Phys.org news
Phys.org / Nodding off is dangerous. Some animals have evolved extreme ways to sleep in precarious environments
Every animal with a brain needs sleep—and even a few without a brain do, too. Humans sleep, birds sleep, whales sleep and even jellyfish sleep.
Phys.org / Unexpected allies: DNA packaging aids gene expression
It's a common storytelling trope: the stubborn foe who is eventually revealed to be a much-needed friend. Biology has its own version. Cornell researchers have discovered that DNA packaging structures called nucleosomes, ...
Phys.org / Wildfires reshape forest soils for decades, with recovery varying by climate
Wildfires may disappear from the landscape within weeks, but their hidden effects on the soil can persist for decades. An international research team led by the University of Göttingen, together with partners in Tübingen, ...
Phys.org / Targeting bacterial 'decision-making' could help outsmart antibiotic resistance
Antibiotic resistance is a growing global health crisis that makes common infections harder to treat and puts many medical procedures at risk. Now, Carnegie Mellon University researchers have uncovered a vulnerability in ...
Phys.org / Discovery turns household plastic recycling into anti-cancer medication
A discovery led by the University of St Andrews has found a way to turn ordinary household plastic waste into the building block for anti-cancer drugs.
Phys.org / Kangaroos fix their posture to save energy at high hopping speeds, study shows
Researchers have taken a leap in understanding how kangaroos can increase their hopping speeds without incurring an associated energetic cost.
Phys.org / Real-time social interactions reveal how we balance cooperation and competition
When people reach for the same object, walk through a narrow doorway, forage for food, or work together on a shared task, they continuously negotiate—often without noticing—how much to cooperate or compete. Unlike classical ...
Phys.org / Newly discovered Philippine pitcher plant already in danger from climate change and poaching
Philippine scientists and an Australian expert have just confirmed a new species of pitcher plant found only on Palawan Island, but warn that it is already at risk of extinction due to frequent severe weather conditions and ...
Phys.org / Long-standing puzzle of the Sadovskii vortex pair solved after nearly a half-century
A team of researchers affiliated with UNIST has made a significant breakthrough by mathematically proving that a special type of vortex pair, called the Sadovskii vortex patch, can exist within ideal fluid flows. This marks ...
Phys.org / Phage-resistant bacteria can still sink carbon to ocean floor
Marine bacteria are key to determining whether carbon is recycled near the ocean surface or transported to deeper waters, but many operate in constant threat of being infected by viruses called phages, and mutate to fend ...
Phys.org / Nanoparticle vaccine strategy could protect against Ebola and other deadly filoviruses
Filoviruses get their name from the Latin word "filum," meaning thread—a reference to their long, filamentous shape. This virus family contains some of the most dangerous pathogens known to science, including Ebola, Sudan, ...
Phys.org / AI deciphers fish grunts, knocks and growls to identify eight species
University of Victoria (UVic) biologists have discovered that even closely related fish species make unique and distinctive sounds and determined that it's possible to differentiate between the sounds of different species. ...
