Phys.org news
Phys.org / A molecular bridge connects two signaling pathways critical for pollen development
Cells rely on complex signaling networks in which different molecular pathways communicate with one another. Small GTPases act as molecular switches in these networks, controlling diverse cellular processes such as intracellular ...
Phys.org / Scientists simulate cosmic crashes to test whether icy moons gain or lose their ability to sustain life
Many of the moons orbiting Saturn, Uranus and Neptune likely conceal oceans of liquid water beneath miles of icy shell. Because life as we know it needs water, these buried oceans rank among the most promising places to search ...
Phys.org / Protein map reveals how red blood cells rapidly adjust to low oxygen
Scientists map the hidden protein network that helps red blood cells adapt to oxygen
Phys.org / Physicists extend the search for quantum black holes at the LHC
Physicists at UC Santa Barbara have extended the search for evidence of microscopic black holes produced at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). The formation of these ...
Phys.org / Greenland's Qaanaaq Ice Cap has lost enough ice to produce a layer of water about 8 meters deep
Each summer, researchers from Hokkaido University returned to the Qaanaaq Ice Cap in northwestern Greenland to measure changes in the ice surface using aluminum poles drilled into the ice. Their 13-year record shows how the ...
Phys.org / Medieval Chinese skeleton may reveal first evidence of a brutal punishment
Ancient Chinese authorities used many creative ways to punish people, often with methods designed to mark them for life. One brutal example mentioned repeatedly in historical texts is cutting off a person's nose. However, ...
Phys.org / Discovery of CRISPR's long lost ancestor may expand gene-editing toolkit
CRISPR may be a powerful technology for gene editing, but the system existed in bacteria long before scientists began using it. For billions of years, CRISPR has acted as a natural immune system in bacteria and other microbes, ...
Phys.org / North Korea's nuclear testing may have triggered hundreds of earthquakes over several years
Between 2006 and 2017, North Korea conducted six underground nuclear tests at its vast testing site at Mount Mantap in North Hamgyong province. Typically, underground explosions trigger an intense burst of minor earthquakes ...
Phys.org / Stacked 2D materials reveal room-temperature multiferroicity and voltage-controlled magnetism
Multiferroics are materials that simultaneously exhibit two or more ferroic orders—stable arrangements of physical properties that can be switched using an external stimulus. These materials could be highly advantageous for ...
Phys.org / New thermal insulator outperforms any material found in nature
Researchers have engineered a new material that is an extreme thermal insulator, is exceptionally stiff and can be printed as a thin film at large scales. The material has one of the lowest thermal conductivity profiles of ...
Phys.org / From the start, the solar system chose fire over ice to build its first bodies
When the solar system first took up the task of building solid bodies—such as planets, moons and protoplanets—it basically had a choice between two ingredients: heat-forged chondrules, which were millimeter-sized bits of ...
Phys.org / To read 2,000-year-old burned scrolls, scientists burn their own
Douglas Seiler painstakingly sourced papyrus and reed pens from Egypt and traditional lampblack ink from Japan, then paid some high school students to inscribe the papyrus with lines from Star Wars and the Bible and a quote ...
