Phys.org news
Phys.org / JWST spots methane on a giant exoplanet, but its star may be distorting the signal
Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers from Johns Hopkins University (JHU) and elsewhere have observed a giant exoplanet known as HATS-75 b. Results of the new observations, published April 8 on the arXiv ...
Phys.org / Can naked mole rats peacefully hand over power?
Naked mole rats keep kingdoms underground. One queen bears all the children, while others maintain complex subterranean tunnels, forage for food, take care of newborns, and perform other necessary upkeep. This society hinges ...
Phys.org / Jelly-like plankton fuel bigger, faster-growing reef fish across the Indo-Pacific
New research led by James Cook University shows huge differences in fish biomass and fish productivity between Caribbean and Indo-Pacific coral reefs, driven by the consumption of jelly-like gelatinous plankton. For their ...
Phys.org / 4,000-year-old clay tablets inscribed with magical spells… and beer tabs
For over 100 years, the National Museum has housed a large collection of inscribed tablets from the earliest civilizations of the Middle East—many over 4,000 years old and written in languages that are now extinct. The tablets ...
Phys.org / Earth's microbes may hide a near-universal plastic-eating arsenal, with 600,000 proteins poised to attack waste
Researchers have identified more than 600,000 microbial proteins capable of breaking down natural and synthetic plastics, revealing a far broader biodegradation potential across microbes than previously known.
Phys.org / Referee decisions in soccer frequently overturned following VAR-assisted review: No external influences found
In an analysis of a video-assisted, pitch-side review of soccer (UK football) referee calls in the English Premier League, referees overturned their original call 95% of the time. However, these decisions had no statistical ...
Phys.org / How farming changed us: Ancient DNA reveals natural selection sped up in recent human evolution
A massive study of ancient DNA from nearly 16,000 people across more than 10,000 years in West Eurasia reveals that natural selection has shaped modern human genomes far more than previously thought.
Phys.org / CRISPR variant selectively targets tumor DNA
Cancer cells excel at evading detection, but subtle chemical differences set them apart from healthy cells. Now, a team of scientists from Wageningen University & Research and Van Andel Institute has identified a way to exploit ...
Phys.org / As polar ice changes, so do the rules governing it
Sea ice is not just solid frozen water. It's riddled with tiny pockets and channels of liquid brine. Whether those pockets connect to form pathways determines whether seawater, nutrients and gases can move through the ice, ...
Phys.org / How a hidden receptor switch could open new paths for cancer and neurological treatments
A research team at Leipzig University has identified a mechanism in adhesion G protein-coupled receptors (adhesion GPCRs), a specific group of membrane receptors. This mechanism is essential for the activity of many of these ...
Phys.org / Bolivian mummy rewrites scarlet fever's past, suggesting killer bacterium circulated centuries before colonization
Researchers have identified the genetic material of scarlet fever while examining a tooth from a naturally mummified skull housed at MUNARQ, the National Museum of Archaeology in La Paz. Using a method that reassembled previously ...
Phys.org / Rapid melatonin test can help astronauts and others easily monitor their biological rhythm
A simple test developed at Washington State University could eventually allow astronauts and others in round-the-clock occupations to monitor their biological rhythms in just minutes using a drop of blood, a paper test strip, ...
