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) ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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.
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
