Phys.org news

Phys.org / Hidden chromosome structures reveal greater complexity in how roundworms organize DNA

Almost every cell in our body contains around two meters (6.6 feet) of DNA, packed into a tiny nucleus. Yet for the cell to function, this enormous amount of genetic material must remain organized and accessible. Researchers ...

Oct 26, 2026
Dialog / Could ecological roles offer clues to how life began?

Producers, consumers, and decomposers play different roles in today's ecosystems. Thinking about these familiar roles led me to a question: Could their differences partly reflect the different physical and chemical environments ...

Oct 26, 2026
Phys.org / RNA archiving method reveals what a cell did days ago

Information on what a cell did a few hours or days ago is generally unavailable to researchers, who can only measure the cell's current status. This is a problem if the aim is to understand how immune responses arise or why ...

Oct 26, 2026
Phys.org / Britain's 1972 school reform may have lowered dementia diagnoses half a century later

A new study provides perhaps the strongest evidence yet that education can help mitigate long-term dementia risk.

Oct 26, 2026
Phys.org / Sediment core reveals volcanic eruption preceded ancient cold spell by about 150 years

A new study led by an international research team including scientists at the University of South Carolina challenges the idea that the ancient Laacher See volcanic eruption in western Europe triggered a significant climate-cooling ...

Oct 26, 2026
Phys.org / Ahead of their time: Restricted to pre-2018 research, AI flags hydrogen catalyst reported in later experiments

Researchers have used artificial intelligence to identify promising catalysts using only the scientific knowledge that was available years before their actual discovery. Their findings could accelerate the search for more ...

Oct 26, 2026
Phys.org / Simulations reveal design rules for high-performance DNA particle motors

DNA-nano/microparticle motors are among the fastest artificial molecular motors reported to date, moving at approximately 30 nm per second. However, they are still slower than natural motor proteins (approximately 100–1,000 ...

Oct 26, 2026
Phys.org / Protecting isn't enough—creating integrated conservation landscapes is key

New Monash University research has revealed how countries could strengthen their conservation networks by looking beyond the boundaries of national parks and protected areas—and focusing on how these areas connect.

Oct 26, 2026
Phys.org / An 'electron waiting room' helps blue titanium dioxide hold light energy longer

To produce hydrogen using sunlight, the energy obtained from light must be retained until it can be used in a chemical reaction. However, if an electron that has gained energy from light quickly returns to its original position, ...

Oct 26, 2026
Phys.org / Tiny shifts in iron content tip a potential memory material between competing magnetic states

A team of Yale researchers has figured out what gives a magnetic material its mysterious properties, a discovery that could help boost computing memory and the field of "spintronics." Their work is published in Physical Review ...

Oct 26, 2026
Phys.org / Plants may switch between reproductive strategies more easily than thought

When it comes to reproduction, plants have options. Some can fertilize themselves, while others rely on pollen from genetically different plants. Many populations even contain a mixture of both strategies. But scientists ...

Oct 26, 2026
Phys.org / Supercurrent enables the reading of quantum information without destroying it

One of the fundamental challenges of quantum computing is obtaining information from a quantum bit, or qubit. Unlike a conventional bit, which can be read repeatedly without altering its content, direct measurement of a quantum ...

Oct 25, 2026