Phys.org news

Phys.org / Artificial cartilage mimics natural flexibility with adjustable structure

A Washington State University research team is working to create an artificial cartilage that is similar to natural cartilage with a recipe that can be corrected along the way.

Nov 21, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Plant breeding discovery could pave way for new crop species

One of the great mysteries in plant biology is how, given the clouds of pollen released by dozens of plant species all at the same time, an individual plant can recognize which particular species' pollen grains will induce ...

Nov 21, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Single-photon switch could enable photonic computing

There are few technologies more fundamental to modern life than the ability to control light with precision. From fiber-optic communications to quantum sensors, the manipulation of photons underpins much of our digital infrastructure. ...

Nov 21, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Laser-induced break-up of C₆₀ fullerenes caught in real-time on X-ray camera

The understanding of complex many-body dynamics in laser-driven polyatomic molecules is crucial for any attempt to steer chemical reactions by means of intense light fields. Ultrashort and intense X-ray pulses from accelerator-based ...

Nov 21, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Mercury pollution in marine mammals is increasing, new study finds

In 2017, a new global treaty was meant to bring mercury pollution under control. But three decades of data from UK harbor porpoises show mercury is still increasing, and is linked to a higher risk of dying from infectious ...

Nov 21, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / An electric discovery: Pigeons detect magnetic fields through their inner ear

In 1882, the French Naturalist Camille Viguier was among the first to propose the existence of a magnetic sense. His speculation proved correct. Many animals—from bats, to migratory birds and sea turtles use the Earth's ...

Nov 21, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Symmetry simplifies quantum noise analysis, paving way for better error correction

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore have achieved a breakthrough in quantum noise characterization in quantum systems—a key ...

Nov 21, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Understanding intrinsically disordered protein regions and their roles in cancer

Every function in a cell is associated with a particular protein or group of proteins, typically in a well-defined three-dimensional structure. However, intrinsically disordered regions of proteins defy this structure-function ...

Nov 21, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Male green hermit hummingbirds: Bills evolved for battle

Let's get one thing out of the way: All hummingbirds fight. Most species fight for food, using their tiny bodies and sharp bills to force competitors away from flowers. But the green hermit hummingbird, which lives primarily ...

Nov 21, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Why some volcanoes don't explode

The explosiveness of a volcanic eruption depends on how many gas bubbles form in the magma—and when. Until now, it was thought that gas bubbles were formed primarily when the ambient pressure dropped while the magma was ...

Nov 21, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Synthesizing stable, open-chain amines with nitrogen-based chirality

A research team from Prof. Benjamin List's department at the Max Planck Institut für Kohlenforschung has solved a long-elusive riddle of chemistry: the synthesis of stable, open-chain amines that carry their chirality on ...

Nov 21, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Earth's crust under stress: Researchers decipher energy release during earthquakes

Why do some earthquakes release more energy than others? A research team led by Prof. Dr. Armin Dielforder from the University of Greifswald has managed to demonstrate a clear physical connection between the energy released ...

Nov 21, 2025 in Earth