Phys.org news

Phys.org / Massive Atlantic sargassum blooms traced to West Africa

Massive blooms of Sargassum seaweed that have inundated coastlines across the Atlantic since 2011 likely originate off the coast of West Africa—forming years before they are visible and overturning long-standing assumptions ...

6 hours ago
Phys.org / For regrowing human limbs, this salamander gene could hold the key

Investigating a common gene in three very different species—salamanders, mice and zebrafish—scientists have discovered the potential for a novel gene therapy aimed at eventually regrowing limbs in humans, according to new ...

6 hours ago
Phys.org / Electric double layer emerges in new electrocatalyst interface model

Hydrogen is at the heart of the transition to carbon neutrality, as both an energy carrier and a reagent for green chemistry. However, large-scale production of hydrogen via electrolysis, as well as the production of many ...

6 hours ago
Phys.org / Confirming altermagnetism in an abundant mineral

Also known as magnetoelectronics, spintronics rely on electron spin rather than electron charge, as found in traditional electronics. Although spintronics is still an emerging field, spintronic technologies are already found ...

3 hours ago
Phys.org / A hidden Oregon basin and a shallower slab sharpen the Cascadia megaquake threat

A new look at the Juan de Fuca tectonic plate beneath the coast of northern Oregon suggests this subducting slab is shallower than previously thought, with impacts on potential peak ground shaking during a Cascadia megathrust ...

7 hours ago
Phys.org / Scientists unlock shape-shifting living tissue, programming cells to fold flat sheets into precise 3D forms

Biological tissues have a remarkable ability to organize and change shape, driven by forces generated by their own cells. One of the major challenges in bioengineering is harnessing this natural behavior to design synthetic ...

7 hours ago
Phys.org / Cyanobacteria surprise scientists with evolutionary shift

Photosynthetic bacteria helped shape planet Earth. Among them are cyanobacteria that produced the oxygen in the atmosphere and made complex life possible, captivating scientists for decades. Now, researchers at the Institute ...

7 hours ago
Phys.org / Warm-bodied sharks and tunas face 'double jeopardy' in warming seas

A new study reveals that some of the ocean's most powerful predators are running hotter, and that they are likely paying an increasingly steep price for it. The significance of this headline finding is the "double jeopardy" ...

7 hours ago
Phys.org / Common Asian plant in Brazil shows potential for removing microplastics from water

A study conducted at the Institute of Science and Technology of São Paulo State University (ICT-UNESP) in São José dos Campos, Brazil, shows that Moringa oleifera, also known as moringa or white acacia, has the potential ...

3 hours ago
Phys.org / Temperature shifts change plant proteins that power photosynthesis

Humans adjust to changes in temperature by putting on a sweater or taking off layers. Plants adjust to temperature changes, in part, by switching the way they express the protein that performs the critical first step of photosynthesis, ...

3 hours ago
Phys.org / New metric identifies at-risk mangroves before they disappear

Scientists from UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Centro para la Biodiversidad Marina y la Conservación in Mexico have developed a tool that identifies mangrove patches facing the greatest risk of ...

7 hours ago
Phys.org / Quantum Fourier transform reaches 52 qubits, shattering the previous 27-qubit record

The spin-off company ParityQC has implemented the largest quantum Fourier transform ever reported using an IBM quantum computer, thereby setting a new milestone on the path toward the industrial application of quantum computers. ...

8 hours ago