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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <rss version="2.0" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/"> <channel> <title>Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories</title> <link>https://phys.org/</link> <language>en-us</language> <description>Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine.</description> <item> <title>AcrVIB1: The unexpected anti-CRISPR protein that tightens RNA binding</title> <description>The CRISPR-Cas gene scissors offer a wide range of potential applications, from the treatment of genetic diseases to antiviral therapies and diagnostics. However, to safely harness their powers, scientists are searching for mechanisms that can regulate or inhibit the systems' activity. Enter the anti-CRISPR protein AcrVIB1, a promising inhibitor whose exact function has remained a mystery—until now.</description> <link>https://phys.org/news/2025-02-acrvib1-unexpected-anti-crispr-protein.html</link> <category>Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology </category> <pubDate>Mon, 17 Feb 2025 13:30:03 EST</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">news659021401</guid> <media:thumbnail url="https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/tmb/2025/refining-the-crispr-sc.jpg" width="90" height="90" /> </item> <item> <title>Why did life evolve to be so colorful? Research is starting to give us some answers</title> <description>Picture a primordial Earth: a world of muted browns, grays and greens. Fast forward to today, and Earth teems with a kaleidoscope of colors. From the stunning feathers of male peacocks to the vivid blooms of flowers, the story of how Earth became colorful is one of evolution. But how and why did this explosion of color happen? Recent research is giving us clues into this part of Earth's narrative.</description> <link>https://phys.org/news/2025-02-life-evolve.html</link> <category>Evolution </category> <pubDate>Mon, 17 Feb 2025 13:19:09 EST</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">news659020741</guid> <media:thumbnail url="https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/tmb/2025/peacock.jpg" width="90" height="90" /> </item> <item> <title>The threat of 3D-printed 'ghost guns' is growing, but NZ has yet to act on these three big legal gaps</title> <description>It's an unfortunate fact that bad people sometimes want guns. And while laws are designed to prevent guns falling into the wrong hands, the determined criminal can be highly resourceful.</description> <link>https://phys.org/news/2025-02-threat-3d-ghost-guns-nz.html</link> <category>Political science </category> <pubDate>Mon, 17 Feb 2025 13:18:55 EST</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">news659020730</guid> <media:thumbnail url="https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/tmb/2025/plastic-gun.jpg" width="90" height="90" /> </item> <item> <title>Cytology brushes: A new way to decipher the past with DNA from parchment pages</title> <description>At NC State University, an English professor is searching for clues from the past. He's looked back as far as the eighth century, knowing that lessons learned from medieval texts could benefit modern civilization for many years to come.</description> <link>https://phys.org/news/2025-02-cytology-decipher-dna-parchment-pages.html</link> <category>Archaeology </category> <pubDate>Mon, 17 Feb 2025 13:18:29 EST</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">news659020700</guid> <media:thumbnail url="https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/tmb/2025/cytology-brushes-a-new.jpg" width="90" height="90" /> </item> <item> <title>Efforts to archive climate data intensify as government limits access</title> <description>Information on the internet might seem like it's there forever, but it's only as permanent as people choose to make it.</description> <link>https://phys.org/news/2025-02-efforts-archive-climate-limits-access.html</link> <category>Environment </category> <pubDate>Mon, 17 Feb 2025 13:18:05 EST</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">news659020682</guid> <media:thumbnail url="https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/tmb/2025/how-to-find-climate-da.jpg" width="90" height="90" /> </item> <item> <title>A new theory explains how water first arrived on Earth</title> <description>When Earth first formed, it was too hot to retain ice. This means all the water on our planet must have originated from extraterrestrial sources. Studies of ancient terrestrial rocks suggest liquid water existed on Earth as early as 100 million years after the sun's formation–practically "immediately" on an astrophysical timescale. This water, now over 4.5 billion years old, has been perpetually renewed through Earth's water cycle.