Phys.org news

Phys.org / Ordinary enzyme that evolves into 'control switch' reveals tuberculosis weak spot

Researchers at the University of Surrey have identified a protein that acts as a control switch, preventing Mycobacterium tuberculosis from accessing the energy sources it needs to survive. The discovery points to a specific ...

Jun 22, 2026
Phys.org / How AI-generated cartoons reshaped Taiwan's 2024 protests

In spring 2024, more than 100,000 people protested in Taiwan's streets. On Threads, a parallel fight was underway.

Jun 22, 2026
Phys.org / Chaotic polymer vibrations may unlock stronger, flexible thermal insulators

University of Massachusetts Amherst researchers have demonstrated a possible new avenue for developing flame-retardant and generally low-conductivity (low-heat-transfer) plastics that retain the benefits of being strong and ...

Jun 22, 2026
Phys.org / CRISPR safety check evaluates intended and unintended mutations

A team of researchers led by Professor Akitsu Hotta (Department of Clinical Application) developed a comprehensive framework that combines computational prediction, experimental validation and whole-genome analysis to evaluate ...

Jun 22, 2026
Phys.org / Molecular 'Velcro' gel removes PFAS from water without fluorinated materials

A new gel-based material developed by University of Florida chemical engineers filters PFAS forever chemicals from water more efficiently than many widely used commercial options. The advance offers a potential new path to ...

Jun 22, 2026
Phys.org / Cryo-EM imaging reveals how a molecular gate lets bulky proteins pass cell membranes intact

How large, fully folded proteins can pass through cell membranes without destroying them has long been one of the open questions in cell biology. Using cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), Leonid Sazanov and Ziyu Zhao at the ...

Jun 22, 2026
Phys.org / High-severity fires burn 30 times more acreage than 40 years ago, researchers find

Forest fires now burn 10 times more acreage annually than in 1985, while wildfire severity has gotten even worse. In California, 30 times more acreage burned from high-severity, forest-killing fires, according to new UCLA ...

Jun 22, 2026
Phys.org / Human sacrifice in Inca Empire may have been driven by political motives, not religion

Three decades ago, researchers working atop the Llullaillaco volcano, located on the border between Argentina and Chile, discovered exceptionally well-preserved remains. The find included the mummified bodies of three children ...

Jun 21, 2026
Phys.org / Well-known planetary nebula's ear-like lobes rewrite its evolutionary timeline

Using the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) and the Manchester Echelle Spectrograph (MES), astronomers from Turkey and Mexico have investigated a planetary nebula discovered two centuries ago, known as NGC 6563. Results ...

Jun 21, 2026
Phys.org / Quantum mechanics theory may work without imaginary numbers, new analysis suggests

Physicists from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) have examined a fundamental property of quantum mechanics in collaboration with the German Aerospace Center (DLR). In an article published in the journal Physical ...

Jun 21, 2026
Phys.org / Nanoscale CoAl design delivers 6 GPa strength with 15% plastic strain at room temperature

Materials engineers have developed the ability to manipulate structure and matter at the nanoscale for solid-state alloys called intermetallics, making it possible to alter their properties for improved performance.

Jun 21, 2026
Phys.org / Stress gives bees sharper vision and faster reactions, researchers discover

Bumblebees see the world differently under stress, processing visual information more sharply and making quicker decisions, new research from Newcastle University reveals.

Jun 21, 2026