Phys.org news

Phys.org / Giant impacts may strip small icy moons of subsurface oceans

Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) scientists used simulations to understand the role disruptive impacts play on icy moons with subsurface oceans in our solar system. A recent paper published in the journal Nature Astronomy ...

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 / Superfluid qubit could help scale up quantum computers

Superfluid helium could offer a new way to tackle one of the biggest challenges in scaling up quantum computers, say researchers from the University of Surrey. The research team has introduced a conceptual design for a new ...

Sep 8, 2026
Phys.org / Waterlogged seeds reveal melons' ancient journey

Melons produce many seeds, making the melon shape a traditional symbol of fertility and prosperity in Chinese culture. But the historical debate about how melons made their way to modern tables is as long and twisted as ...

Sep 8, 2026
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 / 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 / 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 / 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 / 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 / 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