Phys.org news
Phys.org / Watermelon super-pangenome paves the way for precision breeding
Watermelon is a quintessential summertime fruit, evoking images of warm, sunny afternoons and cookouts with friends and family. You can easily picture its striped, green rind and pink flesh, imagine the delicate crunch as ...
Phys.org / New 'ecclesiastical' moth named after Pope Leo XIV
Distinguished by its striking colors and a name that carries the weight of a high ecclesiastical office, a new species of moth has been discovered in the rugged terrain of Greece. When researchers from the Tyrolean State ...
Phys.org / Scientists map genetic switches on mosquito reproductive genes, advancing tools to fight disease
Scientists at Keele University have created the first detailed map of the genetic "switches" that control reproduction in disease-carrying insects such as Anopheles gambiae, the mosquito species most responsible for malaria ...
Phys.org / A chemical failsafe can save crops from disease without crushing growth
Salicylic acid, the active molecule in aspirin and some acne medications, is a hormone in plants that is essential for immunity, but it's a double-edged sword: Too much can cause autoimmunity and stunt growth. In a study ...
Phys.org / Packed together, they melt differently: What happens when one iceberg enters another's icy wake
Earth's ice is melting. As icebergs break away from glaciers and melt away, the fresh meltwater mixes into its saltwater surroundings. However, icebergs do not exist in isolation. In Greenland, for example, jammed collections ...
Phys.org / Rotated lithium niobate crystals unlock conductive interfaces in otherwise insulating material
An international research team involving the Institute for Photonic Quantum Systems (PhoQS) at Paderborn University has made significant progress in researching so-called quantum materials. Their extraordinary properties—electrical ...
Phys.org / Measuring the negative impacts of biological invasions on animal welfare
Increases in global trade and travel are causing animal and plant species to be more frequently introduced to regions of the world where they do not naturally occur. In these new regions, these species are often referred ...
Phys.org / Buried electrical pathways across the US reveal new clues about Earth's interior and power grid risks
A solar storm like the one that caused a nine-hour blackout across Quebec in 1989 could have even more dramatic effects if it struck the eastern United States today. Now, scientists have developed new tools to detect these ...
Phys.org / Astronomers explore the surface composition of a nearby super-Earth
Using MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) on board the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), a team of researchers led by former MPIA (Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg, Germany) Ph.D. student Sebastian Zieba (Center ...
Phys.org / Plaster-making technique previously attributed to the Romans appears 8,000 years earlier in Motza
Excavations from 2015 to 2021 on the ancient site of Motza, just west of Jerusalem, revealed a sprawling settlement with some surprisingly advanced technology. The site dates back to 7100–6700 BCE during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic ...
Phys.org / DNA-reading AI reconstructs ancestry in minutes, matching top statistical methods
Researchers at the University of Oregon have developed an artificial intelligence tool that can read genetic code the way large language models like ChatGPT read text. Scanning the genome for biological mutation patterns, ...
Phys.org / Astronomers uncover over 1,000 radio galaxies with 'wings,' expanding a rare cosmic class
Astronomers recently carried out a comprehensive search for strange "winged" radio galaxies using data from the LOFAR Two-meter Sky Survey Data Release 2 (LoTSS DR2) and discovered over 1,000 new systems. The paper outlining ...