Phys.org news
Phys.org / New self-assembling polymers proven to be effective at gene delivery
A collaboration of scientists at the University of Manchester and the University of Birmingham has explored a more effective and less toxic way of delivering genetic material into cells, a challenge central to areas such ...
Phys.org / More than two species? Scientists challenge taxonomy of two-toed sloths in Amazonia
A new study by scientists from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW) has revealed significant cryptic diversity within two-toed sloths (Choloepus) in Amazonia, challenging the long-established ...
Phys.org / Improving animal welfare in the lab: AI helps better detect pain
At first glance, the white plastic box with a bright orange floor looks like something for storing children's toys. However, the box isn't used to store Lego bricks; it contains real mice—with the aim of minimizing their ...
Phys.org / How bacteria circumvent plants' immune system
How are bacterial pathogens able to effectively overcome plants' defense mechanisms? Researchers working with Professor Şuayb Üstün at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, have found a surprising answer to this question: The ...
Phys.org / Rare ribosome tweak in E. coli reveals possible antibiotic target
Storing genetic material as DNA or RNA is all well and good for life on Earth, but it would be entirely pointless if we couldn't do anything with it. To use our genetic blueprints, all organisms need to translate the message ...
Phys.org / Universal patterns emerge across 22 languages, mapping how vocabularies evolve
Human languages are known to have grown and changed considerably over the course of history, often reflecting technological, cultural, and societal shifts. Studying the evolution of languages can thus offer valuable insight ...
Phys.org / Deep under Antarctic ice, a long-predicted cosmic whisper finally breaks through in 13 strange bursts
A detector buried deep in Antarctic ice has captured the first experimental evidence of a predicted but never-before-seen phenomenon: radio pulses generated when high-energy cosmic rays slam into the ice sheet and trigger ...
Phys.org / Why did Clovis toolmakers choose difficult quartz crystal? New study offers clues
Quartz crystals are difficult to knap due to size, hardness, and crystalline structure, making them a "low-quality" raw material. However, the Clovis people of North America sometimes made points and other tools from this ...
Phys.org / Two blazing quasars caught waltzing into a merger
Astronomers, using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), have confirmed the existence of a close quasar pair housed in a pair of merging galaxies seen when the universe was less than a billion years old, ...
Phys.org / Can warning videos blunt misinformation? What a 12-country test found
The internet and social media platforms have given rise to a rising wave of misinformation, with many users now posting fake news, AI-generated photos or videos and other types of misleading content online. Over the past ...
Phys.org / This new tool makes AI's role in student writing visible
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed college writing. As paper drafts are increasingly co-written with AI, professors are left wondering not whether students are using AI, but how. A 2025 AI in Education ...
Phys.org / AI-enhanced microscopy produces crisp, real-time video inside live cells
Using artificial intelligence, engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a new way to watch the inner workings of living cells in real time. The process both captures images that are twice as sharp ...