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Phys.org / Tiny oxygen gaps may determine whether next-generation memory films store data well

Researchers have captured in real time the "birth moment" when the performance of a next-generation memory material is determined. The key lies in controlling oxygen vacancies, microscopic defects created when oxygen atoms ...

9 hours ago in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Texas fossil reveals early insects kept aquatic limbs during move onto land

The formation of complex terrestrial ecosystems was a significant innovation in the evolutionary history of life on Earth. This event signified the expansion of life beyond marine environments and marked the beginning of ...

11 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / A few minutes of freezing can change the fate of iron in nature

Just a few minutes of freezing and thawing can have a decisive impact on how ferrihydrite, the most reactive iron mineral in cold soils, permafrost and glaciers, transforms, according to researchers at Umeå University. As ...

12 hours ago in Earth
Medical Xpress / Early nicotine vapor exposure increases nicotine seeking later in life, study finds

Nicotine vaping during adolescence may leave a lasting imprint on the brain's reward system, driving nicotine-seeking behavior well into adulthood even after long stretches without any exposure, according to new research ...

Aug 26, 2026 in
Phys.org / 3D atomic imaging reveals a new pathway to crystal formation

The most common scientific approach for thinking about how condensation, freezing and other phase transitions begin is based in classical nucleation theory, which was developed about a century ago. Thousands of experiments ...

Aug 25, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Chemical physicists quantitatively model electron interactions in real quantum materials

A team of scientists from Caltech and Yale University has shown for the first time how to accurately quantify an important quantum phenomenon in metals, called the Kondo effect, for specific real materials. Unlike previous ...

Aug 25, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Large mammals alter soil chemistry and increase fertility in the Atlantic Forest

A study published in the journal Ecological Monographs indicates that large mammals, such as tapirs, peccaries, agoutis and deer, alter the chemical composition of litter and soil in tropical forests of the Brazilian Atlantic ...

Aug 25, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / New study reveals how space rocks become meteorites

What happens to a space rock as it falls through Earth's atmosphere and becomes a meteorite? By studying 75 meteorite falls captured on video and in photographs, researchers identified seven distinct phases in the journey ...

Aug 24, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / How chromosomes find their partners

For a long time, so-called satellite DNA was considered largely worthless. Now, ETH Zurich researchers have shown in fruit flies that these repetitive sections of genetic material act as a kind of barcode, enabling the correct ...

Aug 24, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / The superconducting gap of an ultrathin nickelate defies expectations

Superconductors are materials that carry electrical current with zero resistance below a specific critical temperature. In conventional superconductors, the transition to superconductivity generally occurs at very low temperatures.

Aug 23, 2026 in Physics
Tech Xplore / Seeing beneath the surface during metal additive manufacturing

When we watch a metal part being built by laser-based metal additive manufacturing (AM), we're only seeing part of the story. In one kind of metal AM process, a high-powered laser sweeps across a bed of metal powder, creating ...

Aug 21, 2026 in Engineering
Phys.org / Iron hydride enters an exotic state of matter under Earth's inner-core conditions

Earth's inner core, composed primarily of iron with a small percentage of light elements, may enter a superionic state at extreme pressure and temperature, according to experimental results from researchers at Science Tokyo. ...

Aug 21, 2026 in Earth