All News

Phys.org / Old bottles and battery acid can drive production of valuable industrial chemicals

Battery acid from old cars, with a little help from a catalyst, can give plastic waste a new purpose, using it to drive the production of useful chemicals, powered by sunlight alone. A recent study by researchers at the University ...

May 8, 2026
Phys.org / Ancient sea fossils indicate millipede and centipede ancestors evolved their legs while still underwater

The myriapoda group of arthropods includes the many-legged centipedes and millipedes that most people are familiar with. Although myriapods are all terrestrial creatures, researchers are unclear about when and how they evolved ...

May 7, 2026
Phys.org / The first direct observation of laser-created isolated hopfions

Over the past few decades, some physicists worldwide have been investigating unusual particle-like magnetic structures known as topological solitons. These structures could potentially be leveraged to develop new cutting-edge ...

May 8, 2026
Phys.org / Q&A: How jellyfish bycatch could be a valuable collagen source for cosmetics and biotech

Dr. Ainara Ballesteros is a Juan de la Cierva postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Environment and Marine Science Research at the Catholic University of Valencia, where she leads a research group focused on jellyfish ...

May 11, 2026
Phys.org / A vital Atlantic current is fading far faster, threatening Europe, Africa and North America by 2100

A key Atlantic Ocean current system that helps regulate the planet's climate could weaken more than expected by 2100, with potentially devastating consequences worldwide, a new study has found.

May 10, 2026
Medical Xpress / Gold-coated microneedles can detect subtleties in how liver and kidneys process drugs in real time

Scientists have taken a giant leap forward with the development of tiny microneedles designed to detect subtle but critical changes in how the liver and kidneys process therapeutic drugs. The experimental technology, under ...

May 8, 2026
Phys.org / A close brush with Mars will reshape NASA's Psyche journey in a way few missions attempt

NASA's Psyche spacecraft will get a boost from Mars on Friday, May 15, passing just 2,800 miles (4,500 kilometers) from the planet's surface at some 12,333 mph (19,848 kph). The spacecraft will harness the planet's gravitational ...

May 9, 2026
Phys.org / Genetics link Angola's 'ghost elephants' to populations hundreds of miles away

For more than a decade, conservation biologist Steve Boyes searched for "ghost elephants"—nocturnal giants rumored to roam a remote, high-altitude wetland in eastern Angola. When a motion-sensor camera finally captured their ...

May 9, 2026
Science X / This volcano didn't just erupt—it triggered a hidden atmospheric cleanup scientists never expected to see

When the submarine volcano Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha'apai in the South Pacific erupted in January 2022, it was not only one of the most violent volcanic eruptions in modern times. The volcano also did something completely unexpected: ...

May 7, 2026
Phys.org / Self‑destructive behavior among Hermann's tortoises on a Macedonian island is leading to 'demographic suicide'

On the strictly protected island of Golem Grad in North Macedonia, the tortoises are destroying their own population. During prolonged courtship, aggressive males are exhausting the females and frequently pushing them off ...

May 10, 2026
Phys.org / Beneath seagrass meadows, a shift in warming seas could decide which underwater habitats survive

On the western side of Lake Macquarie in New South Wales, Australia, sits Myuna Bay, a quiet bay with meadows of seagrass waving beneath the water. The most common marine plant species you find there is Zostera muelleri. ...

May 10, 2026
Phys.org / Scientists unlock fungi's secret chemistry, offering a greener path to crop protection

Pesky pests can wreak havoc on plants by chewing leaves, boring into stems, and sucking sap from trees. Beyond the direct damage, they also spread harmful bacteria, viruses, and fungi that can infect and ultimately kill the ...

May 7, 2026