</description> <link>https://phys.org/news/2025-02-theory-earth.html</link> <category>Astrobiology Planetary Sciences </category> <pubDate>Mon, 17 Feb 2025 13:17:04 EST</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">news659020621</guid> <media:thumbnail url="https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/tmb/2017/earth.jpg" width="90" height="90" /> </item> <item> <title>Cutting funding for science can have consequences for the economy and US technological competitiveness</title> <description>America has already lost its global competitive edge in science, and funding cuts proposed in early 2025 may further a precipitous decline.</description> <link>https://phys.org/news/2025-02-funding-science-consequences-economy-technological.html</link> <category>Economics & Business Political science </category> <pubDate>Mon, 17 Feb 2025 13:16:05 EST</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">news659020562</guid> <media:thumbnail url="https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/tmb/2025/science-lab.jpg" width="90" height="90" /> </item> <item> <title>Top Greek scientist says the Santorini earthquake outlook remains uncertain</title> <description>The Greek government's chief seismologist says the frequency of earthquakes affecting Santorini and nearby islands has eased in recent days, but that the outlook for continued tremors in the coming weeks remains uncertain.</description> <link>https://phys.org/news/2025-02-greek-scientist-santorini-earthquake-outlook.html</link> <category>Environment </category> <pubDate>Mon, 17 Feb 2025 13:14:41 EST</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">news659020477</guid> <media:thumbnail url="https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/tmb/2025/top-greek-scientist-sa.jpg" width="90" height="90" /> </item> <item> <title>Wage theft rises sharply in LA fast food restaurants</title> <description>Minimum wage violations are rising sharply at fast food restaurants in Los Angeles and surrounding areas, according to a report by researchers at Northwestern University and Rutgers University. At least one in every four workers was illegally paid below the minimum wage in 2024, costing the average victim nearly $3,500 and totaling $44 million in lost wages annually across the region.</description> <link>https://phys.org/news/2025-02-wage-theft-sharply-la-fast.html</link> <category>Economics & Business </category> <pubDate>Mon, 17 Feb 2025 13:13:14 EST</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">news659020392</guid> <media:thumbnail url="https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/tmb/2020/fastfood.jpg" width="90" height="90" /> </item> <item> <title>Afghan families face dire choices as USAID cuts deepen humanitarian crisis</title> <description>The dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) is a serious blow to the soft power of the United States and disastrous for many poor countries where it helps provide humanitarian, health and educational services.</description> <link>https://phys.org/news/2025-02-afghan-families-dire-choices-usaid.html</link> <category>Economics & Business Political science </category> <pubDate>Mon, 17 Feb 2025 13:05:04 EST</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">news659019902</guid> <media:thumbnail url="https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/tmb/2025/afghanistan-1.jpg" width="90" height="90" /> </item> <item> <title>Congress, not the president, decides on spending—a constitutional law professor explains the 'power of the purse'</title> <description>Because of the Trump administration's efforts to cut staff and spending, Congress' "power of the purse" has been in the news lately. Many of these actions have been challenged in court.</description> <link>https://phys.org/news/2025-02-congress-constitutional-law-professor-power.html</link> <category>Economics & Business Political science </category> <pubDate>Mon, 17 Feb 2025 13:03:03 EST</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">news659019781</guid> <media:thumbnail url="https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/tmb/2025/coin-purse.jpg" width="90" height="90" /> </item> <item> <title>Apple Cider Vinegar: How social media gave rise to fraudulent wellness influencers</title> <description>The new Netflix series "Apple Cider Vinegar" tells the story of wellness influencer Belle Gibson, who built a loyal following on social media by documenting her cancer journey online. But in 2015, Gibson was exposed as a fraud. She never had cancer, and lied about donating funds to charities and ill children.