Phys.org news
Phys.org / Beyond lipid nanoparticles: How custom polymers and AI may reshape gene therapies
Nucleic acids such as DNA and RNA play a central role in gene therapies and vaccines. They store and transmit biological information. In order for them to work in the body, they must enter the cells using chemical carrier ...
Phys.org / Unlocking scalable entanglement will enable next-generation quantum computing
Quantum computing promises to transform our world in rapid, radical and revolutionary ways: solving in seconds problems that would take classical computers years, accelerating the discovery of new medicines, creating sustainable ...
Phys.org / Galactic warming: The 'car engine-like' effect heating our Milky Way
Our Milky Way's halo of hot gas is warmer to the "south" than the "north" because of an internal combustion engine-like effect that is compressing the gas like a piston, a new study has found. Computer simulations reveal ...
Phys.org / Succulents as role models: How they balance photosynthesis and water loss so efficiently
A research team led by the University of Bern has decoded a mechanism by which an inconspicuous succulent regulates the uptake of carbon dioxide via the leaf surface so finely that it receives enough for photosynthesis without ...
Phys.org / Scientists uncover the secret behind perfectly 3D preserved 'sea reptile' fossils
Scientists at Curtin University have solved a long-standing mystery about how some of the world's best-preserved fossils formed in ancient oxygen-free ocean floor settings. The research, published in Communications Earth ...
Phys.org / Wild squirrels consistently climb higher for better snacks, researchers find
Squirrels are usually willing to climb higher to reach their favorite foods, shows new research appearing in Animal Behaviour. Extensive lab studies have found that animals "devalue" rewards that cost extra time and effort—for ...
Phys.org / AI learns to read ancient Japanese pottery with 93% accuracy
Classifying ancient pottery has always depended on the trained judgment of an archaeologist. Identifying the subtle differences between piece types takes years of experience, and two experts will not always agree. Now, a ...
Phys.org / Tiny rotating hairs inside a microscopic cavity decide where your organs will grow
Heart to the left. Liver to the right. That's where you'll find these organs in a healthy human body, but surprisingly, in some people, the heart is on the right and the liver on the left. This normal or abnormal asymmetry ...
Phys.org / Study finds 40% of European gas stoves leak cancer-causing benzene while turned off
Benzene, a compound linked with leukemia and other blood cancers, is leaking from gas stoves in Europe, a new study finds. According to the World Health Organization, there is no safe level of exposure to benzene, a compound ...
Phys.org / Sediment core reveals 10,800 years of precipitation history in the Sahara
The analysis of a sediment core from an oasis lake in Chad provides new insights into the history of precipitation in the Sahara. The study, led by the University of Cologne, shows that a prolonged wet phase, which lasted ...
Phys.org / One-of-a-kind experiment tracks plant evolution in response to climate change at 30 sites worldwide
For decades, ever since biologists recognized the potential environmental harms from climate change, they have worried that plants will not be able to evolve fast enough to adapt to a rapidly warming planet. But the pace ...
Phys.org / Ancient fish used their lungs to hear underwater, scientists reveal
How did ancient fish perceive their environment in the deep sea? An international team led by scientists from the Natural History Museum of Geneva (MHNG) and the University of Geneva (UNIGE) reveals that some coelacanths—fish ...