Phys.org news
Phys.org / Ancient Tethys Ocean shaped Central Asia's landscape, study suggests
New research from Adelaide University suggests the power of the ancient Tethys Ocean might have shaped Central Asia's topography during the Cretaceous period.
Phys.org / Frozen hydrogen cyanide 'cobwebs' offer clues to origin of life
A substance poisonous to humans—hydrogen cyanide—may have helped create the seeds of life on Earth. At cold temperatures, hydrogen cyanide forms crystals. And, according to computer models reported in ACS Central Science, ...
Phys.org / Hydrogel cilia set new standard in microrobotics
Cilia are micrometer-sized biological structures that occur frequently in nature. Their characteristic high-frequency, three-dimensional beating motions (5–40 Hz) play indispensable roles inside the body.
Phys.org / Fire on ice: The Arctic's changing fire regime
The number of wildland fires burning in the Arctic is on the rise, according to NASA researchers. Moreover, these blazes are burning larger, hotter, and longer than they did in previous decades.
Phys.org / From bolts to blue jets, lightning comes in many strange forms
Lightning has captured people's fascination for millennia. It's embedded in mythology, religion and popular culture. Think of Thor in Norse mythology or Indra in Hinduism.
Phys.org / Scientists measure cellular membrane thickness inside cells for the first time
Scientists have long known that cellular membranes vary in thickness, but measuring those differences inside actual cells has been out of reach.
Phys.org / Crop droughts set to worsen—even as rainfall increases
Europe and western North America will experience more frequent and severe crop droughts as Earth warms, even in places where yearly rainfall increases.
Phys.org / Avocadoes may become easier to grow in India—but not if global emissions remain high
A new study suggests that with low to moderate levels of global greenhouse emissions in coming decades, more of India could become suitable for growing avocadoes. However, with high enough emissions, growing zones could shrink ...
Phys.org / Plants use bacterial-like gene to make alkaloids, offering new route for sustainable medicines
Plants make substances called alkaloids to protect themselves, and humans have long taken advantage of these chemicals, using them in painkillers, treatments for disease and household products such as caffeine and nicotine.
Phys.org / Can a bat catch prey on a mirror? A bat's expert foraging skills revealed using a robot
Scientists built a robot to help explain how a tropical bat spots insects perched on leaves using echolocation, a highly sophisticated behavior that requires precise, split-second decision making on the part of the hunting ...
Phys.org / A CRISPR fingerprint of pathogenic C. auris fungi for precision diagnostics
Infection with the pathogenic yeast fungus Candida auris (C. auris) can wreak havoc on the health of hospital patients and residents of nursing homes, especially those who are already weakened by other illnesses. The pathogen ...
Phys.org / Polyamines guide cellular decisions by altering the phosphoproteomic landscape, study finds
Polyamines are small molecules naturally present in all cells and are critical in guiding cellular decisions, whereas an alteration in the abundance of these metabolites is invariably observed in pathological scenarios such ...
