Phys.org news
Phys.org / Tiny satellites face big data limits: How foldable antennas could change CubeSat missions
An origami-inspired reflectarray antenna developed by researchers at Institute of Science Tokyo enables CubeSats to achieve high antenna gain while fitting within the tight size constraints of small satellites. Weighing just ...
Phys.org / ATLAS sets record limits on Higgs boson's self-interaction
One of the biggest open questions in particle physics today is how the Higgs boson interacts with itself. This "self-coupling" could help explain the evolution of the early universe and the mechanism that gives mass to elementary ...
Phys.org / Elusive tularemia proteins reveal possible treatment target in rare tick-borne disease
Tularemia is a rare but highly infectious disease caused by Francisella tularensis, a bacterium that can evade immune defenses. Symptoms of infection can include fever, swollen lymph nodes, and—in some cases—pneumonia. What ...
Phys.org / The 'resource curse': Why natural resource abundance can be a double-edged sword
Natural resources—such as fossil fuels, water, and minerals—are materials found in the environment that are essential for life and highly utilized in production. Though these resources are viewed as essential to economic ...
Phys.org / Millions of atoms, shifting bonds—new software brings living chemistry into view
Chemical reactions drive life. They ensure that cells obtain energy, proteins perform their functions, and DNA changes under certain conditions. However, many of these processes occur on extremely small scales—so small and ...
Phys.org / Hidden nest cameras debunk long-standing myth about how cuckoos lay their eggs
An international team of ornithologists has overturned one of the oldest assumptions in natural history by directly documenting how common cuckoos lay their eggs in host nests located inside cavities. The findings, published ...
Phys.org / Promiscuity and parental behavior in birds are driven by demographics, not the other way around
New research shows that variation in mating behaviors, parental care and differences in ornamentation of the sexes in bird species is driven by demographics rather than vice versa. An international team of researchers from ...
Phys.org / First direct nanomagnet measurement finds switching attempts far slower than long-assumed
A compass always points north—or does it? Magnets normally maintain a stable direction of magnetization, pointing from south to north (S→N). However, this direction can change under strong magnetic fields or heat. For example, ...
Phys.org / Q&A: Scientists decode the logic behind cells' mysterious protein stockpiles
As far as research subjects go, it's not always easy to find common ground with a single-celled bacterium. Yet the more Paul Wiggins studies his model bacteria, Acinetobacter baylyi, the more he sees surprising commonalities ...
Phys.org / Wildfire-driven deforestation rates in California among highest in world
California has one of the highest rates of wildfire-driven deforestation in the world, and the trend has accelerated over the past three decades, according to a study from the University of California, Davis. The study, published ...
Phys.org / Clearing crowded supermarket aisles lifts sales by 11.5% in field tests
Additional product displays in supermarket aisles—so-called secondary placements—are intended to encourage impulse purchases. However, a new study by Mathias C. Streicher of the University of Innsbruck shows that excessive ...
Phys.org / Sun simulations reveal how cool prominences survive in million-degree corona
At more than one million degrees, the sun's atmosphere—the corona—is incredibly hot; but not everywhere. Time and again, huge structures of significantly cooler solar plasma—about 10,000 degrees—appear within the corona. ...