Phys.org news
Phys.org / Sulfur-rich Mercury magmas behave differently than Earth's do
Mercury is a small, rocky planet about which researchers know relatively little. Two missions, taking readings as they passed over the planet, have revealed that Mercury is covered by an iron-poor and sulfur-rich crust. It ...
Phys.org / A light-controlled 'muscle' could give synthetic cells a new way to move
Engineers interested in creating artificial cells to deliver drugs to unhealthy parts of the body face a key challenge: for a cell-like system to move, change shape, or divide, it needs a way to generate force on command.
Phys.org / Theoretical models of supernova chemistry overhauled after X-ray data from Perseus Cluster reveal key discrepancies
The Perseus Cluster is a massive galaxy cluster located in the constellation Perseus. It is one of the largest structures in the observable universe, comprising more than a thousand galaxies—equivalent to roughly a thousand ...
Phys.org / Wafer-scale 2D magnetic films emerge thanks to a new low-defect growth technique
In a major advance, researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have devised a method to grow high-quality 2D magnetic materials (2D-MMs) over centimeter-scale wafers. Earlier approaches in the field were limited ...
Phys.org / How tiny voids could make fusion targets more stable under powerful shockwaves
Picture two materials sandwiched together. The boundary between them may appear flat, but, in reality, it is full of tiny bumps and dents. Suddenly, the materials are hit with a shockwave. If that wave hits a bump in the ...
Phys.org / There's a range of magic angles to study superconductivity in a twisted 2D semiconductor
Last year, tungsten diselenide (WSe2) had its magic moment. Two independent research groups discovered "magic angles" at which two atom-thin layers of the unique semiconductor, when twisted relative to one another into what's ...
Phys.org / DESI completes planned 3D map of the universe and continues exploring
The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) has successfully completed the largest high-resolution 3D map of the universe ever made, a major milestone in understanding the force driving cosmic expansion. The milestone ...
Phys.org / People with dark personality traits are naturally inclined towards leadership roles, finds new study
Can you tell if you're working with a narcissist or a psychopath? A new study suggests that people's job choices may offer some clues, especially in fields built on leadership and persuasion such as business, politics, and ...
Phys.org / Mental math's shortcut—pupil dilation suggests people start solving before all numbers are in
People often solve simple arithmetic problems, such as basic addition, subtraction, multiplication or division, in their minds. The precise mental processes they rely on to solve these problems, however, are not entirely ...
Phys.org / Surprising link between metallicity and superconductivity uncovered in twisted trilayer graphene
Superconductivity is a state of matter characterized by an electrical resistance of zero, typically at very low temperatures. Past studies have found that in various materials, this unique state is accompanied by unusual ...
Phys.org / Universal quantum protocol extracts maximum work without knowing a system's state in advance
A new study published in Nature Communications has shown that in the asymptotic limit, extracting the maximum possible work from many copies of a quantum system does not require knowing exactly what state that system is in.
Phys.org / How poison frogs built a chemical weapons system one evolutionary step at a time
Poison frogs are small and brightly colored amphibians that originate from Central and South America. As suggested by their name, these frogs can release highly toxic chemicals from their skin, which deter and neutralize ...