Genomic analysis solves the turtle mystery
The turtle has always been considered somewhat odd in evolutionary terms. In addition to lacking the hole in the skull—the temporal fenestra—that is characteristic of the egg-laying amniotes, the...
View ArticleSurvivor of stellar collision is new type of pulsating star
A team of astronomers from the UK, Germany and Spain have observed the remnant of a stellar collision and discovered that its brightness varies in a way not seen before on this rare type of star. By...
View ArticleClimate change threatens forest survival on drier, low-elevation sites
Predicted increases in temperature and drought in the coming century may make it more difficult for conifers such as ponderosa pine to regenerate after major forest fires on dry, low-elevation sites,...
View ArticleComplex activity patterns emerge from simple underlying laws
A new study from researchers at Uppsala University and University of Havana uses mathematic modeling and experiments on ants to show that a group is capable of developing flexible resource management...
View ArticleResearchers put chemistry lab on paper to detect low-quality medicine
(Phys.org) —Marya Lieberman, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Notre Dame, and her collaborators have recently published results that show the effectiveness of an...
View ArticleDrilling study finds faults after earthquakes heal faster than previously...
(Phys.org) —A team of Chinese researchers along with representatives from the US and Japan have found that ground fractures along fault lines due to earthquakes appear to heal faster than previously...
View ArticleAvoiding the digital 'flock': Author sees need for connectivity in a Web...
n an age of fast-paced globalization, society does a great job moving people and products across borders, author Ethan Zuckerman said Tuesday during a discussion sponsored by Harvard's Berkman Center...
View ArticleCan silver promote the colonization of bacteria on medical devices?
Biomaterials are increasingly being used to replace human organs and tissues. Since biomaterials are susceptible to microbial colonization, silver is often added to reduce the adhesion of bacteria to...
View ArticleRedefining adaptation, the study of how populations grow and survive
(Phys.org) —How do organisms adapt over time? Do they evolve through a series of small beneficial steps as envisioned by Charles Darwin, or through a series of rare but large jumps? Or through a...
View ArticlePhysicists tease out twisted torques of DNA
Like an impossibly twisted telephone cord, DNA, the molecule that encodes genetic information, also often finds itself twisted into coils. This twisting, called supercoiling, is caused by enzymes that...
View ArticleLionfish found following the current trend
In findings published today in the Marine Ecology Progress Series, researchers have found that ocean currents may explain why the Indo-Pacific lionfish Pterois volitans living in the Atlantic is yet to...
View ArticleSearching for objects in turbulent seas
Imagine an object was dropped in the stormy sea. It may be a life raft, a person overboard or a black box from an aircraft. One needs to find it, or at least predict where to search for it.
View ArticleBoat noise stops fish finding home
(Phys.org) —Boat noise disrupts orientation behaviour in larval coral reef fish, according to new research from the Universities of Bristol, Exeter and Liège. Reef fish are normally attracted by reef...
View ArticlePollution-fighting algae: Algae species holds potential for dual role as...
(Phys.org) —A hardy algae species is showing promise in both reducing power plant pollution and making biofuel, based on new research at the University of Delaware.
View ArticleThis image could lead to better antibiotics
(Phys.org) —This may look like a tangle of squiggly lines, but you're actually looking at a molecular machine called a ribosome. Its job is to translate DNA sequences into proteins, the workhorse...
View ArticleMajor changes needed for coral reef survival
To prevent coral reefs around the world from dying off, deep cuts in carbon dioxide emissions are required, says a new study from Carnegie's Katharine Ricke and Ken Caldeira. They find that all...
View ArticleScientists view 'protein origami' to help understand, prevent certain diseases
Scientists using sophisticated imaging techniques have observed a molecular protein folding process that may help medical researchers understand and treat diseases such as Alzheimer's, Lou Gehrig's and...
View ArticleMicrosoft launches prerelease 'Kinect for Windows developer kit program'
(Phys.org) —Microsoft has announced at its Build Development Event and via its website a new initiative the company is calling the Kinect for Windows developer kit program. The idea is to entice...
View ArticleIs it alive or dead? Team shows how to measure the thermal signatures of...
To the ancients, probing the philosophical question of how to distinguish the living from the dead centered on the "mystery of the vital heat." To modern microbiology, this question was always less...
View ArticleLarge-scale quantum chip validated
A team of scientists at USC has verified that quantum effects are indeed at play in the first commercial quantum optimization processor.
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