigger, faster-growing reef fish across the Indo-Pacific
New research led by James Cook University shows huge differences in fish biomass and fish productivity between Caribbean and Indo-Pacific coral reefs, driven by the consumption of jelly-like gelatinous plankton. For their ...
Phys.org / Scientists turn AI-generated proteins into smart molecular sensors
An international team led by researchers at QUT has used artificial intelligence to create tiny "smart" proteins that switch on only when they detect a chosen target. Published in Nature Biotechnology, the research opens ...
Phys.org / Pill bugs don't just use the minerals they eat—they rebuild them inside their bodies
Placing small stones in a bug cage is beneficial when raising pill bugs, a type of woodlouse. Researchers at the University of Tsukuba have discovered that pill bugs do not directly incorporate ingested calcium carbonate ...
Phys.org / Emerging in Alaska, dominant H5N1 strain spread continent-wide through migratory birds
An international group of scientists mapped the spread of the current dominant strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus through North American bird populations in 2024. Led by scientists from St. Jude Children's ...
Phys.org / As polar ice changes, so do the rules governing it
Sea ice is not just solid frozen water. It's riddled with tiny pockets and channels of liquid brine. Whether those pockets connect to form pathways determines whether seawater, nutrients and gases can move through the ice, ...
Phys.org / Machine learning tool pinpoints optimal locations for tree planting, offering a powerful tool for climate mitigation
Afforestation—establishing forests on previously non-forested land, or where forests have not existed for a long time—is one of the nature-based and cost-effective solutions for climate change mitigation because it offsets ...
Phys.org / Ancient seabird guano reveals how climate change may shape future populations
By analyzing peat cores, researchers have shown how populations of nesting seabirds have fluctuated on a sub-Antarctic island over 8,000 years. They found that bird numbers rose and fell alongside shifts in climate, offering ...
Phys.org / Can naked mole rats peacefully hand over power?
Naked mole rats keep kingdoms underground. One queen bears all the children, while others maintain complex subterranean tunnels, forage for food, take care of newborns, and perform other necessary upkeep. This society hinges ...
Phys.org / Marine sponge bacterium enzyme reveals a two-part route to make terpenoids
The molecular structure of an enzyme from a marine bacterium with potential industrial uses has been determined by RIKEN researchers. The insights they have gained could help make a range of useful compounds through genetic ...
Phys.org / Color test 'sniffs out' dangerous staph strains fast
Researchers have developed a rapid color-changing test that can distinguish between different strains of golden staph, including those likely to be virulent and antibiotic resistant. Golden staph is a major human pathogen ...
Phys.org / Ocean eddies are amplifying climate extremes in coastal seas, study finds
New research reveals a powerful yet overlooked driver of climate change: intensifying ocean eddies. These swirling currents—that break off from major currents—are redistributing heat and nutrients in the ocean and amplifying ...
