Phys.org news
Phys.org / Maybe that's not liquid water on Mars after all
Ancient Mars boasted abundant water, but the cold and dry conditions of today make liquid water on the Red Planet seem far less probable. However, the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding (MARSIS) detected ...
Phys.org / Biodegradable mulching film can protect plants without pesticides or plastics
Whether you're a home gardener or an industrial farmer, you might be familiar with mulching films—plastic sheets laid over the soil to protect seedlings and promote crop growth. But like many other plastic materials, these ...
Phys.org / Atoms passing through walls: Quantum tunneling of hydrogen within palladium crystal
At low temperatures, hydrogen atoms move less like particles and more like waves. This characteristic enables quantum tunneling, the passage of an atom through a barrier with a higher potential energy than the energy of the ...
Phys.org / Unlocking the genome's hidden half with new DNA sequencing technology
Cornell researchers have found that a new DNA sequencing technology can be used to study how transposons move within and bind to the genome. Transposons play critical roles in immune response, neurological function and genetic ...
Phys.org / Artificial cartilage mimics natural flexibility with adjustable structure
A Washington State University research team is working to create an artificial cartilage that is similar to natural cartilage with a recipe that can be corrected along the way.
Phys.org / Laser-induced break-up of C₆₀ fullerenes caught in real-time on X-ray camera
The understanding of complex many-body dynamics in laser-driven polyatomic molecules is crucial for any attempt to steer chemical reactions by means of intense light fields. Ultrashort and intense X-ray pulses from accelerator-based ...
Phys.org / Single-photon switch could enable photonic computing
There are few technologies more fundamental to modern life than the ability to control light with precision. From fiber-optic communications to quantum sensors, the manipulation of photons underpins much of our digital infrastructure. ...
Phys.org / Mercury pollution in marine mammals is increasing, new study finds
In 2017, a new global treaty was meant to bring mercury pollution under control. But three decades of data from UK harbor porpoises show mercury is still increasing, and is linked to a higher risk of dying from infectious ...
Phys.org / Plant breeding discovery could pave way for new crop species
One of the great mysteries in plant biology is how, given the clouds of pollen released by dozens of plant species all at the same time, an individual plant can recognize which particular species' pollen grains will induce ...
Phys.org / Symmetry simplifies quantum noise analysis, paving way for better error correction
Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore have achieved a breakthrough in quantum noise characterization in quantum systems—a key ...
Phys.org / An electric discovery: Pigeons detect magnetic fields through their inner ear
In 1882, the French Naturalist Camille Viguier was among the first to propose the existence of a magnetic sense. His speculation proved correct. Many animals—from bats, to migratory birds and sea turtles use the Earth's ...
Phys.org / Understanding intrinsically disordered protein regions and their roles in cancer
Every function in a cell is associated with a particular protein or group of proteins, typically in a well-defined three-dimensional structure. However, intrinsically disordered regions of proteins defy this structure-function ...
