Phys.org news

Phys.org / The evolutionary pressure behind sexual asymmetry revealed in yeast cell study

A major transition in evolution is the shift from asexual to sexual reproduction in early organisms. But why would a yeast cell, which usually reproduces asexually, choose to mate with a very different partner in times of ...

Jul 6, 2026
Phys.org / New workflow tool gives scientists a clearer view of how DNA is regulated

Researchers from the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore (CSI Singapore) at NUS have developed a new method that allows scientists to better understand how DNA is organized and regulated inside cells. The study, published ...

Jul 6, 2026
Phys.org / Researchers use AI to evaluate a systematic framework to describe molecular order in liquid water

Water is the most abundant liquid on Earth's surface, and it is highly anomalous compared with other liquids because it expands upon freezing. The anomalies in water have been linked to how its microscopic structure changes ...

Jul 6, 2026
Phys.org / Neutral lipids enable precision control over supramolecular polymerization

The formation of supramolecular polymers within living cells is an emerging strategy for regulating cellular functions, and lipid droplets (LDs) are promising environments for such processes. LDs are cellular organelles composed ...

Jul 6, 2026
Phys.org / Scattered bronze bells in Chinese lord's 2,600-year-old tomb point to ritual deactivation

When archaeologists opened the 2,600-year-old tomb of an ancient Chinese lord, they discovered his magnificent bronze bells had been scattered, their wooden hangings broken. But the most mysterious part of all: This was apparently ...

Jul 5, 2026
Phys.org / Rare 309-million-year-old fossils suggest early tetrapods developed without tadpole phase

Scientists have long posited that the earliest water animals to transition to land had amphibious tadpole features, going through a metamorphosis akin to that of today's frogs.

Jul 5, 2026
Phys.org / Rats show empathy, according to model

A rat first frees a cagemate rat and then shares food with it. Is this animal just as empathetic as humans? In an American study from 2011, researchers observed that rats first freed their fellow rats from a cage and then ...

Jul 5, 2026
Phys.org / Controlling magnetic chirality could help memory pack in more data

Magnetic storage devices, like a computer's hard disk drive, utilize magnets to represent binary data. However, as these devices are downsized, stray magnetic fields generated by individual magnetic components can interact ...

Jul 5, 2026
Phys.org / European cities short on shade as heat waves hit, urban mapping reveals

More than four in five homes and workplaces across 25 European cities have less nearby tree canopy than what is needed for meaningful cooling, according to an open-data analysis by an urban greening expert.

Jul 5, 2026
Phys.org / Greenland meltwater adds to AMOC weakening, but updated model finds no tipping point in sight

The state of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) has been a hot topic among climate scientists in recent years. The AMOC is crucial for climate regulation because it pulls warm surface water from the tropics ...

Jul 4, 2026
Phys.org / Astronomers may have caught an early galaxy in the process of dying

Astronomers have spotted many "red and dead" galaxies in the early universe. These are massive systems that stopped forming stars surprisingly early in cosmic history. Now, they may have found evidence of one in the act of ...

Jul 4, 2026
Phys.org / A young gull's mottled brown plumage acts as a 'not a threat' signal to territorial adults

Birds are known for their distinctive plumage that helps them attract mates during the breeding season. For some birds, the path to adulthood is quite linear. One day they are chicks, and a few months later they are fully ...

Jul 4, 2026