Phys.org news
Phys.org / First fertilizer: A chemical process that may have sparked life on Earth
University of Alberta geochemists have discovered a missing piece to one of the great mysteries of science—the origin of life on Earth.
Phys.org / Southern Annular Mode in most positive state in 1,000 years, review finds
A new review has revealed that the Southern Annular Mode (SAM), the Southern Hemisphere's most influential climate driver, is now in its most positive state in more than 1,000 years. If greenhouse gas emissions continue to ...
Phys.org / Adjustable DNA 'shield' can control timing and rate at which mRNA produces proteins in vivo
mRNA, widely known from the COVID-19 vaccine, is not actually a "therapeutic agent," but a technology that delivers the blueprint for functional proteins in the body and induces therapeutic effects. Recently, its application ...
Phys.org / Newly discovered viral enzymes act like molecular scissors to disable immune alarm signals
Viruses and their hosts—whether bacteria, animals, or humans—are locked in a constant evolutionary arms race. Cells evolve defenses against viral infection, viruses evolve ways around those defenses, and the cycle continues.
Phys.org / Define your dating goals: Study shows clarity is key to dating satisfaction
Single people who date without a clear understanding of what they are looking for in a relationship experience more loneliness and decreased life satisfaction, McGill researchers have found.
Phys.org / Studies reevaluate reverse weathering process, shifting understanding of global climate
Two new publications remap the understanding of reverse weathering in the scientific community. The Dauphin Island Sea Lab's Senior Marine Scientist, Dr. Jeffrey Krause, played a key role in both projects, which include several ...
Phys.org / Urban sprawl could deny 220 million people access to clean water by 2050
A new study analyzing more than 100 cities across Asia, Africa, and Latin America has quantified the stark consequences of urban sprawl on water and sanitation access, finding that how cities grow might determine whether ...
Phys.org / Sun-watcher SOHO celebrates 30 years
On 2 December 1995, the ESA/NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) blasted into space—on what was supposed to be a two-year mission.
Phys.org / Quantitative ATP imaging can measure cellular energy in real time
Researchers at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, have developed a method for quantitative imaging of ATP levels inside living cells. The study, published in Nature Communications, introduces ...
Phys.org / Bat 'besties' start to sound alike over time, study finds
Ever suddenly realize you had picked up certain words or ways of speaking from a close friend? It turns out that humans are far from the only animals who copy the sounds of their closest companions—a new study shows that ...
Phys.org / Surgeonfish display unique feeding adaptations to remove algae from coral reefs
Globally, coral reefs are under siege by multiple stressors, one of which is herbaceous algae. An overabundance of algae on reefs can lead to regime shifts of reefs from being coral-dominated to algal-dominated.
Phys.org / Ocean microplastics can drift for years or sink rapidly: Analysis reveals two distinct pathways
Publishing in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, researchers at Kyushu University report that they have developed a new method to more accurately analyze the distribution of small microplastics in the ocean at ...
