Phys.org news
Phys.org / Largest viral-protein library gives researchers new way to probe emerging pathogens
To prevent viruses from sickening or killing us—whether it's an individual case of hepatitis B or a COVID pandemic—it's crucial to understand how the proteins they make initiate changes in our bodies that allow them to flourish. ...
Phys.org / Volcanoes and wildfires are adding water vapor to the stratosphere, raising climate concerns
Moderate volcanic eruptions and extreme wildfires since 2005 have led to an increase in the amount of water vapor in the stratosphere, a layer of Earth's atmosphere above the weather-filled troposphere. That's potentially ...
Phys.org / Next‑generation membranes can refine crude oil using under half the energy of distillation
Oil refining is necessary for transforming raw, unusable crude oil into valuable goods like gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and petrochemical feedstocks. However, the usual distillation process is energy-intensive, spurring researchers ...
Phys.org / Newly identified 'saprotropism' helps roots avoid decaying plant matter—but not animal decay
Decaying matter shapes life in soil, but it can also create hostile zones for growing roots. Professor Jiří Friml of the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) and international collaborators have now identified ...
Phys.org / Fossils found decades ago reveal extinct 3.5 million-year-old giant salamander species
In the late 1990s in the Ajimu region of Japan's Oita Prefecture, researchers discovered three fossilized vertebrae belonging to the Cryptobranchidae family of giant salamanders. These were embedded in the Tsubusugawa Formation, ...
Phys.org / Morning glories reveal 96% drop in adaptation as pollinator pressure reshapes evolution
Facing both climate change and a crashing pollinator population, plants may be evolving to attract pollinators rather than adapting to a warming climate, and the trade-off has resulted in a steep decline in plants' rate of ...
Phys.org / High‑altitude mouse found near 7,000 meters may redefine mammal survival limits
A tiny mouse living nearly 7,000 meters (23,000 feet) above sea level in the Andes is helping scientists rethink the limits of life on Earth. The animal, a leaf-eared mouse, is the focus of a new international study co-authored ...
Phys.org / Shackleton's final ship is no longer just a sonar shadow
An expedition led by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society in partnership with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution has obtained the first close-up images of the wreck of Quest, the last ship of famed Antarctic explorer ...
Phys.org / New catalyst could make mixed plastic waste recyclable in one chemical step
Ever wondered where your plastics end up? A PET bottle can be washed, shredded, melted and given a second life. But most everyday items—toys, mattresses, car seats—are made from different plastics that refuse to mix when ...
Phys.org / Ancient 100-kilometer Himalayan glacier once reached lower than many of India's famous hill stations
A new study published in Quaternary Science Reviews dates the dramatic collapse of one of the largest glaciers ever documented in the Himalayas. The findings overturn a long-held assumption about what sustains wet-climate ...
Phys.org / Ancient fossil may reveal animal kingdom's earliest right-handedness at 550 million years old
Scientists have uncovered what may be the earliest evidence of "right-handedness" in the animal kingdom, dating back more than half a billion years. The discovery comes from the fossil record of Spriggina floundersi, an organism ...
Phys.org / AI identifies new particle models that may explain neutrinos' tiny mass
Physicists at the University of California, Irvine, have developed an artificial intelligence system that can autonomously design theoretical physics models, a task traditionally carried out by human theorists. The approach ...
