Phys.org news
Phys.org / A captive chimp's instrumental performances hint at the evolution of vocal externalization
In February 2023, a resident at Kyoto University's Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior—EHUB—treated researchers to a spontaneous musical performance. Ayumu, a 26-year-old male chimpanzee, removed floorboards ...
Phys.org / Shell-cracking turtles defied mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous period
The mass extinction at the boundary between the Cretaceous and Paleogene periods was catastrophic, wiping out much of life on Earth. Vertebrate groups that dominated at the time, such as dinosaurs and many large marine reptiles, ...
Phys.org / How plants stop growing to survive stress: Retired scientist's persistence reveals insight to boost farm yields
UC Riverside researchers have identified a mechanism that allows plants to rapidly slow growth in response to extreme environmental stress. The finding could help farmers grow more resilient crops, and one researcher continued ...
Phys.org / RNA-guided CRISPR system activates gene expression
In back-to-back studies published in Nature, researchers from Purdue University and Columbia University report a naturally evolved gene-editing system that can activate genes, offering an advantage over existing CRISPR gene-editing ...
Phys.org / Laser-modified graphene enables molecule-thick films to grow only where needed
Researchers from the University of Jyväskylä and Aalto University have developed a new method based on laser modification, which allows metal-organic materials to be grown locally one molecule-thick layer at a time. The method ...
Phys.org / Microtubules discovered to play an active role in correctly distributing chromosomes during cell division
Microtubules, the dynamic filaments that form the cell's internal scaffolding, have long been viewed as mere passive structural supports. But a new study reveals they play a far more active signaling role. The findings, published ...
Phys.org / Webb and Hubble share the most comprehensive view of Saturn to date
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope and Hubble Space Telescope have teamed up to capture new views of Saturn, revealing the planet in strikingly different ways. Observing in complementary wavelengths of light, the two space ...
Phys.org / Silicon nanospheres boost WS₂ second-harmonic generation 40-fold while preserving polarization
A research team has demonstrated that silicon nanospheres can strongly enhance second-harmonic generation (SHG) from an atomically thin semiconductor while preserving the circular polarization information tied to its valley ...
Phys.org / Why no individual is like another when epigenetics come into play
Why do animals behave differently, and what are the consequences of this? A research team from the Collaborative Research Center NC³ at Bielefeld University and the University of Münster now provides a new explanation: epigenetic ...
Phys.org / Seismic activity in California varies with the seasons
Earthquakes occur when the tectonic plates of the Earth's crust shift, jolting past each other in a release of built-up tension. However, other natural forces can also influence seismic activity: Hydrological dynamics, like ...
Phys.org / Radio signals at the edge of extreme stars come from far beyond their surfaces
Pulsars are ultra-dense, rapidly spinning, and highly magnetized remnants of dead stars. They act like cosmic lighthouses, sending out regular pulses of radio waves and sometimes gamma rays in beams that sweep across the ...
Phys.org / Making quantum vibrations nonlinear to enable phonon-phonon interactions
Phonons are the quantum units of mechanical vibration. They describe how motion propagates through a solid at the smallest possible scales, in much the same way that electrons describe electric currents. Because phonons can ...
