Phys.org news
Phys.org / Molecular map reveals Andes hantavirus entry protein at the nanoscale
Hantaviruses, transmitted from rodents to people, have a death rate approaching 40%. They're found around the world, and because there are no approved vaccines or treatments, they're among the pathogens of highest concern ...
Phys.org / We may be underestimating the true carbon cost of northern wildfires
Wildfires in the northern boreal forests of Alaska, Canada, Scandinavia, and Russia may be more damaging to the climate than previously thought, a new UC Berkeley-led study suggests. That's because these fires don't just ...
Phys.org / Over 70% of global ecosystems remain unsampled for critical underground fungi
Underground, intricate networks of soil fungi underpin the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. Yet despite their global importance, only 30% of global ecosystems have been sampled for these fungal partners. Arbuscular ...
Phys.org / Putting sports stats to the test: Unpredictable play helps pick a winner in soccer
A comprehensive game plan and strategic tactics are critical to winning soccer, but how much does a team's unpredictability in moving the soccer ball around the pitch matter? In a new article published in PLOS One, an international ...
Phys.org / Political polarization can spur CO₂ emissions and stymie climate action
In recent years, studies and media reports have blamed growing partisan hostility in the U.S. for shattered marriages, broken families, ruined holiday dinners, and increased stress. New CU Boulder research suggests it may ...
Phys.org / Rydberg atoms detect clear signals from a handheld radio
For the first time, a team of US researchers has used sensors containing highly excited Rydberg atoms to detect signals from an ordinary handheld radio. Through a careful approach to demodulating the incoming signals, Noah ...
Phys.org / Single-celled organism becomes multicellular via three different pathways
Some single-celled organisms are known to transition to multicellularity during their lifetimes, usually either by cloning themselves or when many similar cells come together to form a larger multicellular organism. A new ...
Phys.org / Energy loss triggers quantum thermal Hall-like effect at macroscopic scale
In many quantum materials—materials with unusual electrical and magnetic properties driven by quantum mechanical effects—electrons can organize themselves into Landau levels. Landau levels are essentially quantized energy ...
Phys.org / Sea urchin spines inspire self-powered underwater sensors
Nature does it again! The natural world has a knack for giving us the blueprints for some useful technologies, and the humble sea urchin is the latest contributor. Scientists have designed a new class of smart sensors by ...
Phys.org / Russian astronomers observe the eruptive behavior of a young star
Russian astronomers from Moscow State University have performed photometric, polarimetric, and spectroscopic observations of a young star designated IRAS 21204+4913. Results of the new observations, which were published February ...
Phys.org / Matching vibrations is all it takes to shut down superconductivity in a nearby crystal
The world is never really at rest. Even in a vacuum near ultracold temperatures where all classical motion should come to a halt, you'll find quantum fluctuations. In thin, two-dimensional materials, these include random ...
Phys.org / A cosmic explosion with the force of a billion suns went unseen—until we caught its echo
Some of the universe's most extreme explosions leave behind almost no trace. The original explosion is unseen, but our observations can capture the long-lived echo it leaves behind as the shock front plows into its surrounding ...
