Phys.org news
Phys.org / Neanderthals may have shared key DNA for complex language, reshaping when human speech began
In a first-of-its-kind finding, researchers at University of Iowa Health Care discovered that specific genetic sequences have an outsized impact on humans' language abilities and that these sequences evolved before humans ...
Phys.org / These 'good' viruses hold up a booming industry—AI just found a faster way to track them
Researchers have developed a new methodology that uses artificial intelligence tools to identify and count target viruses more efficiently than previous techniques. The new approach can be used in applications such as pharmaceutical ...
Phys.org / How a sinking lithospheric root raised Mongolia's Hangay Mountains
Central Mongolia's Hangay Mountains rise more than four kilometers above sea level, forming a dramatic dome that shapes the region's climate. But for decades, geologists have been puzzled: What caused this massive mountain ...
Phys.org / Climate and competition alone cannot explain Neanderthal extinction, study finds
A new modeling study suggests that greater connectivity between groups may have given Homo sapiens the edge over Neanderthals. Why Neanderthals went extinct and Homo sapiens established a lasting presence in Europe is still ...
Phys.org / Life's earliest proteins may have folded into complex shapes with far fewer amino acids
How did the earliest life on Earth build complex biological machinery with so few tools? A new study explores how the simplest building blocks of proteins—once limited to just half of today's amino acids—could still form ...
Phys.org / We think norms spread by imitation, but one deceptively simple rule tells a more human story
A paper appearing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences offers a strikingly simple answer to a longstanding question: How do people learn and settle on shared social conventions, from everyday habits to workplace ...
Phys.org / AI automates quantum dot voltage tuning for scaling up quantum computing
Semiconductor spin qubits are a promising candidate for the building blocks of next-generation quantum computers due to their high potential for integration and compatibility with existing semiconductor technologies. Qubits—like ...
Phys.org / Study shows a widely used antifungal drug works only when its target enzyme is active
Serious fungal infections are on the rise, and many hospital-acquired cases are becoming harder to treat as fungi become resistant to available medications. One of the most widely used therapies, caspofungin, combats Candida ...
Phys.org / AI model designs new antibiotic for staph infections after exploring 46 billion compounds
Researchers at McMaster University have developed a new generative artificial intelligence (AI) model capable of drastically speeding up drug discovery—and, in early tests, it has already designed a brand-new antibiotic. ...
Phys.org / Inside the skull of a Devonian fish from Gondwana, revealed by neutron imaging
Flinders University researchers have taken a revealing look inside the head of one of the first animals to crawl from the water to live on land more than 380 million years ago. Using high-tech neutron imaging, they scanned ...
Phys.org / From the Pampas to Patagonia, DNA reveals South America's human history
A new genetic study shows that cultural diversity in the so-called Southern Cone—the roughly triangular southernmost part of South America—was strongly influenced by extensive human migration. An international research team ...
Phys.org / What if humans could regrow tissue? New study moves science closer
For centuries, the inability to regrow lost body parts has been considered a defining limitation of humans and other mammals. While animals like salamanders can regenerate entire limbs, humans are left with scar tissue. But ...
