Phys.org news

Phys.org / Team steers electron spin ballistically in graphene

Researchers at The University of Manchester's National Graphene Institute have shown that electrons in ultra-clean graphene can be steered with high precision while keeping their spin information intact, a key requirement ...

May 7, 2026
Phys.org / LED light unlocks 3D optical fingerprints inside materials without lasers

Researchers have developed, for the first time in the world, incoherent dielectric tensor tomography (iDTT), a technology that can read complex three-dimensional optical fingerprints inside materials using only everyday LED ...

May 7, 2026
Phys.org / How soil bacteria help plants defend themselves against disease

A study led by researchers at the University of Liège reveals the mechanism by which surfactin, a molecule produced by beneficial soil bacteria, activates plants' immune defenses. This mechanism, distinct from the classical ...

May 7, 2026
Phys.org / Chilean wasp named in honor of Sir David Attenborough's 100th birthday

Scientists from the Natural History Museum, London have described a new genus and species of parasitic wasp found within the Museum's collections, and named it as a birthday present for Sir David Attenborough.

May 7, 2026
Phys.org / Sharper brains switch to a 'not what you know, but who you know' mindset online and on social media, study shows

Forming social connections online and via social media reduces how much people engage with and learn from the content posted but significantly boosts their networking performance, according to new research. The study, published ...

May 7, 2026
Phys.org / Pilot whales are already 'shouting' at full volume, but one busy waterway is pushing them to the edge

With over 60,000 ships passing through the Strait of Gibraltar each year, this stretch between the Atlantic and Mediterranean is one of the busiest waterways on the planet. This narrow strip of water is also home to a critically ...

May 7, 2026
Phys.org / Thawing Arctic soil awakens only half of soil microbes, new study reveals

As the Arctic warms at an unprecedented rate, frozen soils that have remained locked in ice for most of the year are now thawing for longer periods. Yet new research led by an international team including scientists from ...

May 7, 2026
Phys.org / Trafficked pangolin DNA reveals hotspots of illegal wildlife trade

Small samples of DNA can reveal hotspots and trade routes in the illegal wildlife trade, according to a study published in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Sean Heighton and Philippe Gaubert of the University of Toulouse ...

May 7, 2026
Phys.org / Every dollar spent on forest fuel treatments saves $3.75 in wildfire damages, study finds

Every dollar spent on forest fuel treatments saves about $3.75 in wildfire damages, according to a new study, led by researchers at the University of California, Davis, of nearly 300 fires in the western United States. The ...

May 7, 2026
Phys.org / Novel nanoparticle therapy using manganese could improve cancer treatment

A research team led by the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has developed a new type of nanoparticle therapy that could make cancer immunotherapy safer and more ...

May 7, 2026
Phys.org / Deforestation lessens Amazon rainfall—and climate change hastens that process, study finds

Climate change makes the southern Amazon's rain increasingly sensitive to deforestation, a new study finds. Clearing large areas of forest can trigger severe and lasting reductions in rainfall regardless of climate, but as ...

May 7, 2026
Phys.org / Gaming monkeys' curiosity: Japanese macaques actively explore moderately uncertain stimuli

The intrinsic information-seeking impulse we call curiosity is independent of extrinsic rewards, such as food or mating opportunities. Curiosity is purely the pursuit of understanding the unknown, driving both humans and ...

May 7, 2026