Phys.org news

Phys.org / Subtle 'twists' control light in perovskites for improved LEDs, solar cells and quantum technologies

Research has revealed how minute structural modifications in advanced perovskite materials critically influence their light-emission properties.

Nov 19, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / 'Trained' bacteriophages expand treatment options for antibiotic-resistant infections

Antibiotic resistance is one of the most pressing challenges to global public health as harmful microbes evolve to evade these medications.

Nov 19, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Mapping the OH MegaMaser emission in an ultra-luminous infrared galaxy

Using high-resolution 1665/1667 MHz OH line and continuum spectrum observational data from the European VLBI Network and the Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network, Antneh Gashaye, a Ph.D. student from the Xinjiang ...

Nov 19, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Using theory and data to create new single atom catalysts for cleaner chlorine production

Chlorine is an essential industrial chemical used in products ranging from disinfectants to plastics. Yet producing chlorine requires the chlorine evolution reaction (CER), a process that consumes a significant amount of ...

Nov 19, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Extending the lifespan of electrocatalysts via continuous chromium dissolution

Although chromium itself is not an active element, its continuous dissolution enables a reversible surface transformation that keeps the Co-Cr spinel oxide electrocatalyst active and stable. This could significantly improve ...

Nov 19, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Lateral roots help plants adapt to low boron by expanding nutrient search

What makes plants tolerant to nutrient fluctuations? An international research team led by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and involving the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) has conducted ...

Nov 19, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / People in isolated cities in Africa suffer more violence against civilians, study reveals

Cities are often seen as hotspots of violence, with the assumption that larger cities are inherently more violent than smaller ones. This "universal law" of urban scaling has long shaped scientific thinking. But new research ...

Nov 19, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Humans are evolved for nature, not cities, say anthropologists

A new paper by evolutionary anthropologists Colin Shaw (University of Zurich) and Daniel Longman (Loughborough University) argues that modern life has outpaced human evolution. The study suggests that chronic stress and many ...

Nov 18, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Ape ancestors and Neanderthals likely kissed, new analysis finds

A new study led by the University of Oxford has found evidence that kissing evolved in the common ancestor of humans and other large apes around 21 million years ago, and that Neanderthals likely engaged in kissing too. The ...

Nov 18, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Why mysterious structures within Earth's mantle hold clues to life here

For decades, scientists have been baffled by two enormous, enigmatic structures buried deep inside Earth with features so vast and unusual that they defy conventional models of planetary evolution.

Nov 18, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Looking inside a well-preserved Neanderthal nose to solve a mystery about our ancestors' faces

A long-standing debate in paleontology about whether the distinctive Neanderthal nose evolved purely for the cold weather may have finally been solved, and it's all thanks to an ancient, exceptionally preserved nasal cavity.

Nov 18, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Video catches wild wolf pulling in crab trap to get to food—but is it tool use?

Many animals have been observed using tools. For example, chimps tear leaves off of branches and stick them into holes to pull out termites, and wild dingoes have been observed moving objects to stand on to get to another ...

Nov 18, 2025 in Biology