Phys.org news

Phys.org / Screens dominate the dinner table, with 77.6% of parents using devices

Food has always had a unique way of bringing people together. It becomes especially evident during family mealtimes, when children and adults gather around the table to share more than just a meal. They share stories, catch ...

2 hours ago
Phys.org / Orangutans eat medicinal plants in patterns that suggest self-medication

Orangutans seek out plants with antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties, new research shows. Based on 20 years of observations of orangutans in Indonesian Borneo, scientists assessed how often the animals ...

1 hour ago
Phys.org / Beyond bread and beer, alluring yeast species could yield new mosquito traps to combat malaria

An orange-colored yeast species isolated from a Baltimore sidewalk several years ago could be the basis of eco-friendly mosquito traps that reduce malaria transmission, according to a new study from researchers at the Johns ...

3 hours ago
Phys.org / Famous 'Pink Planet' harbors a salty surprise

Northwestern University-led astronomers have discovered salty skies surrounding the universe's famous "Pink Planet." For more than a decade, the ancient, rosy-hazed world kept astronomers guessing. One of the coldest known ...

2 hours ago
Phys.org / AI-driven optical tweezers sort hundreds of particles per hour without humans

By teaching an AI to use optical tweezers, researchers from the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology have sped up the analysis of life's smallest components. The AI platform captures particles, takes ...

7 hours ago
Phys.org / How sea-ice microbes survive the Southern Ocean's harsh winter has implications for climate change

A study led by South African scientists reveals that during winter, the sea ice around Antarctica harbors a reservoir of microbes, most of which have one thing in common—the ability to produce and break down a compound known ...

7 hours ago
Phys.org / Cockroach genomes are packed with DNA transferred by their endosymbiont bacterial partners

Genes aren't just transferred from parents to their offspring. Nature has found other ways to pass on genetic information, even between different species. And a new study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National ...

23 hours ago
Phys.org / AI could be trapped in a 'Carbon Valley' unless action is taken soon

AI is growing fast, and keeping up means building more data centers, manufacturing advanced chips and powering the tech behind it. All of that comes with a carbon cost. AI advocates claim that in the long run, AI will save ...

22 hours ago
Phys.org / The best math lesson for children might be happening at your kitchen table, shows study

In the minds of many people, math lives in the classroom—on blackboards, in textbooks, and in tests. New research from Amber Simpson, associate professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning, and Educational Leadership ...

14 hours ago
Phys.org / Hidden mitochondrial genes emerge as mealybugs encode two genes on one DNA stretch

What if a single sentence could carry two completely different meanings, one when read forward and another when read backward? In a new study, researchers at Arizona State University have discovered a biological version of ...

16 hours ago
Phys.org / Helios quantum computer tops 99.9% fidelity rates for one- and two-qubit operations

A public-private partnership in the Mountain West announced new results today that mark steady progress toward the Department of Energy's goal of fault-tolerant quantum computing, systems large and reliable enough to solve ...

17 hours ago
Phys.org / Ancient curse tablet bears rare Greek inscription with binding spell intended to harm enemies

Heidelberg University researchers have deciphered the inscription on an ancient curse tablet, which was once used to invoke deities and demons in order to harm an enemy. The "magical" artifact from the Roman province of Lower ...

18 hours ago