Phys.org news
Phys.org / Beneath Arctic ice, a vast fossil fuel footprint is colliding with Indigenous lands and wildlife
Arctic fossil fuel development shows significant overlaps with Indigenous communities and ecologically sensitive areas, which might support calls from some scientists to keep Arctic fossil fuels in the ground, according to ...
Phys.org / Measuring how stressed rocks 'sigh' before breaking could help predict geohazards
Too much stress can make even a rock crack. But before rocks reach their breaking point, they "sigh" a chemical warning by releasing nuclides, a type of atom defined by the number of neutrons as well as protons in the nucleus. ...
Phys.org / Laser-plasma 'mirror' unlocks a new path to extreme light intensities
An international team of physicists has achieved a significant advance in laser science, demonstrating for the first time a practical route to dramatically boosting the intensity of high-power laser light.
Phys.org / Millions of atoms, shifting bonds—new software brings living chemistry into view
Chemical reactions drive life. They ensure that cells obtain energy, proteins perform their functions, and DNA changes under certain conditions. However, many of these processes occur on extremely small scales—so small and ...
Phys.org / Turning four into two: How duplicated genomes become diploid again
Genome duplication probably gave biodiversity a decisive evolutionary boost. A Chinese-German research team led by Axel Meyer from the University of Konstanz has now investigated the early phases of the process known as rediploidization. ...
Phys.org / How a faster protein-screening tool could strengthen US rare-earth supply chains
To ensure a robust domestic supply chain in the U.S., Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists are using bacterial proteins to separate the rare-earth elements that are ubiquitous in magnets, batteries, and ...
Phys.org / Cosmetics from waste? Microbial discovery unlocks greener route to high-value chemical products
Researchers at University of Toronto's Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry have made a key discovery about how certain bacterial strains produce a set of economically valuable chemicals—opening the door ...
Phys.org / Wildfire-driven deforestation rates in California among highest in world
California has one of the highest rates of wildfire-driven deforestation in the world, and the trend has accelerated over the past three decades, according to a study from the University of California, Davis. The study, published ...
Phys.org / How cells turn mechanical forces into biochemical signals
Cells constantly probe their environments, searching for physical cues that guide their behavior. And yet a cell's response to its environment is always biochemical, mediated by the chemistry of its internal protein machinery. ...
Phys.org / ATLAS sets record limits on Higgs boson's self-interaction
One of the biggest open questions in particle physics today is how the Higgs boson interacts with itself. This "self-coupling" could help explain the evolution of the early universe and the mechanism that gives mass to elementary ...
Phys.org / First direct nanomagnet measurement finds switching attempts far slower than long-assumed
A compass always points north—or does it? Magnets normally maintain a stable direction of magnetization, pointing from south to north (S→N). However, this direction can change under strong magnetic fields or heat. For example, ...
Phys.org / NASA's Curiosity rover uncovers metal‑rich hotspot tied to ancient Martian lake
A team of scientists using the ChemCam instrument on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has discovered the highest amounts of iron, manganese, and zinc ever found together in Gale Crater on Mars. Minerals with these metals were ...
