Phys.org news
Phys.org / Smart sensor identifies present molecules by remembering the past
Most sensors are designed to do only one thing: detect what passes through them. But what if a sensor could do more? To create a new generation of technology, researchers have looked to living systems for inspiration. If ...
Phys.org / Why some nitrogen-processing enzymes are more efficient than others
Nitrogen gas is abundant in Earth's atmosphere, but most living organisms can't readily use it. Only a subset of microbes with enzymes known as nitrogenases can break nitrogen gas apart and convert it into ammonia.
Phys.org / Climate change could dramatically reduce water flowing from the West's headwaters
The small mountain streams that feed many of the West's rivers may face a much drier future. A new study led by NAU researchers found that groundwater-fed streamflow, known as base flow, has been steadily declining across ...
Phys.org / Supergene solves evolutionary puzzle of mirror-image flowers
The left-right asymmetry of South African butterfly lilies (genus Wachendorfia) has been regarded as a classic evolutionary puzzle for more than a century. Due to the mirror-image arrangement of the floral parts, the plants ...
Phys.org / Pine bark and sponge compounds could counter drug-resistant malaria and babesiosis
As parasites become increasingly resistant to existing drugs, researchers at the University of California, Riverside, are working to develop a new generation of treatments for two serious infectious diseases: malaria and ...
Phys.org / AI use mirrors student schedules in study of 77,000 online learners
How do students actually use AI learning assistants? A new research paper by IU International University of Applied Sciences provides the first robust answers to this question. For the study "Using AI-based Learning Assistants ...
Phys.org / Unusual metal oxide shows signs of magnetism under lattice strain in ultrathin layers
Ruthenium dioxide (RuO2) is a metal oxide that commonly serves as an important metallic conductor, quantum material and industrial electrocatalyst. While there have been debates surrounding the magnetic properties of RuO2, ...
Phys.org / Brittany burial mounds may hide human-shaped stones as Coëby cemetery mystery deepens
For archaeologists, the Coëby cemetery in Brittany, France, is a gold mine for research. It contains several prehistoric stone monuments and earth mounds. In a new study of two unusually large mounds, scientists may have ...
Phys.org / Moonlight-like fur and feathers may explain Egyptian god Thoth's two animal forms
The ancient Egyptian god of the moon had two very different faces: a crescent-beaked white bird and a silver-coated baboon. Now, researchers think they may have found the common thread connecting them all.
Phys.org / Quantum computer completes verified task beyond practical reach of classical simulations
IBM and researchers from the University of Chicago announced a demonstration in quantum computing that meets the fundamental criteria for "quantum advantage"—the point where quantum computers can be confirmed to have outperformed ...
Phys.org / Pacific cloud brightening could weaken El Nino, but models reveal risks for Europe and Asia
A brewing "super" El Nino cycle is poised to unleash heat waves, floods and drought worldwide, with the effects amplified by long-term human-caused climate change.
Phys.org / AI opens new era in cognitive studies of wild primates
Scientists created an AI system that uses facial recognition and real-time touchscreen testing to automate cognitive studies of capuchin monkeys in the wild. The American Journal of Primatology published a proof-of-concept ...
