Phys.org news

Phys.org / New statistical tools sharpen the search for causal DNA changes in livestock

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a new suite of statistical methods that dramatically improves the ability to pinpoint DNA changes responsible for important traits in livestock. The work addresses ...

21 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Catalyst insight may unlock safer, on-demand ozone water disinfection

University of Pittsburgh researchers have made an important step toward providing hospitals and water treatment facilities with a safer, greener alternative to chlorine-based disinfection.

21 hours ago in Chemistry
Phys.org / AI chatbots can effectively sway voters—in either direction

A short interaction with a chatbot can meaningfully shift a voter's opinion about a presidential candidate or proposed policy in either direction, new Cornell University research finds.

22 hours ago in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Research reveals atypical Santas can succeed

A naturally fluffy white beard, a round belly and a jolly laugh might seem like the keys to being a successful Santa Claus, but new research suggests that a calling to play the man with the bag full of toys is enough to help ...

23 hours ago in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Hydrogel platform enables high-throughput extracellular vesicle isolation

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have rapidly emerged as one of the most promising frontiers in modern biology. These nano-sized messengers mediate communication between cells, tissues, and organs, influencing processes from ...

23 hours ago in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Eyes for an agricultural robot: AI system identifies weeds in apple orchards

Weed control is essential in apple orchards because weeds compete with trees for nutrients, water and sunlight, which can reduce fruit yields. However, physically removing weeds is not only labor-intensive, but it also can ...

Dec 4, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Earlier ultra-relativistic freeze-out could revive a decades-old theory for dark matter

A new theory for the origins of dark matter suggests that fast-moving, neutrino-like dark particles could have decoupled from Standard Model particles far earlier than previous theories had suggested.

Dec 4, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / CERN's ATLAS detects evidence for decay of Higgs boson into muon–antimuon pair

Although its existence had been theorized for decades, the Higgs boson was finally observed to exist in 2012 at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. Since then, it has continued to be heavily studied at the LHC. Now, ...

Dec 4, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Silver nanoparticles built on viral biotemplate kill more bacteria and slow resistance rise

Antibiotics are no longer able to treat infections as effectively as they once did because many pathogens have developed resistance to these drugs. This phenomenon, known as antimicrobial resistance (AMR), claims over a million ...

Dec 4, 2025 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / A solid-state quantum processor based on nuclear spins

Quantum computers, systems that process information leveraging quantum mechanical effects, have the potential of outperforming classical systems on some tasks. Instead of storing information as bits, like classical computers, ...

Dec 4, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Glaciers speed up and slow down at predictable times according to the first global map of ice movement

The speed at which glaciers move changes predictably each year, according to the first-ever global map of how glacier and ice sheet speeds vary with the seasons. Knowing this yearly rhythm could help us better predict sea-level ...

Dec 4, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Archaic humans were strategic and picky hunters, new study suggests

Extinct relatives of modern humans, like Neanderthals and Homo erectus, that lived in the Levant around 120,000 years ago, did not engage in mass hunting but preferred selective and strategic hunting of wild cattle. Scientists ...

Dec 4, 2025 in Other Sciences