Phys.org news
Phys.org / African grasslands expanded 5 million year earlier than previously thought, molecular fossils suggest
The iconic grassland savannas of Africa are geographically extensive and important for both local fauna and the global climate. But where did they come from, and how will they change in the future? Ongoing warming, rising ...
Phys.org / Space travel doesn't affect the strength of heart muscle cells, study finds
It's common to see images of astronauts on the International Space Station exercising, running on special treadmills and pedaling cycles designed for tight quarters.
Phys.org / How drought is reshaping the spread of infectious diseases
From the American West to Europe, droughts are drying up rivers, fueling destructive fires and reshaping ecosystems. They are also changing the spread of infectious diseases, leading to surges in illnesses like cholera and ...
Phys.org / What happens to nanoparticles when they enter the bloodstream?
The use of nanoparticles in drug delivery offers key advantages: they can enable targeted drug delivery, protect active ingredients from premature degradation, extend their duration of action in the body and reduce side effects. ...
Phys.org / Pain isn't the point: European viper venoms may have evolved to subdue prey
For many people, the fear of venomous snakes is linked to one thing: pain. Yet new research led by scientists at Bangor University suggests that, for Europe's vipers, at least, causing pain may never have been a driving force ...
Phys.org / The internet can't get enough of cats, but cats might have had enough of the internet
According to new research, viewers often dismiss, trivialize or even romanticize signs of cat distress during "play" interactions, raising concerns for cat welfare.
Phys.org / Soil-dwelling myxobacteria reveal five new classes of bioactive compounds
Most antibiotics used clinically are based on natural compounds produced by bacteria and other microorganisms. At the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), researchers are using soil-dwelling myxobacteria ...
Phys.org / First supernovae may have seeded rocky planet building blocks 100 million years after the Big Bang
The building blocks of rocky planets may have begun forming just 100 million years after the Big Bang—long before the first galaxies even existed—according to new research from the University of Portsmouth.
Phys.org / Spontaneous magnons synchronize with external signals at room temperature
Signals ride on waves of one kind or another: light, sound, radio. But new carriers are needed to relay information in next-generation devices. Disturbances or waves in magnetic materials called magnons could be an efficient ...
Phys.org / Single synthetic peptide forms electrically polarized, self-healing hydrogel
Researchers from the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS) and RIKEN Pioneering Research Institute (PRI) in Japan, together with collaborators from the University of Münster, Germany, have developed a new hydrogel ...
Phys.org / Sugar swap simplifies production of promising targeted cancer therapies
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have developed a simpler way to produce a fast-growing class of targeted cancer therapies, a discovery that could make the medicines easier to manufacture consistently while ...
Phys.org / New frog species discovered in the Amazon's flooded forests
Scientists from Brazil and other countries have discovered a new species of frog in the flooded forests of the western Amazon. They named it Adenomera varcena. This finding significantly advances our understanding of Amazonian ...