Phys.org news
Phys.org / Using 'imaginative' AI to survey past and future earthquake damage
Researchers have used artificial intelligence to develop a new tool for assessing earthquake damage, a leap that could ultimately help first responders in making critical rescue decisions, suggests a new study. The team's ...
Phys.org / How the body senses cold has been a mystery—until now
When you reach into a bucket of ice, open your front door on a snowy day, or feel the tingle of menthol toothpaste, a protein in your nerve cells called TRPM8 springs into action, opening like a tiny gate to send a "cold" ...
Phys.org / Significant grade inflation may be occurring in graduate education, according to decades' worth of data
Analysis of two decades of student data at a large U.S. university suggests that grade inflation exists in graduate education. Researcher Vivien Lee and colleagues at the University of Minnesota, U.S., present these findings ...
Phys.org / Amazon wildfire emissions may be up to three times higher than estimated
Fires are a recurring phenomenon in central South America, often intensified by drought and deforestation. In 2024, wildfire activity reached its highest levels in 20 years, affecting vast areas of the Amazon rainforest and ...
Phys.org / Now you see it, now you don't: Material can transition between quantum states
A team of scientists led by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory has identified a rare, switchable quantum property in a new type of nickel sulfide material. The discovery could have applications ...
Phys.org / Cactus catalog could help plant's prickly problem
With almost a third of cacti species threatened with extinction, a new open-access database of cactus ecology and evolution could help scientists and conservationists save species from the brink.
Phys.org / Dancing to invisible choreography, quantum computers can balance the noise
Large-scale quantum computers are waiting in the wings. One of the main reasons we don't have them yet is because quantum hardware is so noisy. This isn't the type of noise you'd want to shush in a crowded theater. When it ...
Phys.org / Low-cost sensor system could warn farmers of salt stress in plants
Soil salinity is a critical concern in agriculture when excessive soluble salts restrict a plant's water uptake, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, hindering crop growth and reducing yields on roughly 30% of ...
Phys.org / Past CO₂ emissions may drive far bigger future economic losses
The economic damage yet to come from carbon dioxide emitted decades ago far exceeds the harm it has wrought so far, according to a new Stanford University study. The research, published in Nature, puts a dollar value on the ...
Phys.org / Scalable flow chemistry speeds deuteration of fatty acids with tunable isotope selectivity
The National Deuteration Facility has developed a capability to use a flow chemistry process to increase efficiency, increase production capacity and reduce decomposition in the synthesis of deuterated molecules.
Phys.org / Stabilized hybrid photocatalyst boosts artificial photosynthesis efficiency
A hybrid photocatalyst system from Science Tokyo tackles an overlooked flaw in artificial photosynthesis to dramatically improve CO2-to-formate conversion. Unlike conventional designs where light degrades the molecular catalyst, ...
Phys.org / Bioelectronic platform enables precise H₂S delivery to cells, turning a toxic gas into a therapeutic tool
A toxic gas known for its "rotten egg smell" has been transformed into a therapeutic tool. A research team at KAIST has developed a technology to precisely control hydrogen sulfide (H2S) using electrical signals, bringing ...
