Phys.org news
Phys.org / Engineers improve infrared devices using century-old materials
After decades of intense research, surprises in the realm of semiconductors—materials used in microchips to control electrical currents—are few and far between. But with a pair of published papers, materials engineers ...
Phys.org / Toxic evolution: How wasps and frogs mimic pain molecules to deter predators
Certain species of wasps and frogs share a pain and inflammation peptide similar to one found in vertebrates to help defend against predators—a discovery that contributes to a shifting view of how evolution works, say researchers. ...
Phys.org / Newfound terrestrial crocodile fossil redraws the map of Europe in the age of the dinosaurs
A research team led by Dr. Márton Rabi from the Biogeology Department of the University of Tübingen, together with Máté Szegszárdi and Professor Attila Ősi from the Hungarian Eötvös Loránd University, is challenging ...
Phys.org / Microbial ancestor of complex life was more sophisticated than previously thought, studies suggest
Our single-celled ancestor lived in a world without plants, animals or oxygen-rich oceans. Yet, this seemingly simple microorganism took the first steps toward complex life. From this ancestor emerged all multicellular (complex) ...
Phys.org / Plant cell structure could hold key to cancer therapies and improved crops
Can the bend of a banana give us insight into cancer? What does the shape of a rice grain have to do with infertility? The proteins that give plants their shape and structure are also involved in human disease. A team led ...
Phys.org / Why Large Hadron Collider predictions can miss the mark, and a new way to fix it
Estimating things that exist is generally easy, but when it comes to estimating things that do not exist, it's more difficult. This is something physicists from Poland and the UK are well aware of. To improve current simulations ...
Phys.org / Why woodpeckers rarely get rattled: Skulls built to control rotation, not cushion blows
Woodpeckers are well known for striking tree trunks with remarkable force and precision. These birds deliver thousands of high-speed impacts per day, generating mechanical loads that would destabilize the skulls of most other ...
Phys.org / Making mini-lightning in a block of plastic
Lightning formation and the conditions triggering it have long been shrouded in a cloud of mystery, but new research led by Penn State scientists is lifting the fog. Using mathematical calculations, the researchers have discovered ...
Phys.org / Electric field tunes vibrations to ease heat transfer
New research from the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, in collaboration with The Ohio State University and Amphenol Corporation, challenges conventional understanding about controlling heat flow in solid ...
Phys.org / This odd little plant could help turbocharge crop yields
An international team of researchers has uncovered a remarkable molecular trick used by a unique group of land plants, one that could eventually be engineered into crops like wheat and rice to dramatically boost how efficiently ...
Dialog / Amazon fish contaminated with toxic metals threaten riverine communities' health
For riverside communities along the Amazon, fish is not a menu choice—it is a lifeline. Millions of people in the Brazilian Amazon depend on fish as their primary source of protein, consuming it daily in quantities far ...
Phys.org / Scientists successfully harvest chickpeas from 'moon dirt'
As the U.S. plans to return to the moon with the upcoming Artemis II mission, a question endures: What will future lunar explorers eat? According to new research from The University of Texas at Austin, the answer might be ...
