Phys.org news
Phys.org / Earth's deepest rocks help define upper limit for viscosity beyond which materials effectively become rigid
Viscosity is one of the most fundamental physical properties used to describe how materials flow. It governs the movement of liquids, molten rocks and even slowly deforming regions deep inside the Earth. While scientists ...
Phys.org / Atomic 'domino effect' found to drive phase changes in a two-dimensional crystal
Phase transformations—in which a material changes from one crystal structure to another, thereby acquiring dramatically different properties—are ubiquitous in nature. Understanding the microscopic mechanisms of these transformations ...
Phys.org / Soil thickness controls landslide occurrence, study finds
Researchers at University of Tsukuba analyzed high-resolution topographic data from airborne LiDAR to examine the relationships among landslide area, depth, and slope gradient.
Phys.org / Unexpected discovery yields new graphene oxide production method
Researchers in the Texas A&M University J. Mike Walker '66 Department of Mechanical Engineering have developed a new method for producing graphene oxide, a high-value carbon nanomaterial used in batteries, electronics and ...
Phys.org / Engineers discover 'unexpected motion' in drug-delivery robots
One day, tiny swimming robots may travel through the human body to deliver drugs. The medication would target only areas of need—chemotherapy drugs for a tumor, for example—avoiding healthy tissue and minimizing side effects. ...
Phys.org / Fighting the world's deadliest infection with PAC-MAN and AI
Tuberculosis, caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), is the world's deadliest single-agent infection, responsible for 1.23 million deaths in 2024, according to the World Health Organization. The bacterium's ...
Phys.org / Detecting neutron sources by borrowing inference tools from cosmology
Neutron sources can be directly identified from measured spectra rather than proxies using inference tools adapted from cosmology, according to a University of Michigan Engineering study published in Physical Review Applied. ...
Phys.org / Electrical imbalances at grain boundaries help explain solid-state battery failure
Next-generation batteries that use new electrolyte materials could achieve far higher energy density than today's lithium-ion batteries, without many of the safety concerns. But advanced batteries, such as those that use ...
Phys.org / Four new groups of indigenous cacao varieties discovered in Peru
A new genetic analysis of hundreds of cacao trees representing traditional Amazonian varieties grown on farms across Peru has revealed four previously unidentified, genetically distinct groups. Lambert Motilal, with colleagues ...
Phys.org / Neighbors shape plant life more than expected, scientists find
Scientists at Leiden University have discovered that plants are strongly influenced by their neighbors, not just above ground but also through hidden networks in the soil. Their findings challenge long-held ideas about how ...
Phys.org / Sea stars offer rare view of how embryonic tubes become complex organs
Biologists have long puzzled over how organs develop into their final shapes, and the nearly transparent bodies of young sea stars may offer a unique window into the organ development process.
Phys.org / Storms impact the architecture of webs and the survival of spiders
In the dense forests of the Ecuadorian Andes, the survival of a spider relies not only on its ability to prey on insects but also on its capacity to resist a threat coming from the skies. A new study revealed that the heavy ...
