Phys.org news
Phys.org / Boron layers could set a superconductivity record, theoretical study predicts
Scientists in China predict that stacking two microscopic layers of boron could set a new record for superconductivity. Superconductors are materials that conduct electricity with zero resistance. Traditional types need temperatures ...
Phys.org / An ultramassive white dwarf half Earth's size may hold a rare oxygen-neon core
Astronomers have found evidence that one of the most massive white dwarfs known has an oxygen-neon core instead of the more common carbon-oxygen core. The finding is important because the composition of a white dwarf's core ...
Phys.org / One million years without sex fails to erase stick insects' unused biological system
Scientists have made a surprising finding about how an asexually reproducing stick insect has evolved. Research led by Dr. Darren Parker, lecturer in evolutionary biology at Bangor University, studied the genes of several ...
Phys.org / Phages unlock essential vitamin B12 by bursting open gut bacteria
All living organisms need vitamin B12 to form red blood cells and DNA, as well as to build and support brain and nerve cells. But it's hard to come by: Humans don't make it. Animals don't make it. Plants don't make it. In ...
Phys.org / New AI model reveals the volume of the world's glaciers
How much ice is stored in the world's glaciers? And where exactly is it located? A new study led by Ca' Foscari University of Venice, in collaboration with the Institute of Polar Sciences of the National Research Council ...
Phys.org / Birdsong and whale song show patterns similar to human language
An international team of researchers has uncovered a previously undetected structure in the birdsong of Bengalese finches that has the same statistical patterns found in human languages.
Phys.org / New 'shape-shifting' architecture brings versatility to photonic quantum computing
Using light to process quantum information is one of the most promising approaches to building future quantum computers. Light particles, known as photons, are excellent carriers of quantum information, but their lack of ...
Phys.org / Laser spectroscopy helps reveal hidden nuclear properties in fermium
For the first time, researchers have determined the shape of the actinide nucleus of fermium-255 and measured its structure with high precision and resolution.
Phys.org / Researchers unlock high-res view of 2D materials by doing a microscopic twist
By rapidly twisting a microscopically small tip back and forth, researchers at the University of Maryland (UMD) have unlocked a new way to detect subtle changes on the surface of a material flexing in response to infrared ...
Phys.org / Creating cleaner chemical reactions that run on oxygen and produce only water as waste
Oxygen provides the driving force for many vital chemical reactions. Two well-known examples include respiration, the process that allows living things to break down food to release its energy, and combustion, reactions that ...
Phys.org / US firm takes on backyard mosquitoes—with 600,000 mosquitoes
Todd Montgomery pops the lid off a small tube and taps out hundreds of mosquitoes into the backyard of a suburban home outside Washington.
Phys.org / First full zoysia grass genetic blueprint opens doors for drought-tolerant turf
A new genomic resource from the Texas A&M AgriLife Research plant genomics team is providing a powerful new foundation for faster, more precise turfgrass genetics and breeding. The team discovered a breakthrough genome that ...