Phys.org news

Phys.org / How a single radioactive cloud caused Fukushima particle contamination

A new study shows that a single radioactive cloud was responsible for a large share of the nuclear fallout during the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster on 11 March 2011. The work is published in the Journal of Hazardous ...

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / How winds above Tibet quietly replenish water for nearly 2 billion people

The "Asian Water Towers" (AWTs), a high-altitude region with a mean elevation exceeding 4,000 meters, serve as the primary freshwater source for nearly 2 billion people. While the Indian summer monsoon is well known for shaping ...

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / The fog is alive: Droplets host bacteria that clear toxins from our air

What if fog isn't just misty air, but a living ecosystem? This question hung over cloud researcher Thi Thuong Thuong Cao. As a Ph.D. student at Arizona State University, her curiosity led her from knocking on the doors of ...

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / Scientists use AI to interpret the sun's acoustic heartbeat

A new AI-based approach that can "hear" inside the sun could give vital signs of the solar disturbances that have significant effects in near-Earth space and on human activities. The solar cycle is an approximate 11-year ...

May 12, 2026
Dialog / Novel technique measures polymer degradation during cathodic overprotection

Oil and natural gas are vital constituents of our energy ecosystem that need to be transported across long distances. Although steel pipelines are the infrastructure used for this purpose, thereby serving as the lifeline ...

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / Scientists dispute hypothesis that climate change will unleash massive agricultural pest populations

The widespread hypothesis that climate warming will result in unprecedented agricultural pest populations and cause food insecurity worldwide is oversimplified, according to a new study by a team led by Mia Lippey, an entomologist ...

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / Water-based nanocrystal provides a sticky solution to a pesky agricultural problem

A water-based formulation developed at the University of Waterloo using nanotechnology is both greener and more effective than conventional methods for delivering agricultural pesticides.

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / Support local people to protect world's nature, new report urges, as deadline for global conservation target looms

For better or worse, a huge number of people will be affected by efforts to achieve "30x30"—the internationally-agreed conservation goal to protect and conserve at least 30% of the world's land and seas by 2030. How many ...

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / How we feel political emotions in our bodies—and why this matters for democracy

Researchers have found our emotions toward politics not only play on our minds, but shape how our bodies respond to political experiences, even driving political participation higher. The new study, published in the Proceedings ...

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / Old newspapers track porpoise populations across the Baltic Sea

Harbor porpoises were once found across a much wider area of the Baltic Sea than they are today, including regions where they are now rare or absent. This is shown in a new study that uses centuries-old Swedish newspapers ...

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / How invading cancer cells grip and rip their way into new tissues

Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have discovered that cancer cells do not simply push through surrounding tissues to spread, but instead actively grip onto protective tissue barriers and pull them ...

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / Swapping molecular building blocks one by one reveals how receptors tell adrenaline from dopamine

Different receptors respond to different neurotransmitters or hormones, such as adrenaline involved in the fight-or-flight response, or dopamine linked to reward and motivation. Both the receptors themselves and the substances ...

May 12, 2026