Phys.org news

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 / 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 / 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
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 / Female Galápagos seabirds have flings—and males seem OK with it

Perched on a plastic chair overlooking a colony of Nazca boobies in the Galápagos Islands, researcher David Anderson carefully studied the seabirds.

Dec 9, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Simplified lab process produces potent nerve-blocking molecules found in shellfish

Chemists have long been fascinated and frustrated by saxitoxin: a molecule that causes temporary paralysis by blocking the electrical signals that nerve cells (neurons) use to activate muscle, and which accumulates in shellfish ...

Dec 9, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Melatonin wakes up plants, stimulating growth and boosting stress tolerance

In an interesting turn of botanical events, University of Houston engineers report that while melatonin keeps us asleep, it wakes up plants, helping them grow.

Dec 9, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Energy-efficient hydrogen: Plant waste and chromium-coated copper catalyst improve electrolysis process

Hydrogen fuel could be an important part of the clean energy revolution. But it faces some challenges. Most hydrogen today is made from natural gas using a process called steam methane reforming, which produces lots of carbon ...

Dec 9, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Viruses help drive carbon cycling in deep-sea ecosystems, study reveals

A research team led by Prof. Sun Chaomin from the Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOCAS) has unveiled the crucial role of viruses in deep-sea carbon cycling and microbial community structure. Their ...

Dec 9, 2025 in Biology