Phys.org news

Phys.org / They cover just 3% of Earth, yet the unanswered questions around them could reshape climate action forever

Researchers including a number from the University of Exeter, have identified the most urgent unanswered questions about peatlands, providing a global roadmap to guide future science and policy for one of the planet's most ...

Apr 28, 2026
Phys.org / Natural rubber process boosts tire toughness about tenfold while preserving stiffness

Natural rubber, tapped from trees as latex, is the world's most widely used bio-elastomer. Comprising long molecular chains that make it pliable and stretchy yet highly resistant to cracking and strain, natural rubber is ...

Apr 28, 2026
Phys.org / A mechanical blue LED: Stretching GaN shifts light from UV to blue without changing chemistry

A research team from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) has successfully used mechanical stretching technology to dynamically control the emission color of gallium nitride (GaN) material from ...

Apr 28, 2026
Phys.org / Rainforests can buffer rising CO₂ in the short term—but this comes at a cost

Tropical forests are among the world's most important carbon sinks. A new study by the Technical University of Munich (TUM), the University of Vienna, and Brazil's National Institute for Amazonian Research suggests that even ...

Apr 28, 2026
Phys.org / Research reveals why beavers are getting busy sooner in spring

A University of Alberta study has whittled down climate-related reasons beavers are emerging earlier onto the ice from their lodges in the spring—a shift that helps them store more winter food but could also lead to more ...

Apr 28, 2026
Phys.org / Antarctica's ice shelves are vulnerable to melting from below—knowing how far ocean heat reaches is crucial

A rare dataset collected by instruments at the point where Antarctica's largest ice shelf begins to float reveals ocean processes that drive melting at this critical part of the continent.

Apr 28, 2026
Phys.org / Investigating the disordered heart of glass

Recent research led by the University of Trento reveals that fundamental atomic vibrations remain unchanged also in ultra-stable glasses. This discovery advances the decade-long debate on the physics of disorder and opens ...

Apr 28, 2026
Phys.org / Why do high-speed particles bounce higher in wet collisions?

Researchers have uncovered a counterintuitive phenomenon in collision dynamics: high-speed particles bounce back from wet walls much more strongly than expected. Integrating experimental observations with advanced numerical ...

Apr 28, 2026
Phys.org / New microscope reveals previously hidden differences in photosynthetic light-harvesting antennae

How do photosynthetic organisms harvest light so efficiently? To help answer this question, researchers have developed an ultrafast transient absorption microscope with sensitivity approaching the single-molecule level.

Apr 28, 2026
Phys.org / Egg-scanning AI may let hatcheries sort life, death and sex before chicks emerge

Eggs and poultry provide important sources of protein globally, driving a major industry with large economic impacts. Challenges to hatchery operations include embryo mortality, fertility, sex determination, and eggshell ...

Apr 28, 2026
Phys.org / Handle with care: Mobile microgrippers pick up cells in a pinch

In tissue engineering, the tiniest bit of improper force can harm a living culture. Spheroids—3D clumps of cells—can be used to model complex human tissues, because they can re-create specific cell-to-cell and cell-to-matrix ...

Apr 28, 2026
Phys.org / Stick-on gel delivers drugs directly to plants to clear infections quickly

A stick-on gel for plants could one day offer a simple, safe and targeted way to treat diseases and pests. Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed an adhesive gel that can be loaded with substances, ...

Apr 28, 2026