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Today's briefTwo genes, two harvests: Adapting barley for double croppingphys.org · 1h ago
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Two genes, two harvests: Adapting barley for double cropping

Growing two crops in succession on the same land requires a tight schedule. In parts of central and eastern China, farmers sow barley in autumn and harvest it in late spring. It is then followed by a summer crop, such as rice. For this cropping sequence to succeed, the barley mus

Brief phys.org · 1h ago · 1 min
A simple supplement may help clear brain fog after cancer

A surprising new study from UCLA suggests that a naturally occurring molecule could help breast cancer survivors overcome the frustrating brain fog and exhaustion that can linger long after treatment ends. Researchers found that women taking an oxaloacetate supplement for eight w

Brief sciencedaily.com · 6h ago · 1 min
'Stupendously large' primordial black holes ruled out as a dark matter source

Primordial black holes are hypothetical objects that could have formed directly from dense clumps of matter in the very early universe. If they exist, their dramatic origins would set them apart from the black holes we see today, which form when massive stars collapse. Some theor

Brief phys.org · 1d ago · 2 min
Stronger flu shot linked to nearly 55% lower Alzheimer's risk

A surprising new study suggests that a stronger flu shot could offer older adults significantly greater protection against Alzheimer's disease. Researchers at UTHealth Houston analyzed nearly 200,000 adults ages 65 and older and found that those who received a high-dose influenza

Brief sciencedaily.com · 2d ago · 1 min
Personalized savings reminders can help boost retirement savings

Private retirement savings are an increasingly important topic in public debate. One popular idea is to phrase savings reminders in one of two ways: either you emphasize what someone stands to lose if they don't save, or you emphasize what they stand to gain if they do. To date,

Brief phys.org · 2d ago · 1 min
Disasters and debt. Escaping the 'climate-debt doom loop'

It took around 480,000 trucks to haul away 4.8 million metric tons (5.3 million tons) of rubble across western Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa tore through the Caribbean in 2025, United Nations satellites showed.

Brief phys.org · 3d ago · 2 min

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Chirality of 'trions' illuminates new paths for quantum optics

Scientists from Tokyo Metropolitan University have discovered that charged states made of two electrons and a positively charged hole (or vice versa) on atomically thin rolls of carbon atoms have a structure-derived "handedness" in how they interact with light. While electron-hol

phys.org · 25m ago
How bacteria build the molecular bushing of the flagellar motor

The bacterial flagellum is a motility organelle that enables bacteria to swim and is composed of more than 30 different proteins. Researchers have long sought to understand how this complex nanomachine self-assembles from many parts in the correct order and at the correct positio

phys.org · 45m ago
Protecting the vulnerable Y chromosome at the beginning of development

It's known that the Y chromosome, which confers male sex, plays a big role in development and health, despite its small size. As cells age they frequently lose their Y chromosomes, which is associated with conditions like cancer, Alzheimer's disease and heart disease.

phys.org · 45m ago
Ancient underwater canyons reveal clues to the world's oldest animal life

Geologists have uncovered new evidence that dramatic sea-level changes carved giant underwater canyons in South Australia's Flinders Ranges hundreds of millions of years ago, helping to create conditions that preserved some of the earliest complex life on Earth. The findings, led

phys.org · 1h ago
Two genes, two harvests: Adapting barley for double cropping

Growing two crops in succession on the same land requires a tight schedule. In parts of central and eastern China, farmers sow barley in autumn and harvest it in late spring. It is then followed by a summer crop, such as rice. For this cropping sequence to succeed, the barley mus

phys.org · 1h ago
The migration that remade Africa

It's not easy to extract iron from its ore. But the peoples of the ancient city of Great Zimbabwe—the capital of a thriving kingdom in southern Africa between A.D. 1000 and 1700—were masters.

phys.org · 2h ago
A hummingbird's brilliant magenta feathers depend on a hidden middle layer

The brilliant magenta feathers on the head and throat of a male Anna's hummingbird present an optical puzzle. Magenta cannot be produced by a single wavelength of light. Instead, the feathers reflect a mixture of red and blue. Scientists understood the strong red reflection, but

phys.org · 3h ago

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