Phys.org news

Phys.org / Terbium's elusive plus-4 form emerges under ordinary lab conditions, opening possibilities for rare-earth metals

Chemists in a new study led by the University of Iowa report they have isolated and described in detail an atypical state of the rare-earth metal terbium, an advance that could expand its use in quantum technologies, including ...

2 hours ago
Phys.org / AI reveals new class of cellular 'off switch' linked to cancer pathways

Cornell researchers have used artificial intelligence to uncover a previously unknown way cells control how proteins move inside them, a process essential for growth, communication and movement that is often disrupted in ...

5 hours ago
Phys.org / Asian elephants can resist impulsive behavior, researchers find

Researchers at the CUNY Graduate Center and Hunter College have found that Asian elephants can suppress impulsive behaviors and adjust their actions when circumstances change—a cognitive ability that may help explain the ...

5 hours ago
Phys.org / 'Here, There and Everywhere': The Beatles have permeated research papers across academic disciplines

More than 3,000 scientific article titles across disciplines have made use of Beatles song titles and lyrics, according to a study published in PLOS One by Gabriel Budel of Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands ...

5 hours ago
Phys.org / Could quantum protocols make electronic voting more secure?

Electronic voting, the use of electronic systems to cast, record or count votes, could potentially simplify the process of electing new political leaders or other representatives. While some countries have already started ...

9 hours ago
Phys.org / Decades-old DNA mystery solved after strands are captured zipping together for the first time

Researchers have captured the moment two DNA molecules zip together, overcoming their identical negative charges to pair up and revealing a mechanism that has puzzled scientists for more than 20 years. Using high-powered ...

5 hours ago
Phys.org / Fossils from embryo to adult suggest how an enigmatic, bird-like troodontid dinosaur grew

Analysis of fossilized remains from dinosaurs known as troodontids reveals how one species' hip and leg bones may have developed over its lifespan, from embryo to adult—with potential implications for resolving longstanding ...

5 hours ago
Phys.org / Canada's last epishelf lake is gone for good, study confirms

Canada's last epishelf lake drained into the Arctic Ocean following the 2020 breakup of the Milne Ice Shelf and will not recover, a new study confirms.

6 hours ago
Phys.org / The Anthropocene was rejected as a geological epoch—but the idea is still changing how we see the world

The Anthropocene became part of the zeitgeist after Nobel laureate Paul Crutzen launched the idea in 2000. This is the notion that a crescendo of human impacts has recently propelled Earth out of the relatively stable climatic ...

6 hours ago
Phys.org / A 66.5-million-year-old trackway captures adult T. rex at walking pace

Scientists from the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and Liverpool John Moores University in England have discovered the first adult T. rex trackway, providing insights into how this emblematic predator moved. The findings ...

9 hours ago
Phys.org / Tiny 2D cracks creep through materials before triggering sudden fracture, experiments reveal

We have all seen something suddenly break: a phone screen cracks, a plastic object snaps or a piece of glass shatters. To our eyes, the failure seems to happen all at once. But what if the most important part of the break ...

6 hours ago
Phys.org / Forever chemicals break apart into fluoride under UV treatment, revealing a cleanup roadmap

UC Riverside environmental engineers have identified key chemical reactions that occur when ultraviolet light is used to destroy "forever chemical" pollutants in water, providing a roadmap for developing more effective cleanup ...

7 hours ago