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Phys.org / The compleximer: New type of plastic mixes glass-like shaping with impact resistance

Researchers at Wageningen University & Research have developed a new type of plastic that, according to materials theory, should not be able to exist. Its properties sit somewhere between those of glass and plastic: it is ...

Feb 5, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Rare natural compound from teak tree shows promise for treating diabetes and lipid disorders

In a study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology on January 29, researchers from the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences identified a rare natural compound derived from ...

Feb 6, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Philadelphia communities help AI machine learning get better at spotting gentrification

Over the last several decades, urban planners and municipalities have sought to identify and better manage the socioeconomic dynamics associated with rapid development in established neighborhoods. The term "gentrification" ...

Feb 5, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Increasing pesticide toxicity threatens global biodiversity protection goal: Only one country is currently on target

At the 15th UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in Montreal, Canada, in 2022, nations committed to reducing the risks associated with pesticide use in agriculture by 50% by 2030. A new study by a research team from RPTUKaiserslautern-Landau, ...

Feb 5, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Surgery for quantum bits: Bit-flip errors corrected during superconducting qubit operations

Quantum computers hold great promise for exciting applications in the future, but for now they keep presenting physicists and engineers with a series of challenges and conundrums. One of them relates to decoherence and the ...

Feb 5, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Ultra-thin metasurface can generate and direct quantum entanglement

Quantum technologies, devices and systems that process, store, detect, or transfer information leveraging quantum mechanical effects, have the potential to outperform classical technologies in a variety of tasks. An ongoing ...

Feb 3, 2026 in Physics
Tech Xplore / AI agents debate more effectively when given personalities and the ability to interrupt

In a typical online meeting, humans don't always wait politely for their turn to speak. They interrupt to express strong agreement, stay silent when they are unsure, and let their personalities shape the flow of the discussion. ...

Feb 5, 2026 in Hi Tech & Innovation
Phys.org / Snowball Earth: Ancient Scottish rocks reveal annual climate cycles

Scientists at the University of Southampton have uncovered evidence from ancient rocks that Earth's climate continued to fluctuate during its most extreme ice age—known as Snowball Earth. During the Cryogenian Period, between ...

Feb 5, 2026 in Earth
Tech Xplore / Batteries from rust? Carbon spheres filled with iron oxide deliver high storage capacity

Conventional lithium-ion batteries contain problematic substances such as nickel and cobalt, and the solvents used to coat the electrode materials are also toxic. Materials scientists at Saarland University are therefore ...

Feb 5, 2026 in Engineering
Phys.org / MXenes for energy storage: More versatile than expected

MXene materials are promising candidates for a new energy storage technology. However, the processes by which the charge storage takes place were not yet fully understood. A team at HZB has examined, for the first time, individual ...

Feb 5, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Medical Xpress / Frozen on the ice: The brain science behind perfect Olympic timing

Olympic skiers, bobsledders and speed skaters all have to master one critical moment: when to start. As athletes prepare for the upcoming Winter Olympics, that split second is in the spotlight because when everyone is fast, ...

Feb 5, 2026 in Neuroscience
Phys.org / Two-day-old babies show brain signs of rhythm prediction, study finds

Babies are born with the ability to predict rhythm, according to a study published February 5 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Roberta Bianco from the Italian Institute of Technology, and colleagues.

Feb 5, 2026 in Biology