Phys.org news
Phys.org / Mathematical framework maps landscape of student knowledge via short quizzes
When we learn something new, that information does not exist in isolation. It integrates into the complex landscape of our knowledge, forging connections with existing ideas and opening up possibilities for new learning. ...
Phys.org / A solar system in the making? Two planets spotted forming in disk around young star
Astronomers have observed two planets forming in the disk around a young star named WISPIT 2. Having previously detected one planet, the team has now employed European Southern Observatory (ESO) telescopes to confirm the ...
Phys.org / XRISM identifies gamma Cas X-ray origin, solving a 50-year-old stellar mystery
Visible to the naked eye in the constellation Cassiopeia, the star γ Cas has puzzled astrophysicists for half a century. It emits X-rays of an intensity and temperature incompatible with what one would expect from an ordinary ...
Phys.org / CERN hails delicate test on transporting antimatter as a scientific success
Scientists in Geneva took some antiprotons out for a spin—a very delicate one—in a truck, in a never-tried-before test drive that has been deemed a success.
Phys.org / Stolen chloroplasts maintained by host-made proteins offer clues to plant cell origins
Every plant cell is the product of a biological merger billions of years ago. Chloroplasts are key structures in plants and algae that capture sunlight, but originally they were free-living bacteria that took up residence ...
Phys.org / NASA to 'pause' orbital lunar space station project
NASA's chief on Tuesday said the US space agency "intends to pause" its Gateway project that would have created a space station in orbit around the moon, instead shifting focus toward "building a lunar base."
Phys.org / New lipid nanoparticle design improves precision of mRNA vaccine delivery
Penn Engineers have redesigned a key component of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), the delivery vehicles behind mRNA vaccines, to steer the particles toward lymph nodes while reducing off-target delivery to the liver. The advance ...
Phys.org / Highly and casually active citizen scientists contribute equally valuable data
The word "nemotia" is a neologism, a newly coined term that in this case, describes the sense of overwhelmingness and disconnect accompanying the thought that nothing you do will ever make a difference. If this describes ...
Phys.org / Why cooperative workplaces boost your sense of freedom
Jack Welch, the legendary General Electric CEO, was infamous for firing the bottom 10% of his workforce every year, without exception. The company's market cap rose substantially during Welch's tenure, but his "rank and yank" ...
Phys.org / 'Gray-box' AI reveals why catalysts work while speeding discovery
Self-driving laboratories (SDLs) powered by artificial intelligence (AI) are rapidly accelerating materials discovery, but can they also explain their results? Researchers from the Theory Department of the Fritz Haber Institute, ...
Phys.org / Preparing for the next pandemic: Scientists discover a new class of influenza antivirals
Researchers from Leiden University, University of York, University of Barcelona/IQTCUB/ICREA and The Francis Crick Institute report a new class of experimental compounds that powerfully block influenza viruses. The findings ...
Phys.org / Snow flies produce bursts of heat and proteins to avoid freezing, new study finds
In a new study, Northwestern University scientists explored how snow flies—small, wingless insects that crawl across snow to find mates and lay eggs—survive in freezing cold temperatures. They discovered this snow-dwelling ...
