Phys.org news

Phys.org / The climate cost of staying cool: How AC could impact global warming by 2050

It is a double-edged sword. As the planet heats up, more of us are turning up and turning to air conditioning to keep us cool. The trouble is that, as well as consuming vast amounts of electricity, AC also leads to significant ...

11 hours ago in Earth
Phys.org / Arabic document from 17th-century rubbish heap confirms existence of semi-legendary Nubian king

A recent study published in Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa explores new historical evidence of one of pre-colonial Dongola's earliest rulers. Previously considered semi-legendary, the discovery of a document in ...

17 hours ago in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Heavier hydrogen makes silicon T centers shine brighter for quantum networks

Quantum technologies, computers or other devices that operate leveraging quantum mechanical effects, rely on the precise control of light and matter. Over the past decades, quantum physicists and material scientists have ...

15 hours ago in Physics
Phys.org / PFAS exposure greater in wet pet food, study suggests

Ehime University investigators measured 34 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in 100 commercial dog and cat foods sold in Japan and detected PFAS across many products, with higher concentrations in fish-based foods and dry ...

14 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Missing methane: Countries may be underestimating wastewater greenhouse gas emissions

The amount of greenhouse gases produced by the wastewater sector may be higher than reports suggest. According to a paper published in the journal Nature Climate Change, countries are missing out on reporting a significant ...

15 hours ago in Earth
Phys.org / Scientists synthesize stable N₄ radical anions under ambient conditions

A team of scientists from the University of Manchester and Oxford have synthesized stable nitrogen chain radical anions under ambient conditions. These molecules, which are normally too reactive to isolate and study under ...

18 hours ago in Chemistry
Phys.org / Stale bread and bacteria could power a new era in green chemicals

Scientists have found a way to use common bacteria as tiny, green chemical factories to replace a process that currently relies on fossil fuels. In industrial hydrogenation, the hydrogen added to molecules to create products ...

19 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Svalbard polar bears gained fat despite rapid Barents Sea ice loss

Their icy hunting grounds are rapidly shrinking, but polar bears in Norway's remote Svalbard archipelago have defied the odds by bulking up instead of wasting away, a study said Thursday.

13 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Bioengineered neuronal 'circuit board' mimics conditions of the human brain

A new bioengineered neuronal circuit board "BioConNet" allows scientists to artificially engineer human brain-like wiring at scale and can be used to engineer any possible circuit. The fully programmable, open-source system ...

16 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Saturday Citations: T. Rex on tiptoe; subduing unruly proteins; opinionated birds

This week, astronomers reported that one of the biggest observed stars in the universe could soon explode. A study compared long-term COVID-19 brain effects to the flu. And a new eco-friendly battery could theoretically last ...

19 hours ago in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Greenland's largest glacier could soon reach a tipping point, scientists say

Greenland's largest glacier, Jakobshavn Glacier, may be edging closer to a critical threshold as meltwater runoff from the Greenland Ice Sheet accelerates in ways not seen in over a century, according to new research published ...

Feb 27, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / A new scientific discipline to ensure humanity's deep future

Will humanity extend into the far future? It's likely many of us think it should. The problem is that each of us, individually and collectively, act otherwise—we are destroying the environment and climate at every turn. ...

Feb 27, 2026 in Other Sciences