Phys.org news

Phys.org / Subway systems are uncomfortably hot—and worsening, study finds

For millions of commuters, the workday doesn't just begin with a train ride. It also begins with a blast of heat. In one of the largest studies ever conducted on thermal comfort in metro systems, Northwestern University scientists ...

Mar 10, 2026
Phys.org / Probiotic sugar compound blocks norovirus from attaching to cells

Stopping viruses before they strike is a key challenge in public health. A research team led by Associate Professor Li Dan from the Department of Food Science and Technology at National University of Singapore's Faculty of ...

Mar 10, 2026
Phys.org / How does snow gather on a roof? Simulation considers turbulence alongside snowflake size

No two snowflakes may be the same, but models that fail to take these variations into consideration often fall short when calculating the way snow accumulates on roofs. In Physics of Fluids, researchers from Harbin Institute ...

Mar 10, 2026
Phys.org / Subglacial weathering may have slowed planet's escape from snowball Earth

A new study led by researchers at the Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) at Institute of Science Tokyo challenges a long-standing assumption about Earth's most extreme ice ages. Using numerical geochemical models, the team ...

Mar 10, 2026
Phys.org / Moisture-powered polymers could make cleaning CO₂ from air more efficient

Over the past century, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased dramatically. This rise has contributed to global warming and led to many harmful effects, including shifting weather patterns and more frequent ...

Mar 10, 2026
Phys.org / Bacteria have a secret engineering trick to keep themselves in shape

Blow up a long balloon and two things happen: it gets longer and it gets wider. Now imagine a living cell that inflates itself under enormous pressure and yet only grows longer, never adding width. That is exactly what rod-shaped ...

Mar 10, 2026
Phys.org / Why averages fail for bacteria in the open ocean

How can bacteria that forage on organic particles survive in vast ocean regions where such particles are extremely sparse? A new study by researchers from ETH Zurich and Queen Mary University of London shows that variability ...

Mar 10, 2026
Phys.org / How boron helps to produce key proteins for new cancer therapies

Chemists from ETH Zurich have found a way to produce poorly soluble proteins by caging a uniquely reactive boron compound. This method opens up new possibilities for the synthesis of tailored protein therapeutics, including ...

Mar 10, 2026
Phys.org / Understanding how wind moves pollen can guide urban planning decisions about green spaces

Due to climate change, plants' pollination season has been growing longer and longer. As a result, people are exposed to allergens for extended periods each year, raising a major public health concern. Researchers from Embry‑Riddle ...

Mar 10, 2026
Phys.org / In search of a room-temperature superconductor, scientists present a research agenda

The search for materials that can conduct electricity at room temperature without losing energy is one of the greatest and most consequential challenges of modern physics: loss-free power transmission, more efficient motors ...

Mar 9, 2026
Phys.org / How a shift in the Gulf Stream could signal the collapse of a major ocean current system

Changes in the Gulf Stream, a strong ocean current in the Atlantic, could serve as an early warning of the imminent collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). The AMOC is a massive system of ocean ...

Mar 9, 2026
Phys.org / Why simulating an entire cell cycle took years, multiple GPUs and six days per run

By simulating the life cycle of a minimal bacterial cell—from DNA replication to protein translation to metabolism and cell division—scientists have opened a new frontier of computer vision into the essential processes ...

Mar 9, 2026