Phys.org news
Phys.org / A minimal model for how a cell takes shape from the inside
Researchers at the University of Twente and Utrecht University have packed rigid, rod-shaped particles into soft lipid containers the size of a living cell and watched the container and its contents reshape each other. The ...
Phys.org / Ordinary enzyme that evolves into 'control switch' reveals tuberculosis weak spot
Researchers at the University of Surrey have identified a protein that acts as a control switch, preventing Mycobacterium tuberculosis from accessing the energy sources it needs to survive. The discovery points to a specific ...
Phys.org / How thousands of nature's longest sperm squeeze into a tiny fruit fly
When Jasmin Imran Alsous peered down her microscope lens, she expected to see chaos—a mishmash of tangled cells. She was viewing the inside of a male fruit fly's sperm storage organ, using a powerful microscope at the CCBScope ...
Phys.org / Crashing insect populations lead to smaller tree swallows that reproduce less
Since the 1970s, the number of insects at Canada's Long Point Bird Observatory has dropped by more than 60%, according to a new study led by the University of Michigan. Because of this, today's birds are smaller and facing ...
Phys.org / How AI-generated cartoons reshaped Taiwan's 2024 protests
In spring 2024, more than 100,000 people protested in Taiwan's streets. On Threads, a parallel fight was underway.
Phys.org / Molecular 'Velcro' gel removes PFAS from water without fluorinated materials
A new gel-based material developed by University of Florida chemical engineers filters PFAS forever chemicals from water more efficiently than many widely used commercial options. The advance offers a potential new path to ...
Phys.org / High-severity fires burn 30 times more acreage than 40 years ago, researchers find
Forest fires now burn 10 times more acreage annually than in 1985, while wildfire severity has gotten even worse. In California, 30 times more acreage burned from high-severity, forest-killing fires, according to new UCLA ...
Phys.org / Broken time-reversal symmetry phase in kagome metals may establish conditions for superconductivity
Physicists have long suspected that a peculiar quantum state lurks inside a class of materials known as kagome metals, but proving its existence has been elusive. Now, a team led by Yeongkwan Kim at the Korea Advanced Institute ...
Phys.org / Newly described Australian ballista spider builds a spring-loaded snare to catch a single ant species
An international team of researchers has discovered a remarkable new spider species in the rainforest of North Queensland that spins an ingenious and powerful spring-actuated snare to catch a single species of ant—one ant ...
Phys.org / How languages recycle parts of words to avoid confusion
Many languages recycle words, giving them different meanings. For example, in English, "run" can mean to move quickly but also to manage something, like "run a company." In Spanish, "lengua" is both the word for tongue and ...
Phys.org / Titan and Pluto exhibit the same mysterious spectral feature—and researchers can't figure out its origin
Researchers are constantly sifting through new spectral data gathered by powerful telescopes, like the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Most of the time, when they identify spectral features—specific absorption or emission ...
Phys.org / How oxygen sneaks into a corked wine bottle long before the first pour
The main reason for sealing wine bottles with a cork is to protect the liquid from oxygen. However, it is not an impermeable barrier, and a small amount of air leaks in, which is not always entirely bad news. The gas helps ...
