Phys.org news
Phys.org / Ancient Neanderthal genome reveals isolated, distinct populations
Neanderthals split into distinct regional groups that developed genetic differences far sooner than modern human populations typically did, according to a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. ...
Phys.org / How graphene oxide kills bacteria while sparing human cells
Hygiene in everyday items that touch the body—such as clothing, masks, and toothbrushes—is critically important. The underlying principle of how graphene selectively eliminates only bacteria has now been revealed. In Advanced ...
Phys.org / Binding to RNA is not enough—changing its shape is what makes a drug work, study reveals
Ribonucleic acids (RNAs) serve as messengers between DNA and protein production, and perform a wide variety of regulatory functions across different cellular processes. This makes them an interesting target for drug designers. ...
Phys.org / A mass mating event in the lab reveals how yeast cells choose partners
While humans often struggle to find a partner who is both physically attractive and a reliable co-parent, yeast may already have cracked the formula for the perfect match. When choosing mates, these single-celled organisms ...
Phys.org / Seals use whisker movement to follow underwater trails—an approach that could improve robotic sensing
Seals are carnivorous marine mammals that are well adapted to hunting for fish underwater, where visibility is poor. In such conditions, seals rely on their highly sensitive whiskers to detect tiny water movements left behind ...
Phys.org / Eco-friendly hair repair adds to more natural personal care product pipeline
Hair damaged by dyes, bleaching or harsh sunlight has just got special treatment. Green chemistry researchers at Flinders University are experimenting with plant-based oils to develop a promising new structural keratin-type ...
Phys.org / How internal waves transport energy thousands of miles across the ocean
Both winds and tides inject energy into the ocean. Much of that energy is then transported up to thousands of miles by internal waves: large-scale underwater waves that can travel between ocean basins. Quantifying the amount ...
Phys.org / Human brain operates near, but not at, the critical point
A recent study published in Physical Review Letters reveals that many widely used signatures of criticality in brain data may be statistical artifacts. They propose a more robust framework that, when applied to whole-brain ...
Phys.org / North Sea wind farms may be reshaping sediment flows by 1.5 million tons a year
Offshore wind farms are an important pillar of the European Union's strategy for renewable energy—by 2050, the EU aims to increase capacity in the North Sea more than tenfold. A new study by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon shows ...
Phys.org / AI-driven framework uncovers new carbon structures—one thought to be harder than diamond
Through new improvements to existing AI models, researchers in China have created a framework that can methodically identify useful new forms of solid carbon. With their approach, Zhibin Gao and colleagues at Xi'an Jiaotong ...
Phys.org / Lab-based mini-atmosphere reveals how turbulence changes on different scales
With a new lab-based experiment, researchers in the UK and France have recreated the characteristic cascades of energy and angular momentum that underpin key features of Earth's atmosphere. Reporting in Physical Review Letters, ...
Phys.org / New enzyme atlas rewrites decades of biology research
WEHI researchers have led a major global effort to create the first authoritative atlas for a class of enzymes that regulate almost every cellular process in the human body. Published in Cell, the study establishes the first ...