Phys.org news
Phys.org / Why Europa's hidden ocean may be more difficult to reach than scientists thought
Europa, one of Jupiter's icy moons, has long fascinated scientists because of what may lie beneath its frozen shell: a global ocean of liquid water. That hidden ocean has made Europa one of the most compelling places in the ...
Phys.org / Can a robot tutor give too much help? Why timing matters
A learner stands in a room with a bottle, a cup and a book. The task is to figure out, step by step, where each object belongs in the room. Under the table? Or perhaps on the chair? A humanoid robot gives the instructions—but ...
Phys.org / Rocks from unexplored far side of the moon help rewrite lunar history
Ancient samples from the moon's far side are helping scientists uncover how asteroid impacts shaped the early solar system. The findings challenge decades of thinking about when those impacts occurred and offer new insights ...
Phys.org / Magnetic clues inside atomic nuclei help explain how elements form in stars
A scientific team led by Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, or FRIB, has identified the origin of a mysterious excess of low-energy gamma rays emitted by the nucleus zinc-70. They found that the excess is caused by magnetic ...
Phys.org / New methods for removing harmful nitrates from drinking water identified
Nitrate contamination of drinking water poses a major health concern, particularly in agricultural communities where fertilizers, livestock manure and septic systems can leach nitrates into groundwater. Many rural households ...
Phys.org / Gold-catalyzed chemical reaction advances next-generation anticancer prodrugs
Anticancer prodrugs have attracted significant attention from the medical and scientific communities in recent years because of their potential to improve treatment precision while reducing side effects. These drugs are engineered ...
Phys.org / Algorithms create foundry-ready photonic circuits
Photonic microchips can process data at extremely high speeds and are embedded in a wide variety of today's technologies. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light (MPL) and Harvard University have ...
Phys.org / Fossilized wood reveals 300 million years of Earth's history
Many people are familiar with fossilized wood as a decorative item from a museum shop. However, the fact that it can preserve the geological history of entire regions spanning millions of years is a new discovery. A research ...
Phys.org / Cutting out the noise: How horseshoe bats adapt their echolocation behavior in colonies
Imagine searching for a gemstone in a dark cave: You use a flashlight, looking for a rainbow-colored glint in the darkness. Now, imagine 10 other people in the cave with you, using different-colored flashlights at the same ...
Phys.org / Fat-storing cell structures may block viral spread by recruiting antiviral proteins
La Trobe University scientists have uncovered the critical role fatty cell structures play in our body's early detection and defense against viruses. Published in Nature Communications, the discovery could open the door to ...
Phys.org / Combining AI protein design with laboratory evolution improves engineered enzymes
When scientists want to create a protein that can potentially treat disease, one approach is to begin with a different protein and evolve it in the lab, selecting over many generations for versions with a new, desired function.
Phys.org / Io's volcanic output offers a 40‑day forecast of plasma density in Jupiter's magnetosphere
A careful statistical comparison of observations recorded by NASA's Juno mission and the Planetary Science Institute's Io Input Output observatory (IoIO) shows that IoIO observations reliably predict the density of Jupiter's ...