</description> <link>https://phys.org/news/2025-02-apple-cider-vinegar-social-media.html</link> <category>Social Sciences </category> <pubDate>Mon, 17 Feb 2025 13:01:04 EST</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">news659019662</guid> <media:thumbnail url="https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/tmb/2025/blogger.jpg" width="90" height="90" /> </item> <item> <title>Birds traversing longest distances across Americas found to be at highest risk</title> <description>Scientists with the National Audubon Society published research in Nature Ecology & Evolution that will help inform global efforts to protect migratory birds. In the study, "Multispecies migratory connectivity indicates hemispheric-scale risk to bird populations from global change," the researchers propose a new way to measure risk and identify where conservation efforts are most needed for species that travel between specific breeding and non-breeding regions across North, Central and South America and the Caribbean.</description> <link>https://phys.org/news/2025-02-birds-traversing-longest-distances-americas.html</link> <category>Plants & Animals Ecology </category> <pubDate>Mon, 17 Feb 2025 12:43:03 EST</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">news659018581</guid> <media:thumbnail url="https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/tmb/2025/birds-traversing-the-l.jpg" width="90" height="90" /> </item> <item> <title>Why people develop 'the ick' regarding potential dating targets</title> <description>A trio of psychologists at Azusa Pacific University in the U.S. has identified a possible reason for people experiencing a sudden negative reaction to a potential dating partner that has come to be known colloquially as "the ick." The ick, the researchers suggest, is likely tied to something much deeper than what initially seems obvious—the way a person combs their hair, for example, or how they look in shorts.</description> <link>https://phys.org/news/2025-02-people-ick-potential-dating.html</link> <category>Social Sciences </category> <pubDate>Mon, 17 Feb 2025 12:36:26 EST</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">news659018178</guid> <media:thumbnail url="https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/tmb/2018/angrycouple.jpg" width="90" height="90" /> </item> <item> <title>What does the US public think about sending troops to foreign wars? Here's what the evidence shows</title> <description>The US public's commitment to sending its sons and daughters to war has declined in recent years. Polls suggest that US involvement in modern conflicts is more likely to be viewed as mistaken than in the early and middle parts of the 20th century. Today, around 47% of Americans consider the Iraq war a mistake, and 43% feel the same about the war in Afghanistan.</description> <link>https://phys.org/news/2025-02-troops-foreign-wars-evidence.html</link> <category>Political science </category> <pubDate>Mon, 17 Feb 2025 12:27:42 EST</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">news659017660</guid> <media:thumbnail url="https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/tmb/2019/militaryus.jpg" width="90" height="90" /> </item> <item> <title>Amish voters for Trump? The Amish and the religion factor in Republican electoral politics</title> <description>On November 5, 2024, as millions of Americans headed to the polls, billionaire Elon Musk posted a video on his social media platform X depicting a caravan of Amish individuals traveling via horse and buggy to vote for Donald Trump. The following day, in response to a post expressing gratitude to the Amish for their contribution to Trump's victory, Musk wrote: "The Amish may very well save America! Thank goodness for them. And let's keep the government out of their lives." Musk's tweets underscore the growing prominence of religion in US politics and the Republican party's efforts to integrate the Amish into its electorate.</description> <link>https://phys.org/news/2025-02-amish-voters-trump-religion-factor.html</link> <category>Political science </category> <pubDate>Mon, 17 Feb 2025 12:26:43 EST</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">news659017599</guid> <media:thumbnail url="https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/tmb/2025/amish.jpg" width="90" height="90" /> </item> <item> <title>Could Elon Musk's government takeover happen in the UK? A constitutional law expert's view</title> <description>It has been less than a month since Donald Trump retook the Oval Office. But with dozens of executive orders, every day has brought substantial change.</description> <link>https://phys.org/news/2025-02-elon-musk-takeover-uk-constitutional.html</link> <category>Political science </category> <pubDate>Mon, 17 Feb 2025 12:25:42 EST</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">news659017539</guid> <media:thumbnail url="https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/tmb/2024/big-ben-parliament-in.jpg" width="90" height="90" /> </item> <item> <title>Nonprofits get more donations when they vary their Facebook fundraising messages—new research</title> <description>When nonprofits use multiple strategies during their online fundraising campaigns, such as thanking donors for their support, telling the public about their missions and conveying how they are helping people, they receive more donations than if they stick to only one kind of post.