Phys.org news
Phys.org / How bacteria use circadian clocks to colonize their world
Research has revealed how bacteria rely on circadian clocks to control the spread of their multicellular colonies. The findings provide important clues as to how we might improve soil health and plant growth. They may also ...
Phys.org / Tiny raptor, tiny range: GPS tracking reveals pygmy falcons use less than 1 km² to raise nestlings
A new study, published in the Journal of Raptor Research, reveals that Africa's smallest diurnal bird of prey, the pygmy falcon (Polihierax semitorquatus), operates within one of the smallest breeding home ranges ever recorded ...
Phys.org / Screen reveals new proteins that control RNA processing
Researchers at the University of California San Diego have developed a large-scale screening approach that identifies proteins controlling a fundamental step in gene expression known as alternative polyadenylation (APA). ...
Phys.org / Do animal behavior experiments give a distorted view of cooperation?
When biologists study cooperation in animals, they usually offer just a single task at a time. But what happens when animals can choose among several opportunities to work together? Biologists at Utrecht University discovered ...
Phys.org / A thermodynamic approach to gravity could explain cosmic acceleration without dark energy
Gravity, the force that attracts objects toward each other, is currently framed by Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity. This framework describes gravity as the curvature of spacetime, the invisible four-dimensional ...
Phys.org / The universe should look the same in all directions at large scales, but DESI data suggest otherwise
Earlier this year, the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) completed observations that mapped 47 million galaxies across 11 billion light-years, allowing astronomers to better evaluate the large-scale structure of ...
Phys.org / Scientists find molecular-level evidence for two structures in liquid water
A study published in Nature Physics provides new molecular-level evidence from simulations that liquid water is not a single uniform substance, but a constantly shifting mixture of two distinct microscopic structures.
Phys.org / Thirsty desert lizards inspire a new water-harvesting system
When the desert horned lizard (Phrynosoma platyrhinos) is thirsty, it cannot just lap up water or scoop it up like a bird because it lives in environments where water is extremely scarce. Typically, it's found in damp soil ...
Phys.org / Quantum waves reveal one-sided motion marking elusive critical states
Sound waves, light waves and other types of waves, generally spread freely through space and over time. In 1958, physicist Philip W. Anderson first described a phenomenon via which irregularities or other sources of disorder ...
Phys.org / Tiny water droplets transmutate aniline into pyridine in ambient and catalyst-free conditions
Aniline can now be transformed into pyridine without adding any catalysts, oxidants or toxic reagents. In a recent study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, researchers achieved skeletal editing, involving ...
Phys.org / Apes and humans have been sharing a laugh for 15 million years
Great apes may have been laughing with a similar rhythm to modern humans for at least 15 million years, a University of Warwick study reveals. The finding offers unexpected clues to how human speech evolved.
Phys.org / Why old nuclear-site concrete could become a tool for trapping strontium-90
Crushed concrete from legacy nuclear facilities could play a far greater role in safely managing radioactive land than previously understood. Research published in ACS ES&T Water and conducted by scientists from the University ...