Phys.org news
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 / 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 / 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 / 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 / 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.
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 / Exploring why societies around the world no longer bury their dead at home
There are countless cultures and societies around the world, spanning thousands of years. One thing they all have in common is that death is a part of everybody's life. Examining how different societies commemorate their ...
Phys.org / Invasive species hit the Global South significantly harder than previously assumed
Invasive alien species are among the world's leading drivers of species extinction. However, previous global assessments of the geographic distribution of this damage suffered from a systematic "research bias": Because significantly ...
Phys.org / Research cautions that sometimes working together can actually spur inequality
Encouraging people to contribute to a common good can have a surprising drawback: a risk that rewards become concentrated among a smaller group, putting the rest at a disadvantage. Put more simply, "equality and cooperation ...
Phys.org / Burning soil and peat drove most emissions in Canada's record 2023 wildfire season, study finds
Most of the carbon released during Canada's record-breaking 2023 wildfire season came from burning soil and peat, rather than trees, according to new research from McMaster University.
