Phys.org news
Phys.org / How pointing fingers shape what we see in old master paintings
One of the most common human gestures, the pointing finger, appears frequently in Old Master paintings as a guiding cue. However, its influence on viewers' gaze has never been systematically investigated. Researchers in experimental ...
Phys.org / The dinosaurs that forgot how to fly
A new study led by a researcher from the School of Zoology and the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History at Tel Aviv University examined dinosaur fossils preserved with their feathers and found that these dinosaurs had lost ...
Phys.org / Embrace chaos to get lifelike movement from synthetic materials, researchers say
When people think of high-powered machines, they'd likely think of muscle cars before their own muscles. But muscles and other living tissues can do energetic things very quickly—they twitch, snap and beat—which is how ...
Phys.org / Your body is full of medicine. Researchers can now synthesize it
Northeastern University researchers have made a breakthrough drug discovery, developing the first synthetic endogenous cannabinoid compound, with repercussions for new therapeutics from pain and inflammation to cancer.
Phys.org / People tend to overestimate others' emotions, but this may boost empathy
According to a new study led by Prof. Anat Perry and her Ph.D. student, Shir Genzer, of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, together with Prof. Noga Cohen from the University of Haifa, chances are you're overestimating just ...
Phys.org / Signature of climate change: Nearly half of harmful wildfire smoke exposure linked to human-caused warming
Across the western U.S., wildfires and the dangerous smoke that results have increased in frequency and intensity since the 1990s—that much is clear. Surprisingly less clear are the exact reasons why: While greenhouse gas-related ...
Phys.org / Dazzling cosmic jet reveals time-stamped history of star birth
An international team of astronomers has uncovered the most unmistakable evidence yet that the powerful jets launched by newborn stars reliably record a star's most violent growth episodes, confirming a long-standing model ...
Phys.org / Ocean sediments are key to survival of northeastern US salt marshes
Salt marshes, those critical habitats that protect coastal towns from flooding, store massive amounts of blue carbon, support fisheries and play a key role in ecological resilience, are struggling to survive as oceans rise ...
Phys.org / Vital intertwining: Blood parasite's chainmail-like DNA structure could inspire next-generation materials
As tough as medieval chainmail armor and as soft as a contact lens. This material is not taken from science fiction, it is a natural structure made of thousands of DNA circles interlinked with each other. Studying it can ...
Phys.org / Scientists discover how plant cell walls guide stem cells
Imagine if our bodies could grow new organs throughout our entire lives. Plants do this constantly, thanks to tiny, powerful reservoirs of stem cells. But how do these cells know when to divide, and how do they ensure each ...
Phys.org / For certain life-essential proteins in E. coli, repair is more likely
Proteins need to fold into specific shapes to perform their functions in cells, but they occasionally misfold, which can prevent them from properly functioning and even lead to disease.
Phys.org / Silver-coated cicada wing nanostructures boost molecular detection signals
Zoom in far enough on an empress cicada wing, and a strange landscape materializes. At the nanoscale, densely packed spires rise from the surface, covering the wing in an endless grove of bowling pins.
