Phys.org news

Phys.org / Superfluid qubit could help scale up quantum computers

Superfluid helium could offer a new way to tackle one of the biggest challenges in scaling up quantum computers, say researchers from the University of Surrey. The research team has introduced a conceptual design for a new ...

Sep 8, 2026
Phys.org / Study predicts large disparities in access to food, water and energy in 2050

How will global access to food, water and energy evolve in coming decades? A new study coauthored by MIT researchers suggests the answers could be very different depending on region, resource and income.

Sep 8, 2026
Phys.org / Bear baiting in England became more common following Norman invasion, research reveals

Bear baiting in England became more popular after the Norman Conquest in 1066, new research shows. The study by Cardiff University and the University of Nottingham brings together archaeological analysis of bear bones and ...

Sep 8, 2026
Phys.org / Curved nanographene with five-, six- and seven-membered rings synthesized in two steps

Nanographenes can be considered molecular fragments of graphene, a 2D conductive material in which carbon atoms are connected in a honeycomb pattern. Because their electronic and photophysical properties vary depending on ...

Sep 8, 2026
Phys.org / Sparse-data method estimates sea surface temperatures 40% more accurately than conventional approach

Researchers have developed a method for extrapolating sea surface temperatures from sparse data that is significantly more accurate than other commonly used computational methods and slightly more accurate than the best-performing ...

Sep 8, 2026
Phys.org / A crystalline sponge reveals structures of large 'beyond rule of 5' molecules

Drug discovery has traditionally followed the "rule of 5," which identifies chemical properties generally associated with good absorption of orally administered drugs, including a molecular weight below 500 daltons (Da). ...

Sep 8, 2026
Phys.org / Star-fingered toads use fingertip lobules to detect prey in murky water

Surinam toads (Pipa pipa) are strange, flat frogs with minuscule eyes that live in the murky waters of the Amazon basin and carry their eggs on their backs. The way they catch prey is even weirder. They lie in wait with outstretched ...

Sep 8, 2026
Phys.org / Rearranged polymer chains create degradable materials with potential for stronger, tougher packaging

What if the key to making stronger, more sustainable plastics isn't changing their ingredients, but rearranging their molecules? Virginia Tech researchers have put that idea to the test, creating degradable polymers with ...

Sep 8, 2026
Phys.org / ALMA watches a massive binary assemble in real time

Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), astronomers have captured one of the most detailed three-dimensional views yet of a massive binary star system while it is still being born. By tracking the motions ...

Sep 8, 2026
Phys.org / New iron-bearing compounds could store water near Earth's core

Geochemical studies of volcanic rocks from Baffin Island, Canada, and Iceland suggest that some of the water dating back to Earth's formation may still be preserved deep within the planet. However, it has remained unclear ...

Sep 8, 2026
Phys.org / Marine heat waves boost coastal CO₂ uptake by 11%, analysis finds

Marine heat waves are a consequence of climate change and are increasingly altering marine and coastal regions worldwide. An international study led by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon now shows that many coastal seas absorb ...

Sep 8, 2026
Phys.org / Sea ice creates hidden highways for young Antarctic krill

New research shows that larval Antarctic krill could be carried far from their birthplace by drifting sea ice, linking distant ecosystems in ways conventional models may miss.

Sep 8, 2026