Phys.org news
Phys.org / Stingrays inspire smarter ocean robots: The physics of fin motion
Using robotic fins, researchers at the University of California, Riverside have learned how stingrays are able to swim with impressive control. These insights could help underwater vehicles avoid disastrous ground collisions.
Phys.org / Accessing water on Mars: Examining the best technologies for future missions
A new study has examined how future human missions to Mars could access one of the planet's most vital resources—water. The "Martian aqua: occurrence of water and appraisal of acquisition technologies" paper, published ...
Phys.org / Nash equilibria: The hidden math behind predator–prey behaviors
Animal survival depends on effective attack and defense strategies, yet how these behaviors arise remains unclear. Addressing this question, a recent study shows that predator and prey behaviors emerge naturally as stable ...
Phys.org / Single enzyme streamlines production of all four RNA building blocks
A single enzyme that can generate all four nucleoside triphosphates, the building blocks of ribonucleic acid (RNA), has been identified by researchers at the Institute of Science Tokyo. The study was published online in the ...
Phys.org / Four-eyed Cambrian fish fossils hint at origins of vertebrate pineal complex
New fossil evidence from China suggests that some of our vertebrate ancestors had four eyes. The study, published in Nature, takes a closer look at a structure found in multiple 518 million-year-old fossils, which appears ...
Phys.org / Social networks spanned thousands of square kilometers during the Upper Paleolithic period, study finds
Researchers from several European institutions, led by scientists from the University of Barcelona and the University of Alcalá, have demonstrated that the hunter-gatherers who inhabited the interior of the Iberian Peninsula ...
Phys.org / Arctic cloud and ice formation affected by Russian river runoff as region studied for first time
Organic matter carried in rivers to the Russian part of the Arctic Ocean may be creating more clouds and keeping the region cooler, a new study has found.
Phys.org / AI method advances customized enzyme design
Enzymes with specific functions are becoming increasingly important in industry, medicine and environmental protection. For example, they make it possible to synthesize chemicals in a more environmentally friendly way, produce ...
Phys.org / Scientists may have discovered a new extinct form of life
Prototaxites are something of a prehistoric mystery. They were the first giant organisms on land, towering over ancient landscapes at heights of up to 8 meters. They had smooth trunk-like pillars and no branches, leaves or ...
Phys.org / Experiment clarifies cosmic origin of rare proton-rich isotope selenium-74
Researchers have reported new experimental results addressing the origin of rare proton-rich isotopes heavier than iron, called p-nuclei. Led by Artemis Tsantiri, then-graduate student at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams ...
Phys.org / Tungsten carbide phase control: Engineering a low-cost alternative catalyst for producing sustainable petrochemicals
Important everyday products—from plastics to detergents—are made through chemical reactions that mostly use precious metals such as platinum as catalysts. Scientists have been searching for more sustainable, low-cost ...
Phys.org / Crouzon syndrome diagnosed in a knight from the Order of Calatrava, killed in battle over 600 years ago
For the ArchaeoSpain research team, it was a day just like any other on their dig at the castle of Zorita de los Canes (Guadalajara). They were working at the Corral de los Condes, where some knights from the Order of Calatrava ...