Phys.org news
Phys.org / Smart farming is already proving profitable in some regions, global analysis finds
The use of robots, drones and AI tools in agriculture is already paying off on 42% of the world's cropland. This could increase to 50% in the next 20 years and to as much as 75% if every country tightened environmental regulations. ...
Phys.org / 13% of Earth's land identified as biodiversity conservation hotspots
As governments prepare to gather in Yerevan, Armenia, this week for the U.N. Biodiversity Conference (COP17), new research identifies 13% of Earth's land area as hotspots for biodiversity conservation, highlighting where ...
Phys.org / Ancient Hox code reveals the developmental roots of vertebrate hind fins and limbs
Paired appendages—the pectoral and pelvic fins of fishes and the forelimbs and hindlimbs of tetrapods—were a major innovation in vertebrate evolution. Their emergence greatly expanded the ways vertebrates could move through ...
Phys.org / Simpler recycling process recovers pure raw materials from acrylic glass without solvents
Large quantities of acrylic glass are used worldwide in a wide range of applications, from windowpanes and car taillights to furniture. The polymer is also known by the brand name Plexiglas. All too often, acrylic glass still ...
Phys.org / Planting trees is not enough: Lasting climate benefits depend on land rights and livelihoods
A new LMU study shows that three-quarters of the estimated global potential for new forests to capture CO₂ is threatened by significant social and institutional challenges.
Phys.org / '24/7 unmanned synthesis platform' uses robots and light to produce drug candidates
Even when AI designs molecules with potential as medicines, drug development can be delayed if the process of producing them is slow. KAIST researchers have developed an "unmanned synthesis platform" that uses synthesis robots ...
Phys.org / Synthetic molecules self-assemble into triple helices with new control method
Researchers at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, have developed a new strategy for programming synthetic molecules to self-assemble into precisely defined three-dimensional structures. The study brings scientists a step ...
Phys.org / Giving AI a 'crystal clear' view of the materials world by mapping geometry to text
In principle, artificial intelligence could make finding the right material for an application as simple as ordering dinner: Scientists would tell a large language model what they want, and it would serve them the perfect ...
Phys.org / How enzymes locally block cell wall repair, allowing cells to fuse in an irreversible manner
The fusion of two cells is a decisive event in the sexual reproduction of many organisms. In fungi, cells must not only bring their membranes together and merge them, but also locally open their protective cell wall.
Phys.org / Fully implementing methane plans could reverse emissions growth but miss 2030 target
A new study, led by IIASA researchers and coauthored by UNEP colleagues, finds that if governments fully implement their methane reduction plans, they could reduce global emissions by 11% between 2020 and 2030. This would ...
Phys.org / Plasmonic coating on bacterial surfaces paves the way for rapid sepsis diagnosis
A research team led by senior researcher Minyoung Lee and principal researcher Sunggyu Park of the Advanced Bio and Healthcare Materials Research Division at the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), has developed ...
Phys.org / How bacteria survive in a world full of killer bacteriophages
Humans throughout history have invented a variety of ways to fight back against troublesome bacteria. But bacteria live in a dangerous world too. The human body and other bacteria-rich environments abound with bacteriophages, ...
