Phys.org news

Phys.org / Nanobody neutralizes deadly Nipah and Hendra viruses in lab tests
Researchers have discovered a strategy to neutralize two highly lethal viruses for which there is currently no approved vaccine or cure.

Phys.org / How plants manage light: New insights into nature's oxygen-making machinery
A set of breakthroughs from scientists at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) is offering a new understanding of how energy flows through one of nature's most important molecular ...

Phys.org / A new method for analyzing the stability of sunspots
Sunspots are the most striking phenomenon of the solar magnetic field. After the invention of the telescope early in the 17th century, the Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei was the first to routinely observe sunspots. In ...

Phys.org / More bubbles means more variation in ocean carbon storage
The ocean absorbs carbon from the atmosphere, but exactly how much is uncertain. For instance, estimates from the 2023 Global Carbon Budget ranged from 2.2 billion to 4 billion metric tons of carbon per year. One source of ...

Phys.org / Hidden role of 'cell protector' protein opens cancer treatment possibilities
Recent research on MCL-1, a critical protein that is an attractive target for cancer drug development, helps explain why some promising cancer treatments are causing serious side effects, and offers a roadmap for designing ...

Phys.org / Optical tweezer sectioning microscopy enables 3D imaging of floating live cells
Three-dimensional (3D) imaging is essential for investigating cellular structure and dynamics. Traditional optical methods rely on adhesive or mechanical forces to hold and scan cells, which limit their applicability to suspended ...

Phys.org / Perceived polarization may reflect inner circle agreement more than actual societal division
Are opinions on controversial political issues as divided as many people perceive them to be? Researchers from the Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) in Bremen, the Complexity Science Hub (CSH) in Vienna and ...

Phys.org / Rain events could cause major failure of Waikīkī storm drainage by 2050
Existing sea level rise models for coastal cities often overlook the impacts of rainfall on infrastructure. Researchers at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa discovered that by 2050, large rain events combined with sea level ...

Phys.org / How a volatile mix of skin oil, hygiene and ozone affects indoor air quality
Skin is the body's first line of defense against an array of environmental hazards. But when our skin's natural oils react with atmospheric ozone, they emit a cocktail of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can impact ...

Phys.org / Physicists observe image rotation in plasma
Light sometimes appears to be "dragged" by the motion of the medium through which it is traveling. This phenomenon, referred to as "light dragging," is typically imperceptible when light is traveling in most widely available ...

Phys.org / Seeking moral advice from large language models comes with risk of hidden biases
More and more people are turning to large language models like ChatGPT for life advice and free therapy, as it is sometimes perceived as a space free from human biases. A new study published in the Proceedings of the National ...

Phys.org / Hybrid model reveals people act less rationally in complex games, more predictably in simple ones
Throughout their everyday lives, humans are typically required to make a wide range of decisions, which can impact their well-being, health, social connections, and finances. Understanding the human decision-making processes ...