Phys.org news
Phys.org / Scientists observe Einstein's gravity in the quantum world
An international team including Nobel Prize-winning physicist Professor Sir Roger Penrose has observed a long-predicted effect of gravity on a falling quantum object for the first time. The result shows that a fundamental ...
Phys.org / Physicists test the weak equivalence principle in an orbiting space station
The weak equivalence principle (WEP) is central to Einstein's general relativity. It posits that gravity must accelerate everything equally, regardless of what it is made from. For the first time, a team led by Ming-Sheng ...
Phys.org / More than 120 molecular species found in giant cloud near Milky Way's center
Astronomers have discovered a second interstellar cloud near the center of the Milky Way that is extraordinarily rich in complex molecules, including several molecules associated with prebiotic chemistry. The newly studied ...
Phys.org / Sorry, this neutrino laser won't work, physicists say
Neutrinos are pervasive yet intangible particles that permeate the universe, streaming through whole planets, stars and our bodies by the trillions each second. The elementary particles are often described as "ghostly" for ...
Phys.org / Weak sea-surface temperature gradients may fuel stronger tropical cyclones
The fact that the ocean gets colder as you go deeper is fairly intuitive, but a similar gradient exists along the surface of the ocean, even at scales of 1 kilometer to tens of kilometers. A new study, published in the Proceedings ...
Phys.org / Peacock-like displays outpace antlers and tusks in evolutionary change, model suggests
Many animal species, ranging from peacocks and birds of paradise to some lizards, fish and beetles, display physical features or ornaments that can attract potential mates. These ornaments can include colorful plumage, elaborate ...
Phys.org / When biology inspires mathematics: Hidden symmetries explain why widely used evolutionary methods can give false answers
Why do some groups of organisms contain thousands of species while others have only a handful? Evolutionary biologists have spent decades trying to answer this question using mathematical models that estimate how biological ...
Phys.org / Iguanodon shinbone growth may be first evidence of an infected skin ulcer in a dinosaur
Fossilized bones can reveal a wealth of details about animals, including their size, appearance, what they ate and any injuries they may have suffered. In a paper published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, researchers ...
Phys.org / Eight-letter DNA alphabet is accurately transcribed by a natural enzyme
All known life on Earth uses the same genetic alphabet, consisting of four letters. Now, researchers at the University of California San Diego have demonstrated that one of biology's most essential enzymes can accurately ...
Phys.org / Mammalian genes can combine to make previously unknown mRNAs and proteins
For decades, scientists have understood that each of the roughly 20,000 genes in the human body carries instructions for a single kind of protein. Now, researchers at Harvard Medical School have discovered that instructions ...
Phys.org / New 'devil flower' species discovered in Thai national park
Researchers have described a new species of leafless flowering plant found on the forest floor of a national park in western Thailand, and its otherworldly appearance has earned it a fittingly dramatic name: Thismia daemona, ...
Phys.org / Hubble tracks new decagon encircling Saturn's south pole
Recent observations with NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have revealed a giant, evolving, 10-sided atmospheric wave encircling Saturn's south pole. This discovery marks the first time a large, regular-sided jet pattern has ...
