Phys.org news
Phys.org / New deep-sea measurements show how the ocean floor forms
The first-known direct observations of a seafloor spreading event at a mid-ocean ridge in the Indian Ocean are presented in Nature. The observations offer insight into how new oceanic crust is created.
Phys.org / Traveling protein waves reveal how dividing cells set chromosome-splitting spindle size
When a human cell prepares to split into two daughter cells, it must first construct a tiny internal machine called the mitotic spindle—a structure of protein fibers that physically pulls chromosomes apart and deposits one ...
Phys.org / How cells keep genomic hitchhikers under control
Much of the genome is made up of repetitive DNA sequences that trace back to ancient mobile elements, many of which have lost their ability to copy themselves into new locations but can still cause problems if they become ...
Phys.org / Ocean acidification may be shrinking the brains of the world's most intelligent invertebrates
An ongoing research project exploring the effects of rising levels of oceanic CO2 on squid neurology reveals that exposure to future levels of ocean acidification could shrink their brain volume by around 50%. This severe ...
Phys.org / What powers the Everglades? Study tracks how algae and plant matter fuel the food web
Scientists thought dead plant material was primarily powering the Everglades. Algae says not so fast.
Phys.org / Tiny 60,000-neuron ant brains reveal how parental care evolved from feeding circuits
Long before the dawn of modern parenting, animals laid eggs and moved on, leaving their progeny to fend for themselves. Now, a study published in Nature uncovers one of the elegant ways evolution transformed neglect into ...
Phys.org / Space sensor could spot hidden nuclear weapons in orbit with 99% accuracy
In 2024, a U.S. government official warned that Russia could be developing a new satellite designed to carry nuclear weapons into space. The statement followed the launch of a suspicious Russian satellite into low-Earth orbit ...
Phys.org / Turning up the heat on cancer: Manganese ferrite nanoparticles outperform rivals
Scientists have long known that heat can be used to help fight cancer. But heating tumors and cancer cells is trickier than it sounds. Apply too much heat and patients could get hurt; apply too little or target the wrong ...
Phys.org / Decoding of one of nature's largest enzymes reveals electron flow behind biological methane production
A research team at Marburg University has investigated one of the largest enzyme complexes found in nature to date and deciphered its remarkable structure. Under the supervision of Dr. Jan Schuller, Ph.D. student Sophia Paul ...
Phys.org / Hidden jet from a 'missing-link' black hole lights up the radio sky
Astronomers using the U.S. National Science Foundation Very Large Array (NSF VLA) have detected an extraordinary burst of radio light from a rare cosmic event in which an intermediate-mass black hole tears apart a star, revealing ...
Phys.org / Wavelength-multiplexed diffractive optical storage enables massively parallel image retrieval
The explosive growth of data generated by artificial intelligence, cloud computing and modern digital infrastructure is placing increasing pressure on existing information storage technologies. Although magnetic storage systems ...
Phys.org / Indigenous peoples in the Amazon face massive cultural and ecological loss due to climate change
The Amazon region, Earth's most important ecosystem, is home to more than 400 Indigenous groups that use thousands of rainforest plant species. They pass on their knowledge of the flora primarily through oral tradition, usually ...
