Phys.org news
Phys.org / In mafias, marriages are strategic tools, analysis suggests
A new analysis of inter-family marriages in the mafia-type organized crime group 'Ndrangheta, suggests that matrimonial ties between non-powerful families may play a previously under-appreciated role in maintaining the resilience ...
Phys.org / Clean energy's nickel rush is heading straight for some of Earth's richest ecosystems
Meeting future nickel demand for stainless steel and clean energy technologies will require tough decisions with potential environmental trade-offs, a new study has found. Dr. Jayden Hyman from The University of Queensland's ...
Phys.org / Cold-triggered ion channel in bacteria may point to broader temperature-sensing mechanism
All lifeforms need to continuously adapt to temperature changes to survive. Now, Weill Cornell Medicine investigators studying a bacterial protein have identified a new mechanism of sensing cold temperatures. The finding ...
Phys.org / How the rise of continents may have set the stage for life on Earth
Earth's earliest continents may have set the chemical stage for life by regulating boron levels in ancient oceans, a new study in Terra Nova suggests.
Phys.org / A persistent quantum computing error finally explained
Scientists have discovered the cause of a persistent glitch that continues to disrupt superconducting quantum computers, even when they have built-in defenses. For all their advanced hardware, superconducting quantum computers ...
Phys.org / A new way to read the universe could sharpen understanding of cosmic expansion and dark energy
An international team led by researchers at the Institute of Cosmos Sciences of the University of Barcelona (ICCUB) has developed a new method that could significantly improve our understanding of the expansion of the universe ...
Phys.org / A tale as old as time: Young, attractive femme fatale lore appears in nearly every culture
From James Bond movies to water spirits in mythology, the tales of attractive, dangerous female forms that distract the hero from his path or lure men to their deaths have been around for quite some time. A recent study revisits ...
Phys.org / Roman Space Telescope poised to transform hunt for elusive neutron stars
Astronomers have long known that neutron stars, the crushed cores left behind after massive stars explode, should be scattered throughout the Milky Way galaxy. However, most of them are effectively invisible. A new study ...
Phys.org / Genetic 'bonus material' boosts gut bacterium's oxygen tolerance up to 1,000-fold
The bacterium Segatella copri is one of the most common inhabitants of the human gut. In their latest study, researchers at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) have discovered that some strains of this bacterial ...
Phys.org / Cool beans, smart roots: Special cell helps seedlings survive drought battered and nutrient poor soils
Researchers have identified a previously unknown cell type hidden on the roots of common beans, a microscopic survival mechanism that could inform the development of more climate-resilient crops and reduce fertilizer dependence.
Phys.org / How higher temperatures can benefit (or devastate) bumble bee populations
New research finds that higher temperatures can actually benefit some bumble bee species—particularly those that make subterranean nests. However, periods of extreme heat appear to offset those benefits, and may contribute ...
Dialog / Hybrid vein networks in tree leaves reveal a new model of biological design
A leaf may appear to be one of the simplest structures in nature, thin, delicate and easily overlooked. At first glance, it seems far removed from the complex systems that scientists usually describe as networks. Yet, as ...
