Phys.org news
Phys.org / NASA fuels rocket to launch astronauts on the first lunar trip in half a century
NASA fueled its moon rocket Wednesday for humanity's first lunar trip in more than half a century, aiming for an evening liftoff with four astronauts.
Phys.org / Magicians' talk doesn't trick the eyes, Three-Card Monte experiment suggests
Magicians often talk while performing their acts, using a type of speech called "patter." This can include scripted dialog, storytelling, and interactions, and is often used to entertain and manage audiences, with many people—including ...
Phys.org / Ultrafast quantum light pulses measured for the first time
Researchers at the Technion—Israel Institute of Technology have, for the first time, measured the temporal duration of individual pulses of an extraordinary form of quantum light known as bright squeezed vacuum (BSV). Their ...
Phys.org / Phosphorus spikes linked to ancient marine mass extinctions
Researchers have uncovered new evidence that short-lived spikes in ocean phosphorus may have played a major role in two of the most severe marine extinctions in Earth's history. Dr. Matthew Dodd from The University of Western ...
Phys.org / Precision work prior to cell division: How enzymes optimize DNA structure
Before a cell can divide, it has to precisely duplicate its entire genetic information. However, the DNA in the cell exists as part of a DNA-protein complex known as chromatin. For this purpose, the DNA is wrapped around ...
Phys.org / Reducing aircraft soot might not actually reduce the climate effects of contrails
Reducing aircraft soot emissions may not reduce contrail clouds, according to in-flight observations of emissions from a passenger jet with modern "lean-burn" engines, reported in Nature. Contrails from aircraft contribute ...
Phys.org / Ghost bat dialects emerge across colonies, study suggests
Accents are usually thought of as a human trait, indicating where a person has grown up or the communities they belong—and new research shows the same dialects can also occur in Australia's largest carnivorous bat.
Phys.org / Atomic-level simulations reveal rotational mechanism behind a critical biomolecular motor
The way a key cellular motor works at an atomic level has been uncovered by simulations conducted by RIKEN biophysicists. This finding, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, provides important ...
Phys.org / One of cholera's great enemies is found in the human gut
Cholera-causing bacteria are locked in an evolutionary arms race with a viral nemesis, according to a new genomic study. Researchers have found that, in the Ganges Delta, cholera bacteria rapidly gain and lose special armor ...
Phys.org / Soil biodiversity linked to lower human infectious disease risk
Diverse soil microbial communities may help suppress pathogens naturally, acting as a biological barrier against their establishment and spread, according to a new study. Professor Brajesh Singh, from The University of Western ...
Phys.org / Analysis tracks 20 years of coastal species shifts in the Gulf of Maine
Researchers from the University of Maine, in partnership with the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR), are analyzing more than 20 years of fishery survey data from the Gulf of Maine to examine how environmental change ...
Phys.org / How plants fight back against bacteria that promote waterlogging in leaves
Farmers, gardeners, and botanists have long observed that plant diseases tend to flare up during periods of high humidity, particularly after rainfall. Humid conditions help bacteria enter plant leaves, and once inside, certain ...