</description> <link>https://phys.org/news/2025-02-nonprofits-donations-vary-facebook-fundraising.html</link> <category>Social Sciences Economics & Business </category> <pubDate>Mon, 17 Feb 2025 12:24:40 EST</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">news659017478</guid> <media:thumbnail url="https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/tmb/2022/donate.jpg" width="90" height="90" /> </item> <item> <title>How Americans really feel about deporting immigrants—3 charts explain the conflicting headlines from recent polls</title> <description>President Donald Trump's signature promise during his campaign was to carry out the "largest deportation" operation in U.S. history, targeting all migrants "who violated the law coming into this country."</description> <link>https://phys.org/news/2025-02-americans-deporting-immigrants-conflicting-headlines.html</link> <category>Political science </category> <pubDate>Mon, 17 Feb 2025 12:23:41 EST</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">news659017418</guid> <media:thumbnail url="https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/tmb/2020/deportation.jpg" width="90" height="90" /> </item> <item> <title>Namibia's Shark Island: Europe's push for green hydrogen risks compromising sites of colonial genocide</title> <description>In September 2025, Namibia will host the Global African Hydrogen Summit. The Namibian government has ambitions to turn the country into a leading producer of green hydrogen for export to markets in Europe and elsewhere. However, the lands and waters now regarded as being essential to Europe's energy transition are tied to traumatic memories of colonial violence; especially the ocean, which is the final resting place for thousands of Namibians.</description> <link>https://phys.org/news/2025-02-namibia-shark-island-europe-green.html</link> <category>Environment </category> <pubDate>Mon, 17 Feb 2025 12:22:40 EST</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">news659017357</guid> <media:thumbnail url="https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/tmb/2025/namibia-flag.jpg" width="90" height="90" /> </item> <item> <title>Why do skiers sunburn so easily on the slopes? A snow scientist explains</title> <description>It's extremely easy to get sunburned while you're skiing and snowboarding in the mountains, but have you ever wondered why?</description> <link>https://phys.org/news/2025-02-skiers-sunburn-easily-slopes-scientist.html</link> <category>Environment </category> <pubDate>Mon, 17 Feb 2025 12:21:39 EST</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">news659017297</guid> <media:thumbnail url="https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/tmb/2025/why-do-skiers-sunburn.jpg" width="90" height="90" /> </item> <item> <title>Why is there so much gold in west Africa?</title> <description>Militaries that have taken power in Africa's Sahel region—notably Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger—have put pressure on western mining firms for a fairer distribution of revenue from the lucrative mining sector.</description> <link>https://phys.org/news/2025-02-gold-west-africa.html</link> <category>Earth Sciences </category> <pubDate>Mon, 17 Feb 2025 12:20:39 EST</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">news659017236</guid> <media:thumbnail url="https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/tmb/2022/gold-nugget.jpg" width="90" height="90" /> </item> <item> <title>Green staghorn coral may be more likely to survive ocean warming if crabs are around</title> <description>A team of environmental scientists at Duke University, working with colleagues from the University of New South Wales, the University of Queensland and the University of California, has found that green staghorn coral around Heron Island (part of the Great Barrier Reef) are more likely to survive warming water temperatures if hoof-clawed crabs live in the near vicinity.</description> <link>https://phys.org/news/2025-02-green-staghorn-coral-survive-ocean.html</link> <category>Plants & Animals Ecology </category> <pubDate>Mon, 17 Feb 2025 12:20:01 EST</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">news659015157</guid> <media:thumbnail url="https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/tmb/2025/green-staghorn-coral-m.jpg" width="90" height="90" /> </item> <item> <title>Evolving intelligent life took billions of years—but it may not have been as unlikely as many scientists predicted</title> <description>A popular model of evolution concludes that it was incredibly unlikely for humanity to evolve on Earth, and that extraterrestrial intelligence is vanishingly rare.