Phys.org news

Phys.org / Self-propelled actin filaments may explain how cells change shape spontaneously

Cells can spontaneously change shape even without external signals, but the underlying mechanisms behind this form of self-organization have remained unclear. Now, researchers from Japan have discovered self-propelled treadmilling ...

Jun 25, 2026
Phys.org / Growing up gets less scary with time, research finds

As young adults, many millennials feared growing up more than past generations. But they've come around to it as they age, research published in the journal Developmental Psychology has found.

Jun 25, 2026
Phys.org / This single well-known and widespread butterfly is actually three species in disguise

The tropical rainforests of Central and South America are among the most biodiverse places on Earth. Costa Rica alone is home to half a million species, five times more than exist in the entire country of Canada, despite ...

Jun 25, 2026
Phys.org / New insight into how cells move copper out of the mitochondrial matrix could guide novel treatments

Copper is essential for life. Our cells need the metal to make energy and stay healthy, but if it is in the wrong place or present in excess, copper can be deadly. Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists have identified a ...

Jun 25, 2026
Phys.org / Scientists develop predictive roadmap to boost performance in next-gen spintronics

Chiral 2D metal halide perovskites (MHPs) are among the most promising materials for future technologies that exploit the spin of electrons in spin-based optoelectronics, or spintronics, but getting them to perform consistently ...

Jun 25, 2026
Phys.org / Antibiotics trigger bacterial teamwork, boosting survival through shared proteins

When bacteria are under antibiotic attack, it is not "every man for himself." Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and colleagues from collaborating institutions have discovered that bacterial populations work as a team ...

Jun 25, 2026
Phys.org / Students' climate model of deadly July 4 Texas flooding suggests sea surface temperatures actually reduced rainfall

Last fall, the 12 students in the Jackson School of Geosciences' GEO 347G "Climate System Modeling" class set out to understand something that hit close to home: What were the climatological factors that made the July 4, ...

Jun 25, 2026
Phys.org / Defect detection automated in diamond, other advanced semiconductors

Materials scientists at Rice University have developed a new workflow methodology for measuring microscopic defects in diamond and other advanced semiconductor materials. By making it easier to spot flaws that can undermine ...

Jun 25, 2026
Phys.org / New electrocatalyst helps turn polluted water into fertilizer and polymers

A new electrochemical system simultaneously converts plant-derived materials and nitrate pollutants into valuable industrial chemicals. Developed by Tohoku University researchers, the system provides a more sustainable way ...

Jun 25, 2026
Phys.org / Organic carbon detected in Bright Angel rock formation on Mars

In September 2025, NASA announced that its Perseverance rover had discovered a potential biosignature, which is a substance or structure that might have a biological origin. A new paper, published in Science Advances, unambiguously ...

Jun 24, 2026
Phys.org / Binary black hole signal probes event horizon region for first time

If, in space, no one can hear you scream, it seems that you can actually hear the sound of a crash when two black holes collide. Using the loudest gravitational wave ever heard, two Australian scientists and colleagues have ...

Jun 24, 2026
Phys.org / Quantum squeezing sidesteps the limits on mechanical transducers

From detecting the ripples of colliding black holes to imaging individual chemical bonds, mechanical transducers have repeatedly transformed our understanding of the universe. So far, however, the sensitivity of these devices ...

Jun 24, 2026