Phys.org news
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. ...
Phys.org / How a faster protein-screening tool could strengthen US rare-earth supply chains
To ensure a robust domestic supply chain in the U.S., Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists are using bacterial proteins to separate the rare-earth elements that are ubiquitous in magnets, batteries, and ...
Phys.org / Measuring how stressed rocks 'sigh' before breaking could help predict geohazards
Too much stress can make even a rock crack. But before rocks reach their breaking point, they "sigh" a chemical warning by releasing nuclides, a type of atom defined by the number of neutrons as well as protons in the nucleus. ...
Phys.org / Seeing is believing: Smart probes reveal proteins inside living cells with unprecedented clarity
Fluorescent probes have transformed modern biology by allowing researchers to tag and visualize individual molecules in living cells, tissues, and animals. Using these tools, researchers can watch viruses infect cells in ...
Phys.org / Turning four into two: How duplicated genomes become diploid again
Genome duplication probably gave biodiversity a decisive evolutionary boost. A Chinese-German research team led by Axel Meyer from the University of Konstanz has now investigated the early phases of the process known as rediploidization. ...
Phys.org / Cosmetics from waste? Microbial discovery unlocks greener route to high-value chemical products
Researchers at University of Toronto's Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry have made a key discovery about how certain bacterial strains produce a set of economically valuable chemicals—opening the door ...
Phys.org / Geoengineering could protect Amazon rainforest from climate change
Geoengineering could protect the Amazon rainforest from climate change, new research shows. Stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) aims to artificially cool Earth by increasing the reflection of incoming solar radiation, thereby ...
Phys.org / DNA's physical form helps direct gyrase activity and could reshape antibiotic design
New analytical methods developed at Baylor College of Medicine and collaborating institutions have increased our understanding of how bacteria manage DNA. The methods have enabled researchers to uncover how the sequence, ...
Phys.org / Comparable vitamin B6 levels found between nonalcoholic and conventional beers
Beer is one of the oldest and most consumed beverages on Earth, typically associated with social and celebratory settings. But researchers are curious about what vitamins and minerals are present in the beverage. A study ...
Phys.org / Chalk-stream salmon could become an official sub-species
Chalk-stream salmon should be officially classified as a sub-species, new research suggests. Scientists from the University of Exeter and INRAe (France) carried out detailed genetic testing of salmon from 42 rivers in England, ...
Phys.org / Discovery of new polymer class provides compostable alternative to conventional thermoplastics
Researchers at the University of Bayreuth have discovered a new class of polymers as part of the work carried out within the Collaborative Research Center (CRC) 1357 Microplastics. These polymers are characterized by biodegradable ...
