Phys.org news
Phys.org / Durable plastics made from essential oil compounds offer easy recycling
Cheap, strong, and versatile, plastic seemed like the perfect invention—until its staying power turned into a global headache. Now, Yokohama National University researchers have developed a plant-based alternative that ...
Phys.org / Massive pit circle confirmed as Neolithic structure near Durrington Walls henge
New research from the University of St Andrews, as part of a team led by the University of Bradford, has confirmed the details of a massive, neolithic pit structure recently discovered during a geophysical survey around the ...
Phys.org / The mystery of the missing deep ocean carbon fixers
In a step toward better understanding how the ocean sequesters carbon, new findings from UC Santa Barbara researchers and collaborators challenge the current view of how carbon dioxide is "fixed" in the sunless ocean depths. ...
Dialog / Dislocations without crystals: Burgers vectors discovered in glass
For nearly a century, scientists have understood how crystalline materials—such as metals and semiconductors—bend without breaking. Their secret lies in tiny, line-like defects called dislocations, which move through ...
Phys.org / Earth's rapid warming 56 million years ago left plants struggling to keep up
Around 56 million years ago, Earth suddenly got much hotter. Over about 5,000 years, the amount of carbon in the atmosphere drastically increased and global temperatures shot up by some 6°C.
Phys.org / Humpback whales are making a comeback—here's one reason why
When University of Southern Denmark whale researcher Olga Filatova set off on her first field trip in 2000, she spent five years looking for whales before she saw a humpback.
Phys.org / Noise-proof quantum sensor uses three calcium ions held in place by electric fields
Researchers at the University of Innsbruck have shown that quantum sensors can remain highly accurate even in extremely noisy conditions. It's the first experimental realization of a powerful quantum sensing protocol, outperforming ...
Phys.org / 'Walking' water discovery on 2D material could lead to better anti-icing coatings and energy materials
A surprising discovery about how water behaves on one of the world's thinnest 2D materials could lead to major technological improvements, from better anti-icing coatings for aircraft and self-cleaning solar panels to next-generation ...
Phys.org / Flood size and frequency found to shape river migration worldwide
A new Tulane University study published in Science Advances sheds light on how floods influence the way rivers move, offering fresh insight into how changing flood patterns may reshape waterways and the communities that depend ...
Phys.org / Sexual selection in beetles leads to more rapid evolution of new species, long-term experiments show
When males are forced to compete for females, new species form more rapidly. This has been shown in a new study where the researchers compared beetles allowed to mate freely with groups of the same species where competition ...
Phys.org / Helium leak discovered on the exoplanet WASP-107b
An international team including astronomers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and the National Center of Competence in Research PlanetS has observed giant clouds of helium escaping from the exoplanet WASP-107b. Obtained ...
Phys.org / Wetlands trap toxic metals after battery plant fire scatters debris
When fire broke out at the world's largest battery energy storage facility in January 2025, its thick smoke blanketed surrounding wetlands, farms and nearby communities on the central California coast.