Phys.org news
Phys.org / Four new groups of indigenous cacao varieties discovered in Peru
A new genetic analysis of hundreds of cacao trees representing traditional Amazonian varieties grown on farms across Peru has revealed four previously unidentified, genetically distinct groups. Lambert Motilal, with colleagues ...
Phys.org / Bees reveal emotion-like reactions, from 'lip licking' to head shaking, in new videos
New research proving bumblebees exhibit emotion-like behaviors—previously thought to exist only in mammalian species—has implications for how scientists understand the consciousness of insects.
Phys.org / South Australian algal bloom species the world's most toxic harmful microalga yet recorded
The marine microalgae responsible for the most devastating effects of the South Australian harmful algal bloom (HAB) has now been shown to be the most toxic species of its kind ever studied.
Phys.org / Unexpected discovery yields new graphene oxide production method
Researchers in the Texas A&M University J. Mike Walker '66 Department of Mechanical Engineering have developed a new method for producing graphene oxide, a high-value carbon nanomaterial used in batteries, electronics and ...
Phys.org / Atomic 'domino effect' found to drive phase changes in a two-dimensional crystal
Phase transformations—in which a material changes from one crystal structure to another, thereby acquiring dramatically different properties—are ubiquitous in nature. Understanding the microscopic mechanisms of these transformations ...
Phys.org / Engineers discover 'unexpected motion' in drug-delivery robots
One day, tiny swimming robots may travel through the human body to deliver drugs. The medication would target only areas of need—chemotherapy drugs for a tumor, for example—avoiding healthy tissue and minimizing side effects. ...
Phys.org / Detecting neutron sources by borrowing inference tools from cosmology
Neutron sources can be directly identified from measured spectra rather than proxies using inference tools adapted from cosmology, according to a University of Michigan Engineering study published in Physical Review Applied. ...
Phys.org / Fighting the world's deadliest infection with PAC-MAN and AI
Tuberculosis, caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), is the world's deadliest single-agent infection, responsible for 1.23 million deaths in 2024, according to the World Health Organization. The bacterium's ...
Phys.org / Electrical imbalances at grain boundaries help explain solid-state battery failure
Next-generation batteries that use new electrolyte materials could achieve far higher energy density than today's lithium-ion batteries, without many of the safety concerns. But advanced batteries, such as those that use ...
Phys.org / Soil thickness controls landslide occurrence, study finds
Researchers at University of Tsukuba analyzed high-resolution topographic data from airborne LiDAR to examine the relationships among landslide area, depth, and slope gradient.
Phys.org / Neighbors shape plant life more than expected, scientists find
Scientists at Leiden University have discovered that plants are strongly influenced by their neighbors, not just above ground but also through hidden networks in the soil. Their findings challenge long-held ideas about how ...
Phys.org / Researchers use AI to evaluate a systematic framework to describe molecular order in liquid water
Water is the most abundant liquid on Earth's surface, and it is highly anomalous compared with other liquids because it expands upon freezing. The anomalies in water have been linked to how its microscopic structure changes ...
