Phys.org news

Phys.org / A new scale of biology: Massive datasets are aiding in the fight against superbugs

Artificial intelligence relies on machine learning algorithms trained on massive datasets to make predictions—think of how ChatGPT learned language by gorging on the internet. In biology, however, scientists face a frustrating ...

Sep 3, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Automated tool enables rapid, large-scale profiling of disease-linked RNA modifications

Researchers have developed a powerful tool capable of scanning thousands of biological samples to detect transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) modifications—tiny chemical changes to RNA molecules that help control how cells ...

Sep 3, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / The cling of doom: How staph bacteria latch onto human skin

Imagine a child with eczema who scratches a patch of irritated skin. A tiny opening forms, invisible to the eye. Into that breach slips a common bacterium, Staphylococcus aureus.

Sep 3, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Safe underground carbon storage would only reduce warming by 0.7°C, analysis finds

For the first time, a study maps safe areas that can practically be used for underground carbon storage, and estimates that using them all would only cut warming by 0.7°C. The result is almost ten times lower than previous ...

Sep 3, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Soft materials hold onto 'memories' of their past for longer than previously thought

If your hand lotion is a bit runnier than usual coming out of the bottle, it might have something to do with the goop's "mechanical memory."

Sep 3, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Engineered bacteria glow green to quickly detect microplastics in water samples

Microplastics are tiny, plastic fragments—many too small to see—found in the air, soil and water. Measuring their abundance in nature can direct cleanup resources, but current detection methods are slow, expensive or ...

Sep 3, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Webb reveals warm space dust in far-off Makani galaxy's circumgalactic medium

In a distant galaxy called Makani, particles of dust were warmed by the light of newborn stars before being flung out into space by a massive starburst-driven wind. Over the course of 100 million years, the dust traveled ...

Sep 3, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Marsquakes indicate a solid core for the red planet, just like Earth

Scientists revealed Wednesday that Mars' innermost core appears to be a solid hunk of metal just like Earth's.

Sep 3, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Here we glow: New organic liquid provides efficient phosphorescence

The nostalgic "glow-in-the-dark" stars that twinkle on the ceilings of childhood bedrooms operate on a phenomenon called phosphorescence. Here, a material absorbs energy and later releases it in the form of light. However, ...

Sep 3, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Juno finds final missing auroral signature from Jupiter's largest moons

Jupiter hosts the brightest and most spectacular auroras in the solar system. Near its poles, these shimmering lights offer a glimpse into how the planet interacts with the solar wind and moons swept by Jupiter's magnetic ...

Sep 3, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Global methane levels continue rising as trade and developing regions fuel growth

The world's methane emissions continue to rise steadily with no signs of slowing, as global trade contributes some 30% to the total amount of the greenhouse gas swirling around the planet, a new study reveals.

Sep 3, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Crystalline material conducts heat even worse than glass and water—and that's promising

A research team from Aarhus University, Denmark, has measured and explained the exceptionally low thermal conductivity of the crystalline material AgGaGe3Se8. Despite its ordered structure, the material behaves like a glass ...

Sep 3, 2025 in Physics