Phys.org news

Phys.org / Astrophysicists discover largest sulfur-containing molecular compound in space

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), in collaboration with astrophysicists from the Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), CSIC-INTA, have identified the largest sulfur-bearing molecule ever ...

Jan 23, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / PFAS contamination in Pawcatuck River traced back to old textile mill ponds

A study led by University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography alumnus Jarod Snook, Ph.D., identified a long-term source of PFAS, or "forever chemicals," entering the Pawcatuck River from two historically contaminated ...

Jan 23, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Conservation may not be enough to sustain water supplies, researchers find

As temperatures rise and water supplies drop, public policy could bolster municipal water provisions under pressure. But one policy prescription—pushing conservation—will likely be insufficient as a standalone fix to ...

Jan 23, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Florida reefs offer multimillion-dollar flood protection—if they survive

It's no secret that Florida's iconic coral reefs are in trouble. Repeated body blows from hurricanes, pollution, disease, climate change—and a near-knockout punch from