Phys.org news
Phys.org / Sharks, spines and speed: The hidden architecture behind different swimming styles revealed
"Shark Week," which kicks off this week, has captivated audiences for decades with stories of these powerful ocean predators. But the secret behind their extraordinary swimming abilities lies far deeper than their impressive ...
Phys.org / Membrane nanostructures reshape in water, revealing route to better ion transport
Next-generation energy devices like fuel cells and water electrolyzers depend on ion-exchange membranes that allow only water and certain ions to pass through.
Phys.org / AI tools for predicting protein folding produce chemically impossible structures and need human oversight
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) have found that today's leading artificial intelligence tools for predicting protein structures routinely generate results that are physically and chemically impossible, ...
Phys.org / Molecular switch that activates cell growth signaling may offer more precise route for anticancer therapy
Cells carry their own growth switches. When enough nutrients—amino acids in particular—are available, cells flip this switch on and begin to grow. Researchers at KAIST and Yonsei University have uncovered the molecular mechanism ...
Phys.org / California wildfire damage risk map uses factors most closely linked to severe property losses
By analyzing 100,000 California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection inspection records from 2013 to 2024, researchers at the University of California, Irvine have identified the key environmental and human factors ...
Phys.org / Trimming rice genes boosts yields up to 25% and improves drought tolerance
The way to make a plant grow more may be to take something away. Trimming a section off a plant gene raised rice harvests by up to 25% in new tests by University of Chicago scientists. The plants also showed a better tolerance ...
Phys.org / Purple corn offers a stable natural alternative to artificial food dyes
University of Missouri researchers are turning a unique variety of corn into an effective natural alternative to artificial food dyes.
Phys.org / When polymers meet primitive membranes: How molecular cooperation may have helped life begin
A new study suggests that simple molecules on early Earth may have worked together to create more stable, cell-like structures, offering fresh clues about one of science's biggest questions: how life began. Led by Dr. Moran ...
Phys.org / 'Dead stars' may have surprisingly healthy appetites
"Dead stars" known as white dwarfs have already shown the potential to help us better understand how planetary systems, including our own solar system, take shape and evolve. Now, research from the University of Michigan ...
Phys.org / Saber-toothed cats' spinal tumors suggest inbred species struggled to survive
The fossilized spines of saber-toothed cats in the La Brea Tar Pits reveal evidence of an unexpectedly high prevalence of rare spinal nerve tumors, suggesting that the species became inbred just before extinction. These tumors, ...
Phys.org / How changing environments can preserve an ancient microbial survival strategy
A research group led by Tetsuhiro Hatakeyama from the Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) at the Institute of Science Tokyo has revealed how a seemingly self-destructive survival strategy could persist in yeast for hundreds ...
Phys.org / Christmas in July: Engineers capture gigapixel 3D video of snowflakes
For the first time, researchers can witness nanometer-scale thickness changes across a melting snowflake with a compact, lensless chip that captures gigapixel video at 30 frames per second across centimeter-scale fields.
