Phys.org news

Phys.org / Ultrafast laser pulses reveal a material's hidden state of matter

What would it take to instantly transform a material from an electrical insulator into a conductive state without ever touching it? Using ultrafast laser pulses and powerful X-rays, scientists at the National Synchrotron ...

3 hours ago
Phys.org / Newfound rice gene shifts flowering by 1.5 hours to dodge heat damage

With El Niño-driven heat and prolonged dry spells threatening rice production, scientists from Japan's National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), other Japanese research institutions and the International ...

3 hours ago
Phys.org / Passive quantum error correction doubles qubit lifetime, reaching break-even point

A team of U.S. researchers has designed a passive quantum error correction technique that enables qubits to correct their own errors. Demonstrated by Shruti Shirol and colleagues at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, ...

7 hours ago
Phys.org / Most precise measurement of the force that binds nuclear matter achieved

Trinity's Prof. Stefan Sint, along with collaborators from Germany, Spain and Italy, has published the most precise determination to date of the strong coupling constant. This parameter governs the interactions between quarks ...

5 hours ago
Phys.org / Critical cellular system discovery may lead to treatment of some cancers

A molecular geneticist at Montana State University has discovered a cellular process once believed impossible by scientists—the creation of the amino acid cysteine within a living cell when the cell's primary systems for ...

4 hours ago
Phys.org / Medieval Moroccan bathhouse steps reveal rare game board

Archaeologists have discovered a game board carved into the steps of a medieval bathhouse in the Moroccan town of Walīla (the Roman city of Volubilis). The find is a rare example of a medieval game board that can be securely ...

7 hours ago
Phys.org / Listening to political opponents who share common values can ease polarization

Listening to someone who disagrees with you on a controversial topic, but shares basic values, might not change your mind—but it could moderate an extreme position, reducing polarization, new Cornell economics research finds.

4 hours ago
Phys.org / Scientists improve nearly every aspect of prime editing, moving it closer to treating more genetic diseases

Prime editing can potentially repair the vast majority of known disease-causing human mutations, but the technology, first developed in 2019, has not yet been widely used in the body, or in vivo, to treat genetic disease. ...

4 hours ago
Phys.org / Pixels preserve world's rarest porpoise to 3D digital archive as extinction risk grows

The vaquita (Phocoena sinus), an elusive porpoise found only in the shallow waters of Mexico's northern Gulf of California, is one of the rarest and most endangered marine mammals on Earth. Measuring about 5 feet (1.5 meters) ...

5 hours ago
Phys.org / Quasi-1D material unlocks electric control of charge waves beyond standard limits

The ability to control the movement of negatively charged particles (i.e., electrons) is central to the functioning of all modern electronic devices. This control is typically attained using a gate, an electrode via which ...

10 hours ago
Phys.org / Chemists reveal one-step 'alkyl swap' that rewrites key amines for drug discovery

For more than a century, chemists have been building complex molecules step by step—bond by bond, atom by atom. But what if, instead of painstakingly reassembling molecules, they could be directly "rewritten"? This is exactly ...

5 hours ago
Phys.org / Wind patterns play surprising role in tropical rainfall trends

Changes in wind patterns play the leading role in influencing often devastating tropical rainfall changes, rather than simply the warming atmosphere holding more moisture, according to new research.

6 hours ago