Phys.org news

Phys.org / Climate change may erase 25 million hectares of kelp forests by 2050

Climate change is driving rapid declines in seaweed forests globally, outpacing restoration efforts and undermining seaweed restoration as a viable carbon dioxide removal strategy, according to an essay by Karen Filbee-Dexter ...

Sep 8, 2026
Phys.org / Cosmic radiation at flight altitudes rises when the sun is less active

Radiation from space is constantly entering Earth's atmosphere, but how much of it reaches the altitudes used by commercial aircraft depends not only on height and location, but also on the activity of the sun. A new study ...

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 / 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 / Untangling the meta-biomaterial puzzle one property at a time

From repairing damaged tissues to developing better implants, many medical developments depend on materials that can mimic the complex properties of human tissue. Meta-biomaterials are among the most promising candidates. ...

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 / Physics-based AI unlocks first global predictions of carbon cycling in ocean sediments

Researchers at The University of Manchester have developed a new physics-based artificial intelligence approach that, for the first time, enables accurate global-scale predictions of how dissolved organic carbon moves between ...

Sep 8, 2026
Phys.org / Tiny molecular rings open new ways for designing better medicines

Cyclopropanes are organic chemistry's smallest rings. Three carbon atoms are joined in a triangle, creating a compact and unusually strained structure. Despite—or partly because of—this unusual geometry, cyclopropanes are ...

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 / 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 / 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