Phys.org news

Phys.org / Light reshapes metal-organic framework to harvest airborne water

Chemists at the University of Iowa have created a three-dimensional lattice that captures water from the air and stores it. In a new study appearing in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, researchers describe a ...

May 11, 2026
Phys.org / Machine learning proves that graphene is hydrophobic

For more than a decade, a fundamental mystery has surrounded graphene—the one-atom-thick "wonder material" known for its exceptional strength, conductivity, and transparency. Despite its seemingly simple structure, one basic ...

May 11, 2026
Phys.org / Inland seas may face widespread heat waves by midcentury as warming accelerates

Under the lead of the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW), climate simulations were used to investigate how 19 inland seas, including the Baltic Sea, are responding to climate change. The researchers ...

May 11, 2026
Phys.org / Smarter search for fuel-cell catalysts uses machine learning

A computational method combining generative AI with atomistic simulations can identify promising platinum alloy catalyst structures for hydrogen fuel cells, report researchers from Science Tokyo. Their approach addresses ...

May 11, 2026
Phys.org / How the Atlantic herring adapted to the brackish water of the Baltic Sea

When the Atlantic herring colonized the Baltic Sea thousands of years ago, it needed to adapt to the low salinity. Genes with a vital role in the functioning of sperm, eggs and embryos were crucial to this adaptation. A new ...

May 11, 2026
Phys.org / Fresh brew, harsh bite: Coffee's bitter edge finally comes into full molecular view

Have you ever wondered why freshly brewed coffee smells so delicious, but tastes bitter? New research from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine has revealed the molecular details responsible for the detection ...

May 11, 2026
Phys.org / Earth's first continents may trace back to subduction 3.5 billion years ago

An international team of researchers' analysis of minerals from the Pilbara region of Western Australia has given new insight into how ancient continents on Earth formed as far back as 3.5 billion years ago. Professor Tony ...

May 11, 2026
Phys.org / The G-value paradox: Why similar genes can lead to very different brains

Biologists have long puzzled over why organisms with similar numbers of protein-coding genes can differ so dramatically in nervous system complexity. New research points to a potential link between the expanding diversity ...

May 11, 2026
Phys.org / Seismic attenuation techniques reveal what lies beneath Taiwan

As seismic waves travel through Earth, they gradually lose energy, a process called attenuation. That energy loss doesn't happen uniformly—some features in the crust sap far more energy from seismic waves than others. Researchers ...

May 11, 2026
Phys.org / Wildfire smoke's hidden ozone threat may be adding thousands of US deaths each year

A study that assesses the effects of wildfires over two decades shows that wildfire smoke significantly raises ground-level ozone and contributes to excess deaths from wildfire smoke in the United States each year. The research, ...

May 11, 2026
Phys.org / The birds and the babies: Humans and zebra finches have a similar technique for learning to speak

We are all born completely helpless, with little of the knowledge and skills we will need to survive as adults. Even our ability to communicate is almost entirely learned from our parents or caregivers.

May 11, 2026
Phys.org / Hidden proton pathways emerge as ultrathin polymer film method splits interface signals

Understanding how protons move at the interface between polymers and electrode materials is essential for improving fuel cells and related energy devices. However, conventional impedance measurements under inert conditions ...

May 11, 2026