Phys.org news

Phys.org / Electrically charged raindrops could be corroding metal with protective coatings

Electrically charged raindrops, a naturally occurring phenomenon, can break down surfaces treated with protective coatings, according to new research published in Nature. This previously overlooked corrosion mechanism highlights ...

16 hours ago
Phys.org / We discovered rare dinosaur tracks from the Coniacian age near Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia

Imagine the Western Plains of North America, from Texas to Alaska, submerged under a broad, shallow seaway. To the west lay the ancestral Rocky Mountains. To the east were low-lying plains traversed by large, sluggish rivers.

17 hours ago
Phys.org / Ramped fields create more robust entanglement between trapped-ion qubits

While quantum computing could be the future, it is currently plagued by finicky hardware. To make the technology practical, researchers must demonstrate that it consistently and continuously works and performs at scale. In ...

17 hours ago
Phys.org / Permafrost thaws worldwide as active layers deepen from 2000 to 2024

An international study led by researchers at the George Washington University indicates clear global evidence that permafrost is thawing across much of the planet. Using more than two decades of field observations from 156 ...

19 hours ago
Phys.org / How plants use scoop-shaped pores to distribute their pollen efficiently

Bees are the most important pollinators of flowering plants, and approximately 10% of flowering plants are functionally specialized for buzz pollination. Buzz pollination is a mechanism in which pollen can be extracted from ...

16 hours ago
Phys.org / Did ocean motion carve Enceladus's tiger stripes?

Saturn's moon Enceladus sports a thick shell of ice surrounding a liquid water ocean. As though scraped by an enormous claw, four parallel cracks slash across its south pole. Each about 500 meters (1,600 feet) deep, 2 kilometers ...

22 hours ago
Phys.org / How plants evolved a molecular switch to cope with heat

As climate change drives more frequent and intense heat waves, plants face growing challenges to survive and remain productive. Researchers at VIB, Ghent University, KU Leuven and their international collaborators have uncovered ...

17 hours ago
Phys.org / Hidden switch in cell division may point to new cancer treatments

When a cell gets ready to divide, it shuts down its gene-reading machinery almost entirely. For decades, the mechanism behind that shutdown was only partially understood. A new study co-led by Alarcón and Lilian Kabeche, ...

18 hours ago
Phys.org / Basalt weathering may remove far less CO₂ than projected

Spreading finely crushed basalt across farmland has been promoted as a relatively simple way to remove large quantities of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. But a new study led by Cornell researchers suggests the real-world ...

18 hours ago
Phys.org / AI designs new antibodies that pass blinded laboratory tests

Researchers affiliated with UTHealth Houston, competing under the team name Novamab AI, placed among the top five teams in the international AIntibody Challenge, a blinded, prospective benchmark published in Nature Biotechnology.

19 hours ago
Phys.org / Does AI shape decisions before we do? Researcher questions what 'human in the loop' really means

Artificial intelligence is often discussed with a simple safeguard in mind: Keep a human in the loop. But what happens when AI is already shaping the information, options and recommendations that inform a decision?

17 hours ago
Phys.org / Dry seeds preserve fully formed mitochondria, unlocking rapid energy at germination

The majority of plant seeds have the special ability to almost completely dry out and yet remain viable. While most living cells die with a 90% loss of water, cells in seeds enter a biological state of dormancy. With a moisture ...

20 hours ago