Phys.org news

Phys.org / Geomorphological approach evaluates Galápagos watersheds

Galápagos is a living laboratory where every environmental decision matters. On Santa Cruz, the most populated island of the archipelago, freshwater is a limited and increasingly vulnerable resource due to urban growth, ...

Dec 9, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Limitations of AI-based material prediction: Crystallographic disorder represents a stumbling block

Computer simulations and artificial intelligence often make significant errors when predicting the properties of new, high-performance materials, according to a new international study led by the University of Bayreuth. In ...

Dec 9, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / World's rarest marsupial: What new research reveals about its survival needs

Researchers from Edith Cowan University (ECU) along with the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) have been working together to help protect the world's rarest marsupial by better understanding ...

Dec 9, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Decoding the chemistry of life: Maximum entropy reveals how mutations alter enzymes and drive drug resistance

For decades, Arieh Warshel, USC Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and a 2013 Nobel laureate, has used computer simulations to understand how enzymes—fundamental to nearly every biological process in living organisms—carry ...

Dec 9, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Laser draws made-to-order magnetic landscapes

Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI, in collaboration with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Boulder, Colorado, have for the first time succeeded in using existing laser technology to ...

Dec 9, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Mini-vortices in nanopores accelerate ion transport for faster supercapacitor charging

Tiny cavities in energy storage devices form small vortices that help with charging, according to a research team led by TU Darmstadt. This previously unknown phenomenon could advance the development of faster storage devices.

Dec 9, 2025 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Surprising nanoscopic heat traps found in diamonds

Diamond is famous in material science for being the best natural heat conductor on Earth—but new research reveals that, at the atomic scale, it can briefly trap heat in unexpected ways. The findings could influence how ...

Dec 9, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Male bonobos track females' reproductive cycle to maximize mating success

Male bonobos can decipher females' unreliable fertility signals, allowing them to focus their efforts on matings with the highest chance of conception, according to a study by Heungjin Ryu at Kyoto University, Japan, and ...

Dec 9, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Durable catalyst shields itself for affordable green hydrogen production

An international research team led by Professor Philip C.Y. Chow at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has unveiled a new catalyst that overcomes a major challenge in producing green hydrogen at scale. This innovation makes ...

Dec 9, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Connections between coral reefs boost their health

Coral reefs may seem like paradise, but they are being degraded by a range of global and local factors, including climate change, poor water quality, and overfishing. New research reveals that connections between reefs help ...

Dec 9, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Molten metal nano-droplets reveal new hybrid state of matter where solids meet liquids

Researchers have discovered that not all atoms in a liquid are in motion and that some remain stationary regardless of the temperature, significantly impacting the solidification process, including the formation of an unusual ...

Dec 9, 2025 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Cooperative intermolecular interactions regulate supramolecular polymer assembly

Supramolecular chemistry involves the study of self-assembly of discrete molecules that are used to build large functional structures. Often, these molecules are allowed to self-assemble into one-dimensional polymeric structures ...

Dec 9, 2025 in Chemistry