Phys.org news
Phys.org / Unsealing cells' 'black box' strategy to regulate gene activation
While scientists have known for more than two decades that all cells use a strategy called RNA interference to regulate gene expression, a new study is the first to describe how a specific protein manages the step-by-step ...
Phys.org / DNA reveals hidden UV defense network that dissipates energy in femtoseconds
New details of how DNA protects itself from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation show a hidden network of ultrafast molecular reactions that help prevent damage before it can trigger mutations that might lead to cancer, according ...
Phys.org / Ice may release more iron than climate models predict
Most people think of ice as frozen and lifeless, but research at Umeå University shows the opposite. A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences demonstrates that ice actively speeds up the ...
Phys.org / Tropical butterflies 'hedge bets' on reproduction as extreme seasons reshape Amazon life
New research from Queen Mary University of London shows how extreme seasonal patterns are causing rainforest butterflies to adapt their reproductive strategies at a rapid pace, with implications for species resilience under ...
Phys.org / Tiny sesame sea slug species discovered in the waters of northern Taiwan
Translucent, speckled, and barely the size of a grain of rice, a new species of sea slug has been identified in the coastal waters of Keelung, Taiwan. Because of its minute size and distinctive black and yellow markings, ...
Phys.org / Microcrystals in bioluminescent fish scatter light like a prism
Approximately 75% of marine organisms are bioluminescent, with specialized light-emitting organs called photophores. They use the light they produce for various purposes, like attracting mates, luring prey, or confusing predators.
Phys.org / Metal-free method unlocks selective carborane editing for cancer therapy and sensors
Carboranes are molecules composed of carbon, boron and hydrogen atoms that are proving to have applications of great interest in chemistry, materials science and biomedicine. They are being used, for example, in the fight ...
Phys.org / The Southwest's drought is shrinking wildlife's suitable habitat, with predators hit hardest
As people in the United States are coping with historic drought conditions, the country's wildlife is also facing problems because of the extreme aridity. Herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores in the southwestern U.S. have ...
Phys.org / 'Butterfly' molecule spotted at last, completing a 20-year quantum zoo hunt
For two decades, physicists have predicted the existence of a remarkable family of exotic molecules: giant atoms bound to ordinary atoms, with an electron so distant from its nucleus that it sculpts the pair into bizarre ...
Phys.org / Hydrogen puts quantum wormhole conjecture to the test
A new Physical Review Letters study places constraints on the ER = EPR conjecture, showing that under the authors' assumptions, the conjecture would imply possible alterations to the hyperfine structure and effective charge ...
Phys.org / Chaos after queen loss reveals the wasps that keep colonies running
When the loss of a queen wasp triggers a power struggle and social turmoil, colonies can survive the upheaval thanks to helpful wasps that pick up the slack, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.
Phys.org / Universe's most distant 'Hot DOG' yet may owe extreme infrared glow to polar dust, Webb reveals
New observations from the James Webb Space Telescope have revealed fresh details about one of the most luminous known objects in the universe: the dust-shrouded quasar W2246−0526, seen just 1.2 billion years after the Big ...
