All News

Phys.org / Sunlight-powered process turns plastic waste into acetic acid without added emissions

Researchers at the University of Waterloo have discovered a way to turn plastic waste into acetic acid, the main ingredient of vinegar, using sunlight. The breakthrough offers a promising new approach to reducing plastic ...

Feb 23, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / A new form of aluminum unlocks sustainable and cheaper catalysts

A research team at King's College London has isolated a new form of aluminum—a highly abundant metal, that could provide a far cheaper and more sustainable alternative to commonly used rare earth metals. Dr. Clare Bakewell, ...

Feb 23, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Twisting optical fiber creates a robust new pathway for light

Light powers everything from communications to sensing, yet even tiny imperfections can scatter it and weaken signals. To address this, a team led by the University of Bath—working with the University of Cambridge and international ...

Feb 23, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Extreme heat waves trigger unexpected nanoparticle formation in air

Tiny aerosol particles in the air play a big role in regulating how much sunlight our planet absorbs or reflects, and how clouds form above us. In a recent study, researchers found that extreme heat waves can trigger new ...

Feb 22, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Automated catalyst testing uses two coordinated robots, cutting 32 days of work to 17 hours

A technology has been developed that uses robots rather than humans to evaluate the performance of newly developed catalysts. By operating 45 times faster than manual work while also improving precision, it is expected to ...

Feb 23, 2026 in Chemistry
Medical Xpress / Why do falls rise with age? Study points to cerebellar neuron firing

A new McGill University study has found a direct link between age-related declines in neuron activity in the cerebellum and worsening motor skills, including gait, balance and agility. While it is well known that these abilities ...

Feb 23, 2026 in Neuroscience
Medical Xpress / Patients want bigger benefits from statins before they consider taking them, finds new study

Heart disease remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. To lower this risk, doctors prescribe statin drugs that reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the type that can accumulate in the arteries and ...

Feb 22, 2026 in Medications
Phys.org / 5,000-year-old bureaucracy: Over 7,000 prehistoric seal impressions uncovered in western Iran

In the journal Antiquity, Dr. Shokouh Khosravi published preliminary findings of the largest known corpus of prehistoric seal impressions in the entire ancient world. The corpus, made up of over 7,000 seal impressions, more ...

Feb 22, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Quantum computers go high-dimensional with a four-state photon gate

The collaboration of TU Wien with research groups in China has resulted in a crucial building block for a new kind of quantum computer: The realization of a novel type of quantum logic gate makes it possible to carry out ...

Feb 23, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Quantum reservoir computing peaks at the edge of many-body chaos, study suggests

Reservoir computing is a promising machine learning-based approach for the analysis of data that changes over time, such as weather patterns, recorded speech or stock market trends. Classical reservoir computing techniques ...

Feb 22, 2026 in Physics
Tech Xplore / Quantum materials could enable the solar-powered production of hydrogen from water

Hydrogen fuel is a promising alternative to fossil fuels that only emits water vapor when used and could thus help to lower greenhouse gas emissions on Earth. In the future, it could potentially be used to fuel heavy-duty ...

Feb 22, 2026 in Energy & Green Tech
Phys.org / System isolates single extracellular vesicle surface proteins to map function

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are tiny biological bubbles that carry nucleic acids and proteins between cells, playing an essential role in tissue repair, neuroprotection and immune health. By isolating the surface proteins ...

Feb 23, 2026 in Nanotechnology