</description> <link>https://phys.org/news/2025-02-evolving-intelligent-life-billions-years.html</link> <category>Astrobiology Planetary Sciences </category> <pubDate>Mon, 17 Feb 2025 12:17:37 EST</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">news659017055</guid> <media:thumbnail url="https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/tmb/2025/evolving-intelligent-l.jpg" width="90" height="90" /> </item> <item> <title>'I feel constant anxiety': How caring for a seriously unwell pet can lead to stress and burnout</title> <description>Living with a pet brings many benefits, including constant presence, love and support. Pet ownership is also linked with a lower long-term risk of early death.</description> <link>https://phys.org/news/2025-02-constant-anxiety-unwell-pet-stress.html</link> <category>Veterinary medicine </category> <pubDate>Mon, 17 Feb 2025 12:16:37 EST</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">news659016994</guid> <media:thumbnail url="https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/tmb/2023/old-dog.jpg" width="90" height="90" /> </item> <item> <title>Some fish adapt faster than others to changes in water temperature</title> <description>When exposed to an increase in the water temperature of their habitat, zebrafish, three-spined stickleback and flounder adapt more quickly than goldsinny wrasse, which dwells in deeper waters.</description> <link>https://phys.org/news/2025-02-fish-faster-temperature.html</link> <category>Plants & Animals Ecology </category> <pubDate>Mon, 17 Feb 2025 12:00:04 EST</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">news659016001</guid> <media:thumbnail url="https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/tmb/2025/some-fish-adapt-faster.jpg" width="90" height="90" /> </item> <item> <title>Is AI already shaking up the labor market? Four trends point to major change</title> <description>A new paper by Harvard economists David Deming and Lawrence H. Summers offers early evidence of artificial intelligence shaking up the workforce.</description> <link>https://phys.org/news/2025-02-ai-labor-trends-major.html</link> <category>Economics & Business </category> <pubDate>Mon, 17 Feb 2025 11:57:05 EST</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">news659015821</guid> <media:thumbnail url="https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/tmb/2025/is-ai-already-shaking.jpg" width="90" height="90" /> </item> <item> <title>Designing antivirals for shape-shifting viruses</title> <description>Viruses, like those that cause COVID-19 or HIV, are formidable opponents once they invade our bodies. Antiviral treatments strive to block a virus or halt its replication. However, viruses are dynamic—constantly evolving and changing shape, which can make designing antiviral treatments a challenge.</description> <link>https://phys.org/news/2025-02-antivirals-shifting-viruses.html</link> <category>Molecular & Computational biology </category> <pubDate>Mon, 17 Feb 2025 11:54:03 EST</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">news659015641</guid> <media:thumbnail url="https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/tmb/2025/designing-antivirals-f.jpg" width="90" height="90" /> </item> <item> <title>Maugean skate return to levels not seen for a decade, but not out of the woods yet</title> <description>Scientists have seen a recent upward trend in the relative abundance of Maugean skate in Macquarie Harbor and it's a potential sign that the wild population of this iconic endangered species has improved, with research catch rates returning to levels last seen in 2014.</description> <link>https://phys.org/news/2025-02-maugean-skate-decade-woods.html</link> <category>Plants & Animals Ecology </category> <pubDate>Mon, 17 Feb 2025 11:50:26 EST</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">news659015424</guid> <media:thumbnail url="https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/tmb/2025/maugean-skate-return-t.jpg" width="90" height="90" /> </item> <item> <title>Special microscope system can measure how individual phytoplankton cells are using energy</title> <description>Phytoplankton, tiny plant-like organisms in the ocean, are incredibly important for life on Earth. They're a major food source for many sea creatures and produce almost half the oxygen we breathe. They also help control the climate by soaking up a lot of carbon dioxide, a gas that contributes to global warming.</description> <link>https://phys.org/news/2025-02-special-microscope-individual-phytoplankton-cells.html</link> <category>Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology </category> <pubDate>Mon, 17 Feb 2025 11:47:13 EST</pubDate> <guid isPermaLink="false">news659015227</guid> <media:thumbnail url="https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/tmb/2025/a-new-system-to-study-1.jpg" width="90" height="90" /> </item> </channel> </rss>