Phys.org news
Phys.org / Chaos after queen loss reveals the wasps that keep colonies running
When the loss of a queen wasp triggers a power struggle and social turmoil, colonies can survive the upheaval thanks to helpful wasps that pick up the slack, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.
Phys.org / The Southwest's drought is shrinking wildlife's suitable habitat, with predators hit hardest
As people in the United States are coping with historic drought conditions, the country's wildlife is also facing problems because of the extreme aridity. Herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores in the southwestern U.S. have ...
Phys.org / Months trapped together in Antarctic isolation reveal a risk few long missions can afford to ignore
How can people continue to function as a team when they live together in isolation for months on end? A new study led by the University of Zurich shows that loneliness isn't the only challenge posed by extreme environments. ...
Phys.org / Universe's most distant 'Hot DOG' yet may owe extreme infrared glow to polar dust, Webb reveals
New observations from the James Webb Space Telescope have revealed fresh details about one of the most luminous known objects in the universe: the dust-shrouded quasar W2246−0526, seen just 1.2 billion years after the Big ...
Phys.org / Gentoo penguins cope with climate change heat waves by breeding earlier
Over the past few decades, heat waves have become more common in several parts of the world as our planet warms. That's a huge problem for many animals, as it can lead to habitat loss and push their bodies to lethal thresholds. ...
Phys.org / New three‑dimensional magnetic structure discovered with laser light
Flashes of femtosecond laser light, lasting just a few trillionths of a second, have made it possible to observe new magnetic structures for the first time. By using light as a remote control, researchers were able to switch ...
Phys.org / Ancient anesthetic reveals Ming China's sophisticated medicine
Microscopic analysis of residues on surgical scissors and tweezers from a 1348–1411 CE tomb in Jiangyin, China, finds the first evidence for the controlled application of a highly toxic chemical as anesthetic, highlighting ...
Phys.org / Supercharging solar cells: Quantum dot-molecule hybrid states enable near-maximum efficiency
Solar panels have become more efficient over the years, but even the best designs still lose a large fraction of the energy they absorb. Scientists around the world have been searching for ways to capture more energy from ...
Phys.org / From pore chemistry to carbon capture, new COFs push beyond membrane performance limits
Carbon dioxide (CO2) separation is central to technologies ranging from natural gas purification to hydrogen production and carbon management. One widely used approach relies on thin filtering materials called membranes. ...
Phys.org / Payre fossils from Europe's earliest Neanderthals reveal dynamic evolution shaped by climatic oscillations
The Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH) has led the international team behind a new study published in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences exploring the complex evolution of Neanderthals ...
Phys.org / How cells identify and silence unwanted jumping genes
Transposons, DNA sequences that can self-replicate and move (jump) throughout the genome, are widespread and can affect cell survival if left unchecked. Cells control these "jumping genes" by silencing them, but little was ...
Phys.org / Structural biologists are first in world to visualize key cell protein
University of Cincinnati structural biologists are the first in the world to visualize a key cell protein as part of newly published research from the College of Medicine. The Seegar Lab has become the first to visualize ...
