Phys.org news
Phys.org / Gaming monkeys' curiosity: Japanese macaques actively explore moderately uncertain stimuli
The intrinsic information-seeking impulse we call curiosity is independent of extrinsic rewards, such as food or mating opportunities. Curiosity is purely the pursuit of understanding the unknown, driving both humans and ...
Phys.org / Climate-driven extreme fire danger cannot be prevented by carbon neutrality alone, study warns
A new study warns that unless atmospheric carbon is reduced immediately, future summers will become even hotter and future wildfires even more destructive. A research team led by Professor Seung-Ki Min of the Department of ...
Phys.org / Harmless viruses trap Salmonella on flexible polymer in portable microfluidic sensor
Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) have developed a solid polymer coated with harmless viruses to detect the bacteria Salmonella enterica (S. enterica), an advance that could lead to new ways of finding ...
Phys.org / How cells 'back up' DNA replication to survive severe damage
Every time a cell divides, it must copy its DNA with extraordinary precision. But this process is constantly challenged by DNA damage. Among the most dangerous lesions are DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICLs), which chemically ...
Dialog / Scientists uncover hidden parasite diversity in barb fish from the Sea of Galilee
When most people think about biodiversity in lakes and rivers, they imagine fish, plants, or perhaps birds and amphibians. But beneath the surface exists another world that often goes unnoticed: microscopic parasites that ...
Phys.org / Artificial intelligence may accelerate the path to radicalization
How are ordinary people drawn into extremist circles—and what role can artificial intelligence play in that process? This question is addressed by a new study which, for the first time, combines psychological theories of ...
Phys.org / Sexual arousal can lead to tunnel vision, blinding people to rejection cues
Sexual arousal can lead to "tunnel vision" that makes it more difficult to recognize when someone is just not that into you, according to new research in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.
Phys.org / Why plant extinctions may rise by 2100 even if species keep shifting ranges
No matter how fast a species under threat can move, escape can only be successful if the new destination can meet its needs. An ecological modeling study from the University of California, Davis, found that 7% to 16% of global ...
Phys.org / How evolution sculpts the facial shapes of birds and mammals
Shapes of beaks and snouts come in an extraordinary range of forms, reflecting adaptations to different lifestyles and environments. Yet beneath this diversity lies a paradox: across birds and mammals, faces are built using ...
Phys.org / Tree communities shape hidden energy flows under European forests
Mixing tree species can lead to better growth in the forest—at least above ground. A new study published in Nature shows that mixed forests had lower activity in the complex belowground ecosystems than previously thought. ...
Phys.org / Magnetic checkerboard separates microparticles by size and sends them along different paths
A team of researchers from the Universities of Tübingen, Bayreuth, and Kassel, and the Polish Academy of Sciences has developed a method for precisely controlling the movement of magnetic microparticles based on their size. ...
Phys.org / Human language shows deep safety bias, challenging 70-year scientific consensus
Researchers at the University of Vermont have uncovered a powerful new insight about how language works—one that overturns a cornerstone assumption in psychology, linguistics, and artificial intelligence that has stood for ...
