Phys.org news

Phys.org / Intermediate phases unlock faster nanoparticle crystallization

Crystalline nanomaterials are valuable because their highly ordered structures give them useful properties for technologies such as data storage and optical devices. But forming nanoparticles from those orderly crystals is ...

Mar 3, 2026
Phys.org / Modern twist on wildfire management methods has a bonus feature that protects water supplies

Wildfires are among the most economically costly natural disasters and are becoming more severe and frequent due to global warming. The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction estimates that global damage from wildfires ...

Mar 3, 2026
Phys.org / Synthetic gene medicines may disrupt DNA repair

Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), used to treat genetic diseases, can affect how cells repair damage to their DNA. This is shown in a new study from Karolinska Institutet, published in Nature Communications. The findings ...

Mar 3, 2026
Phys.org / Dense, dark forests in Europe are a modern phenomenon

For over 20 million years, the landscape of Europe has been a tree-rich mosaic of grasslands, scrubs and more or less open woodlands with an abundance of wildflowers. This is the conclusion of a new and comprehensive study ...

Mar 2, 2026
Phys.org / Microplastics and nanoplastics in urban air originate mainly from tire abrasion, research reveals

Although plastic particles in the air are increasingly coming into focus, knowledge about their distribution and effects is still limited. Chemical analyses from Leipzig now provide details from Germany for the first time: ...

Mar 2, 2026
Phys.org / Superfluids emerge in 2D moiré crystal formed from time, study predicts

Conventional crystals are materials in which atoms arrange themselves in repeating spatial patterns. Time crystals, on the other hand, are phases of matter characterized by repeating motions over time without constantly heating ...

Mar 2, 2026
Phys.org / Newfound third cell type enables fully functional hair follicles in the lab

Hair regrowth treatment may soon take a major leap forward, as researchers in a recent study have successfully grown complete, fully functional hair follicles outside of the living body, in a dish. This was made possible ...

Mar 2, 2026
Phys.org / NASA's MAVEN detects first evidence of lightning-like activity on Mars

While sifting through the extensive data collected by NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft over the last decade, scientists discovered a familiar type of electromagnetic signal commonly caused ...

Mar 2, 2026
Phys.org / Ancient Greek priestesses may have turned ergot fungus into a psychedelic brew during the Eleusinian Mysteries

The Eleusinian Mysteries were secret religious rites in ancient Greece honoring the goddess Demeter and her daughter Persephone, and aimed to remove the fear of death. The ceremonies included days of fasting, rituals and ...

Mar 2, 2026
Phys.org / Rare Type Icn supernova SN 2024abvb is among the most luminous known

An international team of astronomers has carried out photometric and spectroscopic observations of SN 2024abvb—a recently discovered supernova of a rare Type Icn. The new observational campaign yields important information ...

Mar 2, 2026
Phys.org / Self-propelling microbes switch up swimming strategy to optimize light intake

Researchers in Hong Kong and the UK have revealed how one species of self-propelling microbes can actively change the path of their swimming motions, depending on how much light they receive. Reporting in Physical Review ...

Mar 2, 2026
Phys.org / Quantum dynamics show 'memory' depends on whether states or observables evolve

An international group of researchers have investigated the role of memory in quantum systems and dynamics. Their findings show that a quantum process can appear memoryless from one perspective while retaining memory from ...

Mar 2, 2026