Phys.org news
Phys.org / Astronomers discover two more double-faced white dwarfs
For many years it was believed that the surface of most, if not all, white dwarfs was made up primarily of hydrogen. But then, two years ago, a white dwarf was spotted by a team of researchers that had a hydrogen surface ...
Phys.org / Physicists develop compact, mid-infrared pulse generator on single chip
Physicists at Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have created a compact laser that emits extremely bright, short pulses of light in a useful but difficult-to-achieve wavelength range, ...
Phys.org / Chirality induces giant charge rectification in a superconductor
Recent studies have revealed that electrons passing through chiral molecules exhibit significant spin polarization—a phenomenon known as chirality-induced spin selectivity. This effect stems from a nontrivial coupling between ...
Phys.org / Woodrats' immunity to snake venom changes with the weather, researchers discover
The power of a rattlesnake's venom to incapacitate its prey may depend on more than just its potency, or even the prey animal's tolerance for the poison. According to a new study published April 16 in Biology Letters, it ...
Phys.org / Why some meteor showers are so unpredictable
Why do comets and their meteoroid streams weave in and out of Earth's orbit and their orbits disperse over time? In a paper published in the journal Icarus, two SETI Institute researchers show that this is not due to the ...
Phys.org / Crystal clues on Mars point to watery and possibly life-supporting past
A QUT-led study analyzing data from NASA's Perseverance rover has uncovered compelling evidence of multiple mineral-forming events just beneath the Martian surface—findings that bring scientists one step closer to answering ...
Phys.org / Fluorescence microscopy tracks phage attachment to bacteria in real time
Bacteriophages, or phages, viruses that selectively target and infect bacteria, have drawn growing attention for their potential use in a host of biotechnological processes to benefit humankind, from diagnosing contamination ...
Phys.org / Cytoskeletal filament formation: Scientists discover new details about vimentin filaments critical for wound healing
Scientists have uncovered new details about cellular filaments that play a critical role in wound healing, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Phys.org / Growing wildflowers on disused urban land without first testing soil can damage bee health
Wildflowers growing on land previously used for buildings and factories can accumulate lead, arsenic, and other metal contaminants from the soil, which are consumed by pollinators as they feed, a new study has found.
Phys.org / Multivalley semiconductor enables optical switching in germanium for high-speed computing and communications
Opaque materials can transmit light when excited by a high-intensity laser beam. This process, known as optical bleaching, induces a nonlinear effect that temporarily alters the properties of a material. Remarkably, when ...
Phys.org / Mechanically interlocked 2D chainmail unlocks smart polymers with shape-shifting capabilities
Researchers at Westlake University have disclosed a two-dimensional (2D) mechanically interlocked polymer (MIP) that mimics medieval chainmail at the molecular scale. This micrometer-scale 2D material exhibits exceptional ...
Phys.org / Microbes in Brooklyn superfund site teach lessons on fighting industrial pollution
Using advanced DNA sequence analysis, a research team led by NYU Tandon School of Engineering's Assistant Professor Elizabeth Hénaff has discovered that tiny organisms in Brooklyn's highly contaminated Gowanus Canal have ...