All News

Phys.org / 'Pac-Man' enzyme breaks down bioplastics and penicillin in laboratory tests

In the ocean, plastic waste collects to form large garbage patches that endanger marine life. This is partly because the synthetic plastic polymers used today can only be broken down biologically—that is, by microorganisms—at ...

Sep 2, 2026
Phys.org / Microbes—dead or alive—can be early indicators of soil health under regenerative farming

Researchers have demonstrated a series of biological tests that could serve as "proxies" for measuring how different regenerative agriculture practices could improve soil carbon—years before it would be possible to measure ...

Sep 3, 2026
Phys.org / Scientists studying cockroach milk and nose-blowing win Ig Nobel prizes for quirky science

Ten research teams were honored Thursday at a satirical science awards ceremony that was hosted outside the U.S. for the first time due to travel concerns.

Sep 3, 2026
Phys.org / 'Power of disorder' tames CF₄, a semiconductor greenhouse gas that can persist for 50,000 years

Among the gases used in semiconductor manufacturing, tetrafluoromethane (CF₄) is a greenhouse gas more than 6,000 times as potent as carbon dioxide.

Sep 3, 2026
Phys.org / Permafrost melt could cost $261 billion in infrastructure damages, study suggests

A new study provides insight into the economic impact of melting permafrost on Arctic communities. Permafrost is ground that permanently remains below freezing for at least two consecutive years. Permafrost covers about 24% ...

Sep 3, 2026
Phys.org / First switchable graphene nanoribbon that twists on demand

Researchers at Nagoya University have built a graphene nanoribbon that can switch the direction of its twist using a natural solvent. Graphene nanoribbons are thin, ribbon-shaped structures made of fused carbon rings. Twisted ...

Sep 3, 2026
Phys.org / Nanoscale multiferroic materials open the path to efficient magnetic memory technology

With the rapid spread of cloud computing, artificial intelligence and data centers, global energy consumption is rising to new heights. A promising way to reduce this burden is to develop memory devices that store information ...

Sep 3, 2026
Tech Xplore / Why organic chemistry may help build AI that can explain its answers

While most believe artificial intelligence (AI) is changing science, researchers at the University of Notre Dame are exploring the reverse.

Sep 3, 2026
Phys.org / Trees use a 'muscle' to correct their posture—a newly discovered role for tension wood

A research team from INRAE and the University Clermont Auvergne has shown that trees are capable of correcting a curvature they detect in their stems through a specific biological process. In the study, young trees with bent ...

Sep 2, 2026
Phys.org / 'Green thumb' molecule helps leaf stalks grow in crowded conditions

Potassium (K) is one of the three essential nutrients for plants. It plays a critical role in a wide range of processes, including cell growth, photosynthesis and regulation of water balance. Plants take up K from the soil ...

Sep 3, 2026
Phys.org / Old-growth tropical forests bear lasting legacy of ancient Maya civilization

Rainforests in Central America that have remained largely untouched by modern human activities could bear the invisible imprint of ancient Maya civilizations. New research has found that forest structure in Belize, such as ...

Sep 1, 2026
Medical Xpress / Some hair loss in men is linked to weight loss drug use

Men already genetically at risk for the most common form of hair loss have a 7% added risk of losing their hair if they use drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy and Zepbound for type 2 diabetes and obesity, a new study shows.

Sep 3, 2026