Phys.org news
Phys.org / Self-propelled actin filaments may explain how cells change shape spontaneously
Cells can spontaneously change shape even without external signals, but the underlying mechanisms behind this form of self-organization have remained unclear. Now, researchers from Japan have discovered self-propelled treadmilling ...
Phys.org / Australia's under-16 social media ban shows little early effect on teen use: Research
Australia's social media ban for under-16s has had little impact on teenagers' scrolling habits, researchers said Thursday in one of the first evaluations of the world-leading measures.
Phys.org / Shorter front-leg strides can be an early warning sign of dementia in senior dogs
Scientists have shown that the stride length of the front legs (but not the hind legs) of senior and geriatric dogs decreases as their cognitive performance worsens. In contrast, chronological age itself was a poor predictor ...
Phys.org / Organic carbon detected in Bright Angel rock formation on Mars
In September 2025, NASA announced that its Perseverance rover had discovered a potential biosignature, which is a substance or structure that might have a biological origin. A new paper, published in Science Advances, unambiguously ...
Phys.org / Binary black hole signal probes event horizon region for first time
If, in space, no one can hear you scream, it seems that you can actually hear the sound of a crash when two black holes collide. Using the loudest gravitational wave ever heard, two Australian scientists and colleagues have ...
Phys.org / Ancient proteins hint at all-female Homo naledi burial site in Rising Star cave system
Scientists have extracted and analyzed the first-ever ancient proteins from the fossils of Homo naledi, revealing a potential all-female burial site. The study, published in the journal Cell, raises the possibility that South ...
Phys.org / Quantum squeezing sidesteps the limits on mechanical transducers
From detecting the ripples of colliding black holes to imaging individual chemical bonds, mechanical transducers have repeatedly transformed our understanding of the universe. So far, however, the sensitivity of these devices ...
Phys.org / Why female guppies prefer rare males and how this might shape evolution
When it comes to choosing a partner, some species prefer males that stand out from the crowd. Evolutionary biologists call the resulting process negative frequency-dependent selection. It means that a male has a huge mating ...
Phys.org / Interlayer self-doping could unlock room-temperature multiferroics in atom-thin materials
Multiferroics are materials that exhibit more than one prominent "ferroic" property, such as ferromagnetism and ferroelectricity. One of their most advantageous features is that they allow engineers to control their magnetic ...
Phys.org / Artificial DNA tiles could deliver drugs and monitor neurons non-disruptively
Living cells constantly exchange ions (i.e., charged particles) via the thin barrier that surrounds their interior, known as the outer membrane. Neuroscientists and medical researchers have long been trying to devise effective ...
Phys.org / Asteroid zooming past Earth on Saturday visible to stargazers
A large asteroid that will zoom harmlessly past Earth on Saturday will be visible to stargazers using a small telescope or large binoculars, the European Space Agency announced Wednesday.
Phys.org / ALMA spots a nine-member stellar family in the act of formation
Massive stars much bigger than our sun always come in pairs or groups, not alone. But astronomers don't fully understand how these groupings form. In a new study, astronomers using ALMA have serendipitously discovered a young ...