Phys.org news
Phys.org / AI matches human teachers: Brief pre-lecture chat boosts students' brain synchrony and learning outcomes
Millions of students worldwide have long relied on self-paced learning through pre-recorded video lectures, a model that forms the backbone of massive open online courses (MOOCs) and large-scale online education. Since the ...
Phys.org / Even the most remote ocean is contaminated with zinc from human sources, research reveals
The vast, deserted South Pacific is considered unspoiled nature. But this ocean is not as unspoiled as we would like to think. A new study by a group of researchers from ETH Zurich and the GEOMAR Helmholtz Center for Ocean ...
Phys.org / Carbon-free ferrocene alternative opens up new possibilities for future materials
About 75 years ago, scientists accidentally synthesized a compound called ferrocene in which the iron (Fe) atom is sandwiched between two C5H5 rings—(C5H5)Fe(C5H5). This compound opened up a new era in transition metal chemistry, ...
Phys.org / Fewer insects, fewer nutritious crops: Pollinator decline puts human health at risk
Biodiversity loss is directly threatening human health and welfare, according to new research led by the University of Bristol. The study, published in Nature reveals, for the first time, how the decline of insect pollinators ...
Phys.org / 'Atomic snapshots' of proofreading enzyme could lead to better COVID-19 drugs
The closest-ever detailed look at a key enzyme inside the virus that causes COVID-19 could lead to more effective treatment of the disease. Nucleotide analogs are a common type of antiviral medication that mimic the genetic ...
Phys.org / Online echo chambers can arise even without algorithmic nudges or seeking like-minded people
A new study of online communities suggests that their interaction dynamics can amplify small, local imbalances in opinions, rapidly turning initially mixed-opinion communities into highly-polarized ones—even without the algorithms ...
Phys.org / Bacterial protein map could open new path against drug-resistant infections
La Trobe scientists have made a pivotal discovery in the fight against dangerous drug-resistant bacteria, as the University launches a major research initiative focused on new ways to target antimicrobial resistance (AMR). ...
Phys.org / Deforestation may push Amazon degradation threshold below 2°C warming
Around two-thirds of the Amazon rainforest could shift into degraded forest or savanna-like ecosystems at 1.5–1.9°C of global warming if deforestation increases to roughly 22–28% of the Amazon, according to a new study from ...
Phys.org / 'Not just hot water': Marine heat waves can create toxic relationship between seagrasses and microbes
Heat stress from marine heat waves can create a toxic relationship between seagrasses and a hidden ecosystem of bacteria, transforming a previously beneficial co-existence between marine plants and microbes into a harmful ...
Phys.org / The lost koala: New fossil species was hiding in plain sight for 100 years
In 2024, the Western Australian Museum received a donation. It was a koala skull collected from Moondyne Cave in Margaret River by Lindsay Hatcher, an avid caver. There was something a bit odd about this skull, and we were ...
Phys.org / Federal grant terminations disproportionately impact minority scientists, study finds
Researchers from University of California San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science have found that recent federal grant terminations targeting research on health equity and gender identity ...
Phys.org / 'Indian Niño' drove record heat in 2023 and 2024, new study finds
In 2023 and 2024, Earth's average global surface temperature spiked nearly 0.3 degrees Celsius above what was already expected from climate change. Each year was declared the hottest on record and coincided with deadly wildfires, ...
