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Phys.org / Raincoat no longer waterproof? A textile scientist explains why—and how to fix it

You pull on your rain jacket, step out into the storm, and within half an hour your undershirt is soaked. The jacket you purchased as "waterproof" seems to have stopped working, and all the marketing claims feel a bit suspect. ...

Feb 27, 2026
Phys.org / The key to attacking 'undruggable' proteins: Transient clustering state reveals a moving target

Intrinsically disordered proteins lack a fixed structure, which is why they have been considered "undruggable" targets for drug development for years. However, these proteins play a key role in numerous diseases—ranging ...

Mar 3, 2026
Phys.org / Are these killer whales cannibals? They probably don't think so themselves

In 2022, a Russian whale researcher made a remarkable discovery on Bering Island off Russia's Pacific coast: a severed killer whale fin marked with the teeth of another killer whale. In 2024, it happened again. The two finds ...

Mar 2, 2026
Tech Xplore / A 270-year-old physics trick could supercharge affordable battery technology

Roughly 270 years ago, Dr. Johann Gottlob Leidenfrost from Germany observed a peculiar behavior of water droplets on heated metal surfaces. In his manuscript, "A Tract About Some Qualities of Common Water," he described how ...

Mar 2, 2026
Phys.org / Permafrost is key to carbon storage. That makes northern wildfires even more dangerous

The devastating wildfires in northern Canada in recent years have climate consequences that go far beyond smoke and carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere, according to a new study co-authored by two NAU researchers. ...

Mar 3, 2026
Tech Xplore / Self-cleaning fuel cells? Researchers reveal steam-powered fix for 'sulfur poisoning'

Fuel cells are electrochemical devices that directly convert chemical energy from a fuel into electrical energy. Unlike batteries, which only store electricity, fuel cells can continuously generate electricity as long as ...

Mar 3, 2026
Phys.org / Scared of spiders? The real horror story is a world without them

Members of the arachnid class—think spiders, scorpions and harvestmen (daddy long legs)—are often the targets of revulsion, disgust and fear. Yet, they are crucial for ecosystems to thrive. Given the crash in worldwide ...

Mar 2, 2026
Phys.org / Less traffic, less noise: Green axes cut noise levels in cities

The implementation of green axes and the reduction of motorized traffic in cities is effectively consolidating itself as a strategy to significantly lower environmental noise levels. A study conducted in the city of Barcelona ...

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / Agrivoltaics can increase or reduce yields and profits, depending on the crop and where the systems are deployed

In a world where increasing demands for food security and energy strain existing resources, scientists are looking for new ways to maximize both. One potential option, agrivoltaics, integrates solar photovoltaics with crops. ...

Mar 2, 2026
Tech Xplore / TweetyBERT parses canary songs to better understand how brains learn language

A new machine learning model, TweetyBERT, automatically segments and classifies canary vocalizations with expert-level accuracy, offering a scalable platform for neuroscience, providing insights into the neural basis of how ...

Mar 3, 2026
Phys.org / Ultrasound-activated 'nanoagents' kill superbugs hiding in biofilms

Scientists have designed nanoagents that act like smart drug-delivery capsules—carrying an antibiotic deep into bacterial infection sites and releasing it only when activated by gentle ultrasound. Delivering antibiotics ...

Mar 2, 2026
Medical Xpress / Exploring why people with autism may be more likely to get Parkinson's disease

Researchers at the University of Missouri may have uncovered a clue explaining why young adults with autism are roughly six times more likely to develop Parkinson's disease later in life. In a recent study, Mizzou researchers ...

Mar 3, 2026