Phys.org news

Phys.org / Malaria parasites move along right-handed helices to navigate host tissues, research reveals

With victims numbering in the millions, malaria is an infectious disease caused by the bite of a mosquito carrying the malaria parasite. After penetrating the skin, the pathogen moves with helical trajectories. It almost ...

Nov 24, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / How cancer cells tolerate missing chromosomes

A hallmark of cancerous cells is an abnormal number of chromosomes or chromosome arms, known as aneuploidy. While aneuploidy is detrimental to regular cells, it occurs in as many as 90% of tumors. How cancer cells tolerate ...

Nov 24, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Personalized social robots can boost children's reading confidence and engagement

Social robots can be a non-threatening way for children to improve their reading skills, researchers say.

Nov 24, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Tiny copepod reveals that gene location influences natural selection

A new study by researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison provides the first empirical evidence connecting the chromosomal location of genes to natural selection, indicating the arrangement of genes can influence ...

Nov 24, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Ancient Maya game board with unique mosaic design discovered in Guatemala

Centuries before Monopoly, there was Patolli, a high-stakes Mesoamerican game of strategy and luck where players wagered crops and wealth as they raced their opponents around a cross-shaped board.

Nov 22, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Quantum ground states: Scalable counterdiabatic driving technique enables reliable and rapid preparation

Quantum ground states are the states at which quantum systems have the minimum possible energy. Quantum computers are increasingly being used to analyze the ground states of interesting systems, which could in turn inform ...

Nov 22, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Neanderthal women and children were the victims of selective cannibalism at Goyet, study reveals

The study of an assemblage of Neanderthal human bones discovered in the Troisième caverne of Goyet (Belgium) has brought to light selective cannibalistic behavior primarily targeting female adults and children between 41,000 ...

Nov 22, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Scientists track recent solar flare disruptions in Earth's ionosphere

As this month's string of powerful X-class solar flares sparked brilliant auroras that lit up skies across an unusually wide swath of the globe—from northern Europe to Florida—researchers at NJIT's Center for Solar-Terrestrial ...

Nov 22, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Lab-grown diamond coatings shown to prevent mineral scale in industrial pipes

In industrial pipes, mineral deposits build up the way limescale collects inside a kettle ⎯ only on a far larger and more expensive scale. Mineral scaling is a major issue in water and energy systems, where it slows flow, ...

Nov 22, 2025 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Metasurfaces etched into 2D crystals boost nonlinear optical effects at nanoscale

In January, a team led by Jim Schuck, professor of mechanical engineering at Columbia Engineering, developed a method for creating entangled photon pairs, a critical component of emerging quantum technologies, using a crystalline ...

Nov 22, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / When trade routes shift, so do clouds: Researchers uncover ripple effects of new global shipping regulations

When militia attacks disrupted shipping lanes in the Red Sea, few imagined the ripple effects would reach the clouds over the South Atlantic. But for Florida State University atmospheric scientist Michael Diamond, the rerouting ...

Nov 22, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Info to decipher secret message in Kryptos sculpture at CIA headquarters sells for close to $1M

The information needed to decipher the last remaining unsolved secret message embedded within a sculpture at CIA headquarters in Virginia sold at auction for nearly $1 million, the auction house announced Friday.

Nov 22, 2025 in Other Sciences