Phys.org news
Phys.org / Discovery of new marine sponges supports hypothesis on animal evolution
A completely new order of marine sponges has been found by researchers at the Museum of Evolution, Uppsala University. The sponge order, named Vilesida, produces substances that could be used in drug development. The same ...
Phys.org / Newly discovered star opens 'laboratory' for solving cosmic dust mystery
Seventy light-years from Earth, a star called Kappa Tucanae A harbors one of astronomy's most perplexing mysteries: dust so hot it glows at more than 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, existing impossibly close to its host star, where ...
Phys.org / Sounding the 6,000-year-old shell trumpets of Catalonia
Archaeologists have played shell trumpets from Neolithic Catalonia, revealing they were highly effective for long-distance communication and may have also been used as musical instruments.
Phys.org / Ant brood signal deadly infection in altruistic self-sacrifice
Ant colonies operate as tightly coordinated "superorganisms" with individual ants working together, much like the cells of a body, to ensure their collective health. Researchers at the Institute of Science and Technology ...
Phys.org / Flood risks in delta cities are increasing, Shanghai study finds
New research shows how the combination of extreme climate events, sea-level rise and land subsidence could create larger and deeper floods in coastal cities in future.
Phys.org / Zapping stem cells could boost growth of new tissues and organs
Scientists in Melbourne have discovered how tiny electrical pulses can steer stem cells as they grow, opening the door to new improved ways of creating new tissues, organs, nerves and bones.
Phys.org / Smart hydrogels act as 'micromachines' to squeeze and study living cells
Within tissues, cells are embedded in complex, three-dimensional structures known as the extracellular matrix. Their biomechanical interactions play a crucial role in numerous biological processes. Scientists at the Max Planck ...
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 / 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 / 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 / Light-triggered nanoscale heating can control communication between nerve cells
Researchers at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, report the successful creation of artificial synaptic vesicles that can be remotely controlled by near-infrared (NIR) light. By embedding ...
Phys.org / Tracking forever chemicals across food web shows not all isomers are distributed equally
When University at Buffalo chemists analyzed samples of water, fish, and bird eggs, they weren't surprised to find plenty of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). After all, these "forever chemicals" turn up nearly ...
