Phys.org news
Phys.org / Scientists harness quantum tunneling to boost heavy water production efficiency
A study by scientists at Hunan University introduces a new hydrogen isotope separation method that leverages proton quantum tunneling to produce heavy water, overcoming the key physical limitation faced by current methods ...
Phys.org / Unexpected magnetic response in gold and silver atomic contacts contradicts previous theoretical predictions
Researchers from the Department of Physics and the University Institute of Materials at the University of Alicante (UA) and the Low Temperature and High Magnetic Field Laboratory at the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM) ...
Phys.org / Antarctica undergoes 'Greenlandification' as ice melt accelerates
An article published recently in Nature Geoscience warns that Antarctica's ice masses have begun to experience a process scientists call "Greenlandification." The term refers to the unprecedented retreat of Greenland's outlet ...
Phys.org / Hybrid synthetic strategy unlocks previously unattainable molecular architectures
The molecular-scale design of materials is one of the major frontiers in modern science. Flat, highly conjugated organic molecules are already used in advanced technologies such as chemical sensors, optoelectronic devices, ...
Phys.org / Scientists document Europe's first Jurassic lizard trackways in Asturias
The article presenting the research results was published online at the end of February in the journal Ichnos. The study focuses on two trackways (T1 and T2) preserved as convex hyporeliefs on the underside of a Late Jurassic ...
Phys.org / NASA finds extreme star collision in unlikely spot
A fleet of NASA missions has likely uncovered a collision between two ultradense stars in a tiny galaxy buried in a huge stream of gas. Astronomers have never seen this type of explosive event in an environment like this ...
Phys.org / Mining the dark transcriptome: Synthesizing the first potential drug molecules from long noncoding RNA
A team from University of Toronto Engineering is the first to synthesize long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) outside the cell—a new approach to drug discovery that has already yielded some promising anti-inflammatory molecules. ...
Phys.org / Chemical shifts help track molecules breaking apart in real time
When molecules fall apart, their electric charge doesn't stay put—it rearranges as bonds stretch and break. An international team of scientists has now tracked these ultrafast changes in the small molecule fluoromethane ...
Phys.org / Gnaw-y by nature: Researchers discover neural circuit that rewards gnawing behavior in rodents
Researchers at the University of Michigan have discovered that the constant gnawing of rodents isn't just a reflex or a consequence of a tough diet. It also triggers a release of dopamine in the brain—which acts as a biochemical ...
Phys.org / Opening the path to high-efficiency hydrogen production without expensive precious metals
A research team has successfully designed and developed a proprietary non-precious metal oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyst featuring a layered structure optimized for anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) ...
Phys.org / First absolute dating of Paleolithic paintings in the Dordogne
A research team led by a CNRS researcher has for the first time accurately determined the age of the cave paintings at Font-de-Gaume (Les Eyzies) in Dordogne (southwestern France), according to a study published on March ...
Phys.org / Antarctic waters DNA survey discovers many microbial genes new to science
The Southern Ocean—vast, boundless waters surrounding Antarctica—plays an outsized role in global climate, largely thanks to tiny drifting organisms called plankton that soak up carbon. Reporting in Nature Communications ...