Phys.org news

Phys.org / Nature's 'master painters': Study reveals how damselflies break optical barriers to create saturated colors

Scientists at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) have uncovered for the first time the "ingenious" biological strategies that allow blue-tailed damselflies to produce strikingly vivid, angle-independent colors. The ...

5 hours ago
Phys.org / Scientists uncover RNA's hidden role as protein chaperone

Proteins are how cells get work done. They carry out nearly every important cellular task, from ferrying messages to controlling which genes are turned on or off. And in order for proteins to perform their various roles, ...

6 hours ago
Phys.org / 'Seismic champagne effect' may explain why fires break out long after earthquakes

Following the devastating urban fire that broke out in Wajima City after Japan's 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake, investigators struggled to identify a clear ignition source, despite widespread destruction and unusual reports ...

8 hours ago
Phys.org / Silent volcanic gas buildup revealed six months before La Palma eruption

Researchers at Geosciences Barcelona (GEO3BCN-CSIC) have developed a novel way to monitor the silent accumulation of volcanic gases beneath Earth's surface using seismic ambient noise. The results could significantly improve ...

8 hours ago
Phys.org / Adélie penguins use colony cues to switch foraging sites if their previous trip was unsuccessful

Many animals live in groups. Among seabirds in particular, most species form colonies during the breeding season. Although coloniality entails costs, such as increased competition for food and disease transmission, its repeated ...

3 hours ago
Phys.org / Brain removal in Iron Age Scotland burial reveals far-reaching family ties

It is difficult to identify funerary practices in Iron Age (c. 800 BC–AD 43) Britain, as human remains rarely survive. However, evidence is particularly prominent in north-west Scotland, because environmental conditions support ...

3 hours ago
Phys.org / How a single mutation rewired a 23-species bacterial community over four years

The time-development of species communities cannot be understood solely through ecological interactions or environmental factors, as evolution can also alter community dynamics. This observation helps to understand, among ...

4 hours ago
Phys.org / Tea compound boosts seaweed hydrogel strength fivefold, while tuning adhesion and breakdown

Could wound healing dressings adhere better, and could drug delivery patches become more sophisticated? A KAIST research team has developed a technology that leverages natural ingredients derived from plants to increase the ...

8 hours ago
Phys.org / Can AI help coastal cities prepare for rising seas and extreme events?

Our novel artificial intelligence model can predict extreme storm surges with high accuracy, including under future climate conditions. Because the AI model runs much faster, it can help researchers and practitioners better ...

10 hours ago
Phys.org / MeerKAT reveals three electron acceleration sites in one solar flare

Solar flares are the most explosive energy-release events in the solar corona, leading to intense particle acceleration, plasma heating and bulk plasma motions on short timescales. Core questions during solar flares remain ...

9 hours ago
Phys.org / Iberian DNA remained largely unchanged for six centuries before Roman influence, study finds

A study led by a UAB research team of Biological Anthropology has analyzed the genome of 54 newborns with the aim of tracking the genetic history of their culture since it developed in the Early Iron Age until the start of ...

9 hours ago
Phys.org / Q&A: Combating antibiotic resistance with nanotechnology, robotics and AI

Aeron Tynes Hammack, a physicist by training and currently interim facility director of the Nanofabrication Facility at the Molecular Foundry, likes to work with nanoscale objects to better understand the world and solve ...

4 hours ago