Phys.org news
Phys.org / Maybe that's not liquid water on Mars after all
Ancient Mars boasted abundant water, but the cold and dry conditions of today make liquid water on the Red Planet seem far less probable. However, the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding (MARSIS) detected ...
Phys.org / Atoms passing through walls: Quantum tunneling of hydrogen within palladium crystal
At low temperatures, hydrogen atoms move less like particles and more like waves. This characteristic enables quantum tunneling, the passage of an atom through a barrier with a higher potential energy than the energy of the ...
Phys.org / Unlocking the genome's hidden half with new DNA sequencing technology
Cornell researchers have found that a new DNA sequencing technology can be used to study how transposons move within and bind to the genome. Transposons play critical roles in immune response, neurological function and genetic ...
Phys.org / New membrane sets record for separating hydrogen from CO₂
When designing membranes that separate industrial gases, scientists often incorporate structures that attract the gas they want to obtain. This attraction can enhance the membrane's permeability, and help isolate the desired ...
Phys.org / Laser-induced break-up of C₆₀ fullerenes caught in real-time on X-ray camera
The understanding of complex many-body dynamics in laser-driven polyatomic molecules is crucial for any attempt to steer chemical reactions by means of intense light fields. Ultrashort and intense X-ray pulses from accelerator-based ...
Phys.org / Male green hermit hummingbirds: Bills evolved for battle
Let's get one thing out of the way: All hummingbirds fight. Most species fight for food, using their tiny bodies and sharp bills to force competitors away from flowers. But the green hermit hummingbird, which lives primarily ...
Phys.org / Mercury pollution in marine mammals is increasing, new study finds
In 2017, a new global treaty was meant to bring mercury pollution under control. But three decades of data from UK harbor porpoises show mercury is still increasing, and is linked to a higher risk of dying from infectious ...
Phys.org / Understanding intrinsically disordered protein regions and their roles in cancer
Every function in a cell is associated with a particular protein or group of proteins, typically in a well-defined three-dimensional structure. However, intrinsically disordered regions of proteins defy this structure-function ...
Phys.org / Synthesizing stable, open-chain amines with nitrogen-based chirality
A research team from Prof. Benjamin List's department at the Max Planck Institut für Kohlenforschung has solved a long-elusive riddle of chemistry: the synthesis of stable, open-chain amines that carry their chirality on ...
Phys.org / Final experimental result for the muon still challenges theorists
For experimental physicists, the latest measurement of the muon is the best of times. For theorists there's still work to do.
Phys.org / Gelada baboons fake fertility to protect their young from infanticide when new males take over
In nature, it is not usual for animals to be deceptive, as evolution has typically favored communication that benefits both the sender and receiver by conveying reliable information. But, there are exceptions, particularly ...
Phys.org / Nanoflowers rejuvenate old and damaged human cells by replacing their mitochondria
Biomedical researchers at Texas A&M University may have discovered a way to stop or even reverse the decline of cellular energy production—a finding that could have revolutionary effects across medicine.
