Phys.org news
Phys.org / Last common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees could have been a vertical climber, no matter its feet
New research suggests that no matter what we eventually determine the last common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees to be, we'll learn it was a primate that climbed trees.
Phys.org / Unlocking Gondwana's 120-million-year archive: Karoo record refines timing of extinctions and climate upheavals
A new review led by professor Emese Bordy at the University of Cape Town (UCT) Department of Geological Sciences brings together more than two decades of research on the Karoo Supergroup, revealing how scientific understanding ...
Phys.org / Gluons may play a central role in baryon number conservation—and matter's stability
New results from the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) suggest that gluons, the glue-like particles that hold quarks together inside protons, play a central role in the conservation of baryon number—an ...
Phys.org / Tiny feet on cells can sense defects and stall migration to heal wounds
Cells travel through the body both individually and in collective groups during development, wound healing and diseases such as cancer. New research from the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. ...
Phys.org / Breath-strip-like nanofiber film delivers three pain drugs in under two seconds
Children and seniors who have difficulty chewing and swallowing conventional tablets may have an easier way to find pain relief. Cornell researchers have developed an ultrafast-dissolving nanofiber film that can deliver a ...
Phys.org / Locust neurons detect PFAS at environmentally relevant levels, pointing to portable sensors
Researchers at Michigan State University have discovered that neurons in a locust's brain can distinguish among multiple PFAS compounds, including PFOS, one of the world's most common "forever chemicals," at environmentally ...
Phys.org / How ancient trees are warning us about the next enormous solar storm
Our sun is capable of storms far bigger than we've ever recorded. Studying the world's oldest trees suggests we could soon be due one of these gargantuan events.
Phys.org / How plants selectively silence jumping genes while protecting essential ones
Histone variants help establish DNA methylation at transposons (jumping genes) while preventing this epigenetic modification from spreading to essential genes in plants, a study from the Institute of Science Tokyo reveals. ...
Phys.org / 35-year monitoring study clarifies ecological forces behind Lyme disease risk
Tick-borne diseases are on the rise in the United States. Lyme disease is the most commonly reported, with nearly half a million people diagnosed each year. Caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, it is most often spread ...
Phys.org / Observations since 1850 reveal regional climate fingerprints of human-induced warming
There is no question that the current global temperature increase is human-caused. Global warming has long since emerged as the dominant signal amid natural climate fluctuations. However, identifying how this warming manifests ...
Phys.org / Mega-Earth GJ 523b is 23 times as massive as our planet—but only 2.5 times as wide
It's nearly 170 million years old. It's more than 2.5 times the size of Earth. And it's the first exoplanet discovered and cataloged by researchers with the Wisconsin Center for Origins Research (WiCOR).
Phys.org / Immune cells have a 'sense of touch,' scientists discover
Scientists have long believed that tissue-resident memory T cells—which remain in tissues after an infection has cleared and respond rapidly if the threat returns—are shaped primarily by biochemical signals. A McGill University–led ...