Phys.org news

Phys.org / AI approach takes optical system design from months to milliseconds

A team of researchers at Penn State have devised a new, streamlined approach to designing metasurfaces, a class of engineered materials that can manipulate light and other forms of electromagnetic radiation with just their ...

Jan 5, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Astronomers reveal hidden lives of the early universe's ultramassive galaxies

An international team of astronomers has uncovered multiple evolutionary paths for the universe's most massive galaxies. Observations of ultramassive galaxies, each containing more than 100 billion stars, show that less than ...

Jan 5, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Dialog / Infrastructure design is the hidden architecture of disaster risk

When we talk about disasters, we often default to the language of nature. We describe storms as "unprecedented," floods as "once-in-a-century," and heat waves as "record-breaking." While these descriptors may be technically ...

Jan 5, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Smart polymers harden on demand with light or gentle heat activation

Chemists at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev have developed a "smart" polymer that could make industrial curing, 3D printing and repairs simpler, safer and more energy-efficient with materials whose properties may be tuned ...

Jan 5, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Discoveries rewrite how some minerals form and dissolve

Two related discoveries detailing nanocrystalline mineral formation and dynamics have broad implications for managing nuclear waste, predicting soil weathering, designing advanced bioproducts and materials and optimizing ...

Jan 5, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Survey across 153 countries links the effects of LGBT-phobia and economic insecurity

LGBTQ+ people face unequal treatment across different human societies. Several concomitant factors can contribute to this discrimination at various levels of society, resulting in diminished living conditions. In a study ...

Jan 5, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Gender stereotypes reflect the division of labor between women and men across nations

Researchers at Northwestern University and the University of Bern in Switzerland have conducted the first cross-temporal, multinational study to compare views of gender using data collected 30 years apart.

Jan 5, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Versatile mechanophore detects structural damage without false alarms from heat or UV

A newly designed robust mechanophore provides early warning against mechanical failure while resisting heat and UV, report researchers from Institute of Science Tokyo. They combined computational chemistry techniques with ...

Jan 5, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Inhalable nanotherapy against advanced melanoma aims for one-two punch

Immune checkpoint molecules play a crucial role in keeping the immune system in balance and preventing an attack on the body's own cells. Cancer cells can use these checkpoints to hide from the immune system, making them ...

Jan 5, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Understanding fuel cell catalysts: Study reveals shifting rate-limiting steps

Researchers from the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society have unveiled fundamental new insights into the working principles of fuel-cell catalysts.

Jan 5, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Hidden molecular switch controls taste, metabolism and gut function

Northwestern University scientists have uncovered a hidden molecular "control switch" inside a protein that helps the body sense taste, control blood sugar and defend the gut.

Jan 5, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Tiny fluorescent core-shell silica nanoparticles supercharge cancer immunotherapy

A class of ultrasmall fluorescent core-shell silica nanoparticles developed at Cornell is showing an unexpected ability to rally the immune system against melanoma and dramatically improve the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy, ...

Jan 5, 2026 in Nanotechnology