Phys.org news

Phys.org / Superconductivity switched on in material once thought only magnetic

Superconductivity—the ability of a material to conduct electricity without any energy loss to heat—enables highly efficient, ultra-fast electronics essential for advanced technologies such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) ...

4 hours ago
Phys.org / Hidden features in X-rays could radically change how we measure and understand them

Hidden features uncovered in X-ray signals are set to overturn a key scientific theory and fundamentally change how X-rays are interpreted across fields of physics, chemistry, biology and materials science, new research reveals. ...

3 hours ago
Phys.org / Atomic-level simulations reveal rotational mechanism behind a critical biomolecular motor

The way a key cellular motor works at an atomic level has been uncovered by simulations conducted by RIKEN biophysicists. This finding, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, provides important ...

3 hours ago
Phys.org / Fins, fingers and toes: A new take on repeating body parts and how they come to be

As biologists know, nature can take its sweet time explaining itself. Andrew Gillis, associate scientist at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL), has been investigating how the paired fins of fishes evolved for nearly 20 ...

2 hours ago
Phys.org / Helical liquid crystals can flip light's chirality under ultralow electric fields

The direction in which the electromagnetic field of circularly polarized light rotates can be easily reversed by applying a voltage, RIKEN researchers have demonstrated. This could enable a new generation of optical devices ...

4 hours ago
Phys.org / Why subduction zones act as the Earth's 'gold kitchens'

Earth's "gold kitchen" lies deep beneath the seafloor. Island arcs, whose volcanoes form above subduction zones where one oceanic plate sinks beneath another, are often particularly rich in gold. The reasons for this have ...

4 hours ago
Phys.org / Free software lets laptops simulate how aging evolves under selection

Why do some species live for only weeks while others survive for centuries? Researchers at the Leibniz Institute on Aging—Fritz Lipmann Institute (FLI) in Jena have developed AEGIS, a freely available software tool that enables ...

4 hours ago
Phys.org / Virus-inspired DNA needle could pave the way for better medicines

Researchers at Aarhus University have developed a microscopic DNA needle that can deliver molecules directly into cells—and, crucially, help make sure they remain active once they get there. That addresses a major problem ...

2 hours ago
Phys.org / Ghost bat dialects emerge across colonies, study suggests

Accents are usually thought of as a human trait, indicating where a person has grown up or the communities they belong—and new research shows the same dialects can also occur in Australia's largest carnivorous bat.

4 hours ago
Phys.org / A new crab is settling in the Mediterranean: Early evidence of establishment of a Lessepsian species in the Ionian Sea

The Mediterranean Sea is undergoing rapid ecological transformations driven by climate change and human-mediated species introductions. Among the most striking processes is the increasing arrival and establishment of non-indigenous ...

5 hours ago
Phys.org / New model shows how behavioral flexibility affects animal evolution

When the environment changes dramatically, animals from mollusks to crows can make big changes in their behavior that enable them to survive. For example, marmots and ground squirrels in California are spending more time ...

2 hours ago
Phys.org / One of cholera's great enemies is found in the human gut

Cholera-causing bacteria are locked in an evolutionary arms race with a viral nemesis, according to a new genomic study. Researchers have found that, in the Ganges Delta, cholera bacteria rapidly gain and lose special armor ...

5 hours ago