Phys.org news

Phys.org / Unraveling the glass-like nature of epithelial tissues

In a new study, researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have resolved a longstanding mystery by showing how epithelial tissues exhibit slow-moving, glass-like behavior despite their fast-paced biological activity. ...

Jul 9, 2026
Phys.org / High-throughput search tests 200 catalysts, revealing hidden routes for methane chemistry

Catalysts are the hidden engines of modern manufacturing, directly involved in more than 80% of chemical processes. However, catalyst development is highly complex because performance is governed by the interplay of the catalyst, ...

Jul 9, 2026
Phys.org / Falling water levels trigger a surge in methane emissions from Mediterranean reservoirs

Continental aquatic ecosystems, such as lakes and reservoirs, occupy a small proportion of Earth's surface but play a significant role in the global carbon cycle. It is estimated that more than 40% of global methane emissions ...

Jul 9, 2026
Phys.org / Genetic crossovers defy chromosome-length model in male and female mice

A Cornell-led study is challenging a decades-old explanation for how chromosomes exchange genetic material within the biological process that forms eggs and sperm in mammals.

Jul 9, 2026
Phys.org / AI can predict how you'll respond to a survey—but that's not the same as understanding you

What makes people change their minds or their behavior? Social scientists spend a lot of time thinking about this question, and experiments are one of the most powerful ways to answer it.

Jul 9, 2026
Phys.org / JWST's 'overmassive' early black holes may not be so massive after all

Astronomers studying a population of unusually X-ray-silent and overmassive black holes discovered by the James Webb Space Telescope have found that they may not be as massive as they appear. The new paper, outlining a plausible ...

Jul 8, 2026
Phys.org / Could geoengineering work to tamp down super El Niños?

With an anticipated "super" El Niño looming, a new study led by UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography considers whether society could use a weather-altering technique as a tool to mitigate the floods, extreme ...

Jul 8, 2026
Phys.org / Black hole collisions may follow entropy law, offering simpler remnant predictions

When two black holes orbit each other, they eventually spiral inward and collide in one of the most violent phenomena in the universe. The event is so energetic that it significantly distorts the universe around it. It emits ...

Jul 8, 2026
Phys.org / Long-theorized electron-on-helium qubit achieves strong coupling to a single microwave photon

Quantum computers, devices that store and process information leveraging the principles of quantum mechanics, have been found to be promising for tackling some problems that cannot be solved by classical computers. Quantum ...

Jul 8, 2026
Phys.org / Tiny Jurassic bird reveals a key step in bird evolution

The transition from a lumbering, heavy dinosaur body to the flight-adapted bird body plan is one of many fascinating episodes in evolutionary history. Working out how this massive transformation took place relies heavily ...

Jul 8, 2026
Phys.org / Nanoplastics found in Antarctic soils for first time, suggesting long-range atmospheric transport

Microplastic contamination has been a much-discussed topic over the last several years, but contamination from even smaller plastic particles represents another pressing issue. Nanoplastics—defined as being under a micrometer ...

Jul 8, 2026
Phys.org / The oldest deliberately collected fossil ichthyosaur was discovered in Roman Britain around 1,800 years ago

Around 1,800 years ago, a fossilized spinal bone lay on the windswept beaches of Roman Britain until a curious passerby picked it up and carried it far away, only to drop it in a pit.

Jul 8, 2026