Phys.org news
Phys.org / Rewilding corn reveals what its roots forgot
Corn is a colossal grain in the global food and feed chain, with the U.S. producing roughly 30% of the world's supply, or nearly 278 million metric tons in the 2024–25 growing season alone. But its journey from wild grass ...
Phys.org / Rainfall–salinity link sustains prolonged La Niña events, study reveals
La Niña—a climate phenomenon characterized by unusually cool sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean—can persist for multiple years, exerting significant climate impacts worldwide. ...
Phys.org / 2D topological crystalline insulator turns decade-old prediction into reality
Physicists from University of Jyväskylä and Aalto University (Finland) have experimentally realized a two-dimensional topological crystalline insulator. This is a quantum material that has been theoretically predicted for ...
Phys.org / Arctic cloud and ice formation affected by Russian river runoff as region studied for first time
Organic matter carried in rivers to the Russian part of the Arctic Ocean may be creating more clouds and keeping the region cooler, a new study has found.
Phys.org / Study reveals why light-driven chemical reactions often lose energy before bond-breaking
Florida State University researchers have discovered a pathway within a certain type of molecule that limits chemical reactions by redirecting light energy. The study could enable development of more efficient reactions for ...
Phys.org / Single enzyme streamlines production of all four RNA building blocks
A single enzyme that can generate all four nucleoside triphosphates, the building blocks of ribonucleic acid (RNA), has been identified by researchers at the Institute of Science Tokyo. The study was published online in the ...
Phys.org / Copper-carrying compound targets and kills MRSA bacteria by mimicking iron
A research team at the University of Arizona College of Medicine–Tucson is developing a drug that works in combination with copper to kill bacteria, including those that cause MRSA, a type of staph infection that is resistant ...
Phys.org / Humans use local dialects to communicate with honeyguide birds, research shows
Researchers from the University of Cape Town (UCT), working with international collaborators, have shown that people in northern Mozambique use regionally distinct "dialects" when communicating with honeyguide birds, revealing ...
Phys.org / Evidence of 'lightning-fast' evolution found after Chicxulub impact
The asteroid that struck the Earth 66 million years ago devastated life across the planet, wiping out the dinosaurs and other organisms in a hail of fire and catastrophic climate change. But new research shows that it also ...
Phys.org / 3D-printed surfaces help atoms play ball to improve quantum sensors
Scientists have created 3D printed surfaces featuring intricate textures that can be used to bounce unwanted gas particles away from quantum sensors, allowing useful particles like atoms to be delivered more efficiently, ...
Phys.org / AI method advances customized enzyme design
Enzymes with specific functions are becoming increasingly important in industry, medicine and environmental protection. For example, they make it possible to synthesize chemicals in a more environmentally friendly way, produce ...
Phys.org / Increased soil salinity alters global inorganic carbon storage, finds study
A new global study shows that increasing soil salinity is systematically reshaping the storage and distribution of soil inorganic carbon (SIC), a key but often-overlooked part of terrestrial ecosystems. The findings, published ...
