Phys.org news

Phys.org / Unusual nonlinear thermoelectric effect appears in chiral tellurium, confirming theoretical predictions

An unusual thermoelectric effect has been observed in the semiconductor tellurium by RIKEN physicists for the first time. This demonstration points to the potential of similar materials to be used in applications such as ...

5 hours ago
Phys.org / Saturn-sized exoplanet with Earth-like temperature reveals methane-rich atmosphere

A planet that is about the size of Saturn, but with a temperature more like Earth's, has an atmosphere rich in methane, according to a new study using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

6 hours ago
Phys.org / Piezoelectric effect in diamond membranes challenges century-old scientific dogma

A research team in China has reported a significant piezoelectric effect in ultrathin and ultra-flexible polycrystalline diamond membranes. This pioneering discovery challenges a century-long scientific dogma that diamonds ...

5 hours ago
Phys.org / Flint reveals changes in human mobility in the southern Pyrenees during the Upper Paleolithic

Analysis of more than 3,000 lithic artifacts from the Cova Gran de Santa Linya site (Les Avellanes-Santa Linya, Lleida) shows that anatomically modern human communities occupying the southern Pyrenees during the Upper Paleolithic ...

6 hours ago
Phys.org / Extraterrestrial life may be slipping past space missions, astrobiologists warn

Suppose there are signs of extraterrestrial life and we have not yet been able to detect them. What does that mean? In Nature Astronomy, researchers discuss the consequences of these so-called false-negative results. "We ...

6 hours ago
Phys.org / How does gold keep its glitter? Researchers uncover why it resists tarnish

Gold has been prized for thousands of years for its enduring shine, but Tulane University researchers have discovered that gold's resistance to tarnishing depends on more than its chemistry.

7 hours ago
Phys.org / AI-designed miniproteins switch key cell receptors on and off

G protein-coupled receptors, or GPCRs, sit in the plasma membrane, the boundary that defines the inside and outside of a living cell. They communicate with nearly every physiological process in our bodies—from the ability ...

6 hours ago
Phys.org / Researchers develop AI model that maps how genes work together in human cells

Scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have created a new artificial intelligence (AI) model that helps reveal how genes function together inside human cells, offering a powerful new way to understand biology ...

6 hours ago
Phys.org / Ice core discovery finds volcanic eruptions could cause greater global disruption than previously thought

New research from the University of St Andrews has precisely dated an eruption from Newberry Volcano and discovered that its ash spread more than 5,000 km across the globe, far further than previously thought for an eruption ...

8 hours ago
Phys.org / Is organic farming the solution to enhance natural drought resilience in crops?

A study led by researchers from the Department of Microbiology at the University of Malaga has revealed how organic farming—using natural substances and processes and avoiding the use of synthetic chemicals—can, in the long ...

7 hours ago
Phys.org / Do you know how cynical your friends are?

New research from Michigan State University finds that people often project their own levels of cynicism—the belief that people are only interested in themselves and aren't sincere—onto their friends and consistently underestimate ...

10 hours ago
Phys.org / Developing seed atlas uncovers active genes tied to crop resilience and nutrition

Seeds like wheat, rice, and corn are at the center of the global food supply and provide most of the daily calories consumed worldwide. But despite their importance, scientists still do not fully understand many of the basic ...

12 hours ago