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 ...

Nov 21, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
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 ...

23 hours ago in Physics
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 ...

Nov 21, 2025 in Biology
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 ...

23 hours ago in Chemistry
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 ...

23 hours ago in Physics
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 ...

Nov 21, 2025 in Biology
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 ...

23 hours ago in Biology
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 ...

23 hours ago in Biology
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 ...

Nov 21, 2025 in Chemistry
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.

Nov 21, 2025 in Physics
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 ...

Nov 21, 2025 in Biology
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.

Nov 21, 2025 in Nanotechnology