Phys.org news
Phys.org / Noisy classroom? Study suggests engagement matters more than eliminating background noise
How well we pay attention while learning is influenced not only by external distractions like background noise but also by internal factors such as how interesting we find the material, according to a study recently published ...
Phys.org / How plants balance woody xylem and fleshy tissues: Thermospermine targets methylated ribosomes
Scientists have identified a crucial mechanism that allows plants to shape their vascular systems, determining whether they grow soft edible storage organs or develop the rigid woody tissue characteristic of trees. Published ...
Phys.org / Physicists develop new protocol for building photonic graph states
Physicists have long recognized the value of photonic graph states in quantum information processing. However, the difficulty of making these graph states has left this value largely untapped. In a step forward for the field, ...
Phys.org / A little protein with a big role in building Earth's carbon fixing machinery
An international team of scientists has discovered that a small, low-abundance protein plays a surprisingly big role in assembling carboxysomes—specialized bacterial microcompartments that enable efficient carbon fixation ...
Phys.org / Predator stress makes road salt far deadlier for freshwater snails, study finds
Freshwater streams, ponds and lakes across the United States are becoming saltier, and new research from the University of Missouri shows the damage may be greater than scientists once thought. Scientists at Mizzou's College ...
Phys.org / mRNA fragments reveal a hidden process that protects cells from harmful mutations
Some genetic mutations that are expected to completely stop a gene from working surprisingly cause only mild or even no symptoms. Researchers in previous studies have discovered one reason why: cells can ramp up the activity ...
Phys.org / Exploring how the Gulf Stream affects the climate system and the carbon cycle
It is well documented that the Gulf Stream plays a pivotal role in the climate system through its transfer of heat, which ultimately supplies warmth to northern latitudes in the North Atlantic. What remains less well understood ...
Phys.org / A DNA 'on-off' switch? Light and redox cues reversibly link strands for nanotech
DNA, the blueprint of life, is best known for its fundamental role as genetic material—storing and transmitting biological information through the precise sequence of its bases. For decades, this information-storage function ...
Phys.org / 100 beavers set to be reintroduced to the UK this year, with more to come
Centuries after they were wiped out, the reintroduction of beavers to the UK is gathering pace. Following a government announcement allowing beavers to be released in the wild, a flurry of reintroductions are planned for ...
Phys.org / White-nose syndrome puzzle solved: Biological mechanisms behind devastating bat disease revealed
Millions of bats in North America have died from white-nose syndrome, and a new study from the University of Waterloo explores why and how the fungal disease has devastated bat populations on this continent, while it has ...
Phys.org / Drones with low-cost air quality sensors can improve air quality monitoring
A drone equipped with low-cost air quality sensors has revealed unexpectedly high concentrations of particulate matter at around 100 meters above ground level in Delhi. These new vertical insights could play an important ...
Phys.org / The changing chemistry of invasive death cap mushrooms
The California Department of Public Health reported 39 related poisonings in the last three months, leading to the death of four people, at least three liver transplants, and many more people made sick. The culprit? In each ...
