Phys.org news
Phys.org / Controlling the rotation direction of light without complex new materials
A new pathway has opened for controlling the rotation direction of light simply by changing how molecules are arranged, without having to synthesize complex new materials. Circularly polarized light is a special form of light ...
Phys.org / Constipation is common in astronauts—blood tests provide new answers
For astronauts in space, constipation is a well-known problem. But why this happens has long been unclear. Now, a new study from the University of Copenhagen in collaboration with NASA provides an idea of what happens in ...
Phys.org / Europe's mountain summits are warming—vegetation is responding in surprisingly different ways
Decades of climate change have not left Europe's mountain vegetation unscathed. However, the changes observed do not always match expectations. As a new international study by a research team led by researchers from the University ...
Phys.org / Cells pulse together as they grow—and malignant cells pulse the longest
Epithelial cells are the tiny shields that line and protect our bodies. In a developing embryo, epithelial cells grow, divide and move into positions to form the outer layers of our skin and the surfaces of our organs and ...
Phys.org / Sediments off Brazil's northeast coast reveal sudden changes in heat transport in the Atlantic
According to a new study led by researchers from Brazil and Germany, the main system that transports heat from one end of the Atlantic Ocean to the other may undergo sudden changes in intensity driven by climate change similar ...
Phys.org / Wildfires have destroyed an area of protected tropical forest twice the size of Wales since 2001, study reveals
Over 4 million hectares (9.9 million acres) of protected tropical forest—an area double the size of Wales—have been lost to wildfires since 2001.
Phys.org / Tiny satellite will use the dark side of the moon to eavesdrop on whispers from the early universe
A tiny UK-developed satellite, roughly the size of a small carry-on suitcase, could help answer one of the biggest questions in cosmology: What happened during the roughly 150 million years of the cosmic dark ages, before ...
Phys.org / Cells use a little-known molecule to protect themselves from iron overload
Iron is essential. Our cells need it to produce energy, carry oxygen throughout the body and power countless chemical reactions that sustain life. But this metal has a dark side. When too much of it is left free inside cells, ...
Phys.org / A new way to beat jet lag? Engineered cells speed circadian adjustment
Adjusting to a new time zone or work schedule can leave the body's internal clock out of sync for days, contributing to sleep disruption, metabolic changes and other health consequences. Researchers at Rice University and ...
Phys.org / US could exhaust domestic phosphorus within 40 years, but waste offers reserves
The United States could exhaust its domestic phosphorus supply within 40 years. Europe, Latin America and Southeast Asia already depend on imports from China and Morocco to meet their needs. Without phosphorus, crops cannot ...
Phys.org / Stable RNA elements open new possibilities for mRNA therapeutics
A research team led by Director Kim V. Narry at the Center for RNA Research within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) has discovered compact viral RNA elements that can make mRNA more stable and increase protein production. ...
Phys.org / Long-lost convent rediscovered under a soccer field in Denmark
A medieval monastery complex, long believed to be lost, has now been identified using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) in Roskilde, Denmark. The investigations have uncovered extensive and well-preserved remains of the St Clare's ...