Phys.org news
Phys.org / Adolescent social media restrictions may reduce some harms while shifting others, warn experts
Amrit Kaur Purba and colleagues argue that social media restrictions operate within a wider system of adolescents, families, schools, governments and commercial actors—and therefore should be treated as complex systems interventions ...
Phys.org / Astronomers find nearby planets to be small, strange, and utterly uninhabitable
Scientists have painted the most detailed portrait yet of the planetary system orbiting Barnard's Star—the sun's closest neighbor after Alpha Centauri, just under six light-years from Earth.
Phys.org / New process turns mixed plastic waste directly into hydrogen fuel without sorting
Plastic has become a ubiquitous part of modern life—in water bottles, shopping bags and car dashboards. But once discarded, it is among the hardest materials on Earth to recycle. Most recycling processes require plastics ...
Phys.org / Microplastics reach even 2,000 meters below the ocean surface, study finds
Plastic pollution has become a global environmental crisis, with an estimated 11 million tons of plastic entering the oceans each year. As larger plastic debris breaks down into microplastics, these tiny particles are transported ...
Phys.org / Model highlights patterns in how humans move across different locations
Every day, billions of people travel from their homes to work, schools, health care facilities, restaurants, public venues and other destinations. The complex patterns that shape how people move between these different locations ...
Phys.org / Striking new species of African monkey discovered deep in the Congo rainforest
In the rainforests of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), scientists have identified a previously unknown species of African monkey—one of the rarest discoveries in modern primatology.
Phys.org / Physicists create first room-temperature quantum material
Quantum materials could transform technologies ranging from powerful computers and ultrasecure communications to advanced energy systems. But there has always been one major obstacle.
Phys.org / Bacteria form 'herds' to survive predators, offering fresh insight into Earth's carbon cycle
Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have discovered that tiny photosynthetic bacteria band together into protective "herds" when attacked by predators—a survival strategy that could also influence how carbon is ...
Phys.org / Marsupial newborns get early arms as embryos bypass usual limb-building sequence
Scientists have discovered that marsupial forelimbs (arms) develop much earlier before birth than previously thought, providing new insights into evolutionary innovation and biology.
Phys.org / Asteroid breakup may explain inner solar system bombardment 800 million years ago
A Southwest Research Institute-led study has proposed a connection between a specific collision in the main asteroid belt and an inner-solar-system-wide bombardment episode that may have had measurable biological and geological ...
Phys.org / Tiny water droplets convert stubborn plastic waste into valuable acids, study finds
A new way of converting stubborn plastic waste into high-value chemicals using only water and oxygen has been developed by an international team of scientists.
Phys.org / Epigenetic mechanism explains how some plants cope with salt stress
Due to artificial irrigation and rising temperatures, the concentration of salts (including sodium chloride, or "table salt") is increasing in soils worldwide. This is not only an environmental problem but also a challenge ...