Phys.org news
Phys.org / Light-controlled switches offer precise regulation of ion channels in living cells
Researchers at Leipzig University and TU Dresden have succeeded in developing biological switches that can selectively turn ion channels on and off using light pulses. Initial applications show that it is possible, for example, ...
Phys.org / Florida reefs offer multimillion-dollar flood protection—if they survive
It's no secret that Florida's iconic coral reefs are in trouble. Repeated body blows from hurricanes, pollution, disease, climate change—and a near-knockout punch from a 2023 marine heat wave—has effectively wiped several ...
Phys.org / Scientists may have discovered a new extinct form of life
Prototaxites are something of a prehistoric mystery. They were the first giant organisms on land, towering over ancient landscapes at heights of up to 8 meters. They had smooth trunk-like pillars and no branches, leaves or ...
Phys.org / Scientists may have solved 66 million-year-old mystery of how Earth's greenhouse age ended
A 66 million-year-old mystery behind how our planet transformed from a tropical greenhouse to the ice-capped world of today has been unraveled by scientists. Their new study has revealed that Earth's massive drop in temperature ...
Phys.org / Four-eyed Cambrian fish fossils hint at origins of vertebrate pineal complex
New fossil evidence from China suggests that some of our vertebrate ancestors had four eyes. The study, published in Nature, takes a closer look at a structure found in multiple 518 million-year-old fossils, which appears ...
Phys.org / Crouzon syndrome diagnosed in a knight from the Order of Calatrava, killed in battle over 600 years ago
For the ArchaeoSpain research team, it was a day just like any other on their dig at the castle of Zorita de los Canes (Guadalajara). They were working at the Corral de los Condes, where some knights from the Order of Calatrava ...
Phys.org / Astronomers discover dense super-Neptune exoplanet orbiting a sun-like star
Using NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), an international team of astronomers has discovered a new extrasolar planet orbiting a sun-like star. The newfound alien world, designated TOI-3862 b, turns out to ...
Phys.org / Magnetic 'sweet spots' enable optimal operation of hole spin qubits
Quantum computers, systems that process information leveraging quantum mechanical effects, could reliably tackle various computational problems that cannot be solved by classical computers. These systems process information ...
Phys.org / Chimpanzees are better at solving resource dilemmas in larger, more tolerant groups
Despite being one of the most cooperative species on the planet, humans routinely fail to manage shared resources sustainably. We overfish from the oceans, burn fossil fuels, and over-prescribe antibiotics; behaviors that ...
Phys.org / Ancient giant kangaroos could hop to it when they needed to, hindlimb study suggests
Giant ancestors of modern-day kangaroos—which previous research has estimated could weigh up to 250 kilograms—may have been able to hop in short bursts, according to research published in Scientific Reports.
Phys.org / Biofilm streamers harden under flow, making bacterial infections harder to treat
Whether in the human body or on surfaces, bacteria protect themselves from outside attackers using biofilms. Physicist Eleonora Secchi is researching how these slime-like protective films are formed, with the aim of making ...
Phys.org / Dark energy survey scientists release analysis of all six years of survey data
The Dark Energy Survey Collaboration collected information on hundreds of millions of galaxies across the universe using the U.S. Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy Camera, mounted on the U.S. National Science Foundation ...
