Phys.org news

Phys.org / Physicists create first room-temperature quantum material

Quantum materials could transform technologies ranging from powerful computers and ultrasecure communications to advanced energy systems. But there has always been one major obstacle.

Jul 15, 2026
Phys.org / Doughnut‑shaped topology reveals new way to classify knitting, crochet and other textiles

Fabrics are made by repeatedly intertwining yarns into characteristic patterns. Many of their properties, such as stretchiness, arise not only from the material itself but also from how the yarns are arranged and entangled. ...

Jul 15, 2026
Phys.org / Astronomers find nearby planets to be small, strange, and utterly uninhabitable

Scientists have painted the most detailed portrait yet of the planetary system orbiting Barnard's Star—the sun's closest neighbor after Alpha Centauri, just under six light-years from Earth.

Jul 15, 2026
Phys.org / Naked mole-rat queens produce an odorous chemical that ensures that only they can reproduce

An international team led by Dr. Gary Lewin, group leader of the Molecular Physiology of Somatosensory Perception lab at the Max Delbrück Center in Berlin, has discovered that the queens of naked mole-rat colonies release ...

Jul 15, 2026
Phys.org / Striking new species of African monkey discovered deep in the Congo rainforest

In the rainforests of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), scientists have identified a previously unknown species of African monkey—one of the rarest discoveries in modern primatology.

Jul 15, 2026
Phys.org / New study reveals editorial trends at top science journals

Studies published in prestigious academic journals receive more attention from scholars and media outlets, shaping public discourse and potentially accelerating academic careers. While the path to publication is often murky, ...

Jul 15, 2026
Phys.org / Scientists find hidden individuality in viral infections

An international team of researchers developed a new way to uncover hidden differences in how viruses infect and destroy individual microbial cells—solving a biological puzzle that has persisted for more than 80 years.

Jul 15, 2026
Phys.org / Deep-sea larvae travel toward sunlight before returning to hydrothermal vents 2,000 meters down

Hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor host a broad range of rare and unusual ecosystems. They can be spread far apart, yet there is often overlap among the creatures that inhabit them. Researchers, including those from the ...

Jul 15, 2026
Phys.org / Microplastics reach even 2,000 meters below the ocean surface, study finds

Plastic pollution has become a global environmental crisis, with an estimated 11 million tons of plastic entering the oceans each year. As larger plastic debris breaks down into microplastics, these tiny particles are transported ...

Jul 15, 2026
Phys.org / Quantum currents turn a nano 'soccer ball' into a powerful molecular electromagnet

Driving an electric current through a molecule can create a magnetic field. Yet in practice, such fields are often too weak to be detected experimentally. Through theoretical modeling, researchers at the Institute of Science ...

Jul 15, 2026
Phys.org / Tiny water droplets convert stubborn plastic waste into valuable acids, study finds

A new way of converting stubborn plastic waste into high-value chemicals using only water and oxygen has been developed by an international team of scientists.

Jul 15, 2026
Phys.org / New study reveals what drives the evolution of remarkable eyes in deep‑sea hyperiid amphipods

Hyperiid amphipods are a small but anatomically diverse group of shrimp-like crustaceans with remarkable adaptations for life in the ocean's twilight zone. A team of researchers from MBARI, the Smithsonian National Museum ...

Jul 15, 2026