Phys.org news
Phys.org / Cells use a little-known molecule to protect themselves from iron overload
Iron is essential. Our cells need it to produce energy, carry oxygen throughout the body and power countless chemical reactions that sustain life. But this metal has a dark side. When too much of it is left free inside cells, ...
Phys.org / Tiny satellite will use the dark side of the moon to eavesdrop on whispers from the early universe
A tiny UK-developed satellite, roughly the size of a small carry-on suitcase, could help answer one of the biggest questions in cosmology: What happened during the roughly 150 million years of the cosmic dark ages, before ...
Phys.org / Tiny DNA rotor lets microscopes track gene transcription one base pair at a time
Scientists often describe life as a series of chemical reactions. Pallav Kosuri, Ph.D., describes life as movement. Chemical reactions are how you drive the movement of atoms, proteins, cells and bodies—without movement, ...
Phys.org / Why climate-driven droughts and floods rarely become international news
Three factors—spectacular images, a high death toll and strong personal ties—make it more likely that the media in one country will report on a natural disaster in another, according to a study by the University of Bonn, ...
Phys.org / EU cities plan to compensate for a fifth of their emissions through carbon removal, but few have thought through how
An analysis of 103 European cities' climate-neutral plans for 2030 (including 22 capital cities) shows that municipalities are planning to rely on carbon removal to compensate for about a fifth of their emissions. This would ...
Phys.org / Arctic balloon samples trace marine sugars from the ocean to cloud-forming heights
Salt and sugar from the sea can rise as far as the free troposphere, thereby influencing both cloud formation and the Arctic climate. This is the finding of balloon measurements carried out by a team of researchers on Spitsbergen ...
Phys.org / Doomscrolling at work wastes time, but the real cost is what happens after
Whether on lunch break or on the clock, many employees scroll through the news and social media during the workday. Researchers found that employees who "doomscroll" at work suffer hidden costs that extend beyond lost productivity.
Phys.org / TESS discovers a rare brown dwarf orbiting a massive, aging star
For decades, astronomers lumped brown dwarfs into a single category defined by mass alone—too big to be classified as planets but too small to become stars. However, this definition ignores the two very different mechanisms ...
Phys.org / India faces rising uncompensable heat stress, especially during monsoon season
Animals struggle to cool down in extreme heat and high humidity, and heat stress is rising in many regions around the world. This is especially true for people in tropical countries, including populous India. In a new paper ...
Phys.org / Two oceans, one country—and 20 times more sharks in the prehistoric Pacific
How many sharks should a coral reef have? It sounds like a simple question, but almost nowhere on Earth is there a reef that has not at some time been fished or otherwise affected by humans, so there is no yardstick against ...
Phys.org / Layered nano-biohybrid uses sunlight, air and water to make hydrogen peroxide
A research team led by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory has developed a new material that combines inorganic material with biological components to produce hydrogen peroxide more efficiently.
Phys.org / Fulfilling friendships linked to better health and well-being across 22 countries
Fulfilling friendships and close social relationships are strongly linked to excellent physical and mental health, finds a substantial global study published in the Journal of Mental Health.