Phys.org news
Phys.org / Farming on the moon or Mars? How recycled sewage could turn regolith into crop soil
Dining on the moon or Mars might seem like a fantasy reserved for science fiction, but researchers are investigating how it could become a reality. Their efforts to recycle plant and human waste into a fertilizer material—turning ...
Phys.org / A world first at the microscopic scale: Metamaterials that can shrink and expand on their own
Leiden physicists Daniela Kraft and Julio Melio have created soft structures that can take on different shapes without any external drive in their lab. They present their research on microscale metamaterials in Nature—a ...
Phys.org / Ocean warming drives a nearly 20% annual decline in fish biomass, research confirms
According to a new study by the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC) and the National University of Colombia, chronic ocean warming is driving a nearly 20% annual decline in fish biomass. However, the researchers ...
Phys.org / Ion bombardment triggers a reliable quantum switch in tantalum disulfide crystals
When you toss a coin, you put it into a higher-energy state until it falls back down again. It can then end up in one of two possible states: heads or tails. No matter which state the coin was in before, after the toss both ...
Phys.org / 'Lock-and-key' chemistry keeps cancer drugs inactive until they reach tumor sites
Many therapeutic molecules used in cancer treatments are highly toxic, often harming healthy tissues and causing significant side effects. This creates a critical need for strategies that localize their toxic activity to ...
Phys.org / Celebrity dolphin of Venice doesn't need special protection—except from humans
Bottlenose dolphins usually live in small to medium-sized groups in coastal and open-sea waters, but every once in a while, a dolphin might leave its pod behind, flock to coastal areas and approach human settlements. While ...
Phys.org / First cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza in northern elephant seals confirmed in California
Seven weaned elephant seal pups in California's Año Nuevo State Park tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Veterinary Services Laboratory confirmed ...
Phys.org / How a 3D-printed synthetic sea lion pelvis enhances veterinary capabilities to counter ongoing beaching
Scores of sea lions continue to beach themselves along the Southern California coastline, stricken with sickness. Toxic algae blooms are to blame, though a mechanical engineering innovation could shift the tide in favor of ...
Phys.org / Plants stay neatly patterned as they grow, and PLETHORA proteins may explain why
How do plants achieve their remarkably regular arrangement of leaves and flowers? And why does this pattern remain so stable, even as plants grow and respond to their environment? Researchers at Wageningen University & Research ...
Phys.org / Iron and blue LEDs synthesize natural molecules, cutting the need for expensive chiral components
Photocatalysts facilitate chemical reactions by absorbing light. Metal-based photocatalysts are widely used in organic synthesis due to their durability and the ability to tune their function by modifying the ligands attached ...
Phys.org / E-waste chemicals are appearing in dolphins and porpoises
Liquid crystal monomers (LCMs) are critical components of laptop, television, and smartphone screens. Given their ubiquity in the environment, these compounds are considered persistent pollutants, posing threats to marine ...
Phys.org / Robot pollinator uses computer vision to shake flowers and boost indoor farm yields
Indoor farms, also known as vertical farms, are popular among agricultural researchers and are expanding across the agricultural industry. Some benefits they have over outdoor farms include the year-round production of food ...
