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Phys.org / Hydrogel switches from liquid to gel at body temperature, enabling easy removal
What if a doctor could inject an electricity-conducting liquid into the body, let it temporarily solidify to record nerve signals or jump-start healing, and then return it to liquid form for easy removal?
Phys.org / Observing ultrafast magnetic domain changes at the nanoscale with soft X-rays
Scientists at the Max Born Institute have developed a new soft X-ray instrument that can reveal dynamics of magnetic domains on nanometer length and picosecond time scales. By bringing capabilities once exclusive to X-ray ...
Tech Xplore / Acoustic waves act like tiny hands to move objects thanks to a new chip
Acoustic waves are best known as the invisible delivery agents bringing voices, car horns, or our favorite song to our ears. But the waves can also move physical objects, like an item vibrating atop a concert speaker—offering ...
Phys.org / An adolescent growth spurt in young stars helps giant planets form
Stars form in massive clouds of gas called molecular clouds. As they form, they accrete gas from these clouds, and as the stars rotate, gas and dust accumulates in a rotating disk around the star called a protoplanetary disk. ...
Phys.org / The hexatic phase: Ultra-thin 2D materials in a state between solid and liquid observed for the first time
When ice melts into water, it happens quickly, with the transition from solid to liquid being immediate. However, very thin materials do not adhere to these rules. Instead, an unusual state between solid and liquid arises: ...
Phys.org / High-energy-density barocaloric material could enable smaller, lighter solid-state cooling devices
A collaborative research team from the Institute of Solid State Physics, the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has discovered a high-energy-density barocaloric effect in the plastic ...
Phys.org / Seeing inside smart gels: Scientists capture dynamic behavior under stress
Advances in materials science have led to the development of "smart materials," whose properties do not remain static but change in response to external stimuli. One such material is poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), or PNIPAM, ...
Phys.org / Smart material instantly changes colors on demand for use in textiles and consumer products
Scientists have developed a revolutionary technique for creating colors that can change on command. These are structural colors that don't rely on dyes or pigments and can be used for display signage, adaptive camouflage ...
Phys.org / Studies reevaluate reverse weathering process, shifting understanding of global climate
Two new publications remap the understanding of reverse weathering in the scientific community. The Dauphin Island Sea Lab's Senior Marine Scientist, Dr. Jeffrey Krause, played a key role in both projects, which include several ...
Phys.org / Searching for landslide clues in seismic signals from Alaska's Barry Arm
Since 2020, the Barry Landslide in Alaska's Prince William Sound has been outfitted with instruments monitoring seismic signals from the area, as researchers hope to catch a destructive, tsunami-generating landslide before ...
Phys.org / What happens to creams and drugs in space? Behavior of soft matter in weightlessness studied
The shelf life of a sunscreen, the stability of mayonnaise, the effectiveness of a drug; these all depend on what is happening within the materials that make up gels or glasses, disordered structures that change slowly over ...
Phys.org / Wetlands trap toxic metals after battery plant fire scatters debris
When fire broke out at the world's largest battery energy storage facility in January 2025, its thick smoke blanketed surrounding wetlands, farms and nearby communities on the central California coast.
