Phys.org news
Phys.org / Hurricane Helene did not shift US climate views or votes, study finds
Hurricane Helene, one of the deadliest hurricanes in US history, did not affect people's views on climate change or their intentions to vote for politicians advocating stricter climate policies. This is shown in a new study ...
Phys.org / Electronic friction can be tuned and switched off
Researchers in China have isolated the effects of electronic friction, showing for the first time how the subtle drag force it imparts at sliding interfaces can be controlled. They demonstrate that it can be tuned by applying ...
Phys.org / Saturn's moon Titan could have formed in a merger of two old moons
Recent research suggests that Saturn's bright rings and its largest moon, Titan, may have both originated in collisions among its moons. While Cassini's 13-year mission expanded our understanding of Saturn, the discoveries ...
Phys.org / A familiar magnet gets stranger: Why cobalt's topological states could matter for spintronics
The element cobalt is considered a typical ferromagnet with no further secrets. However, an international team led by HZB researcher Dr. Jaime Sánchez-Barriga has now uncovered complex topological features in its electronic ...
Phys.org / Cell division spindles self-organize like active liquid crystals—a theory that holds up
When a cell divides, it performs a feat of microscopic choreography—duplicating its DNA and depositing it into two new cells. The spindle is the machinery behind that process: It latches onto chromosomes (where DNA is stored) ...
Phys.org / Visualizing how a plant's leaves, stem and roots mutually communicate under environmental stress in real time
How do the different parts of an adult plant communicate with each other when it suffers an injury, is waterlogged, burnt or exposed to environmental stress? Today we can answer this question thanks to an innovative optical ...
Phys.org / Scientists reveal formation mechanism behind spherical assemblies of nanocrystals
From table salt to snowflakes, and from gemstones to diamonds—we encounter crystals everywhere in daily life, usually cubic (table salt) or hexagonal (snowflakes). Researchers from Noushine Shahidzadeh's group at the UvA ...
Phys.org / A new framework could transform national flood prediction
When severe weather strikes, the National Weather Service's (NWS) Office of Water Prediction (OWP) makes critical flood forecasts with the National Water Model. Despite improvements over time, the model's performance has ...
Phys.org / AI method accelerates liquid simulations by learning fundamental physical relationships
Researchers at the University of Bayreuth have developed a method using artificial intelligence that can significantly speed up the calculation of liquid properties. The AI approach predicts the chemical potential—an indispensable ...
Phys.org / Space mining without heavy machines? Microbes harvest metals from meteorites aboard space station
If humankind is to explore deep space, one small passenger should not be left behind: microbes. In fact, it would be impossible to leave them behind, since they live on and in our bodies, surfaces and food. Learning how they ...
Phys.org / Warming may boost soil carbon storage in boreal Sphagnum peatlands, study finds
A new study reports that climate warming can increase soil carbon accumulation in boreal Sphagnum peatlands by boosting plant productivity, protecting iron, and inhibiting microbial decomposition. These responses contrast ...
Phys.org / Fire-footed rope squirrels identified as a natural reservoir for monkeypox virus
Researchers at the Helmholtz Institute for One Health (HIOH), a site of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), together with an interdisciplinary team of partners, have identified the fire-footed rope squirrel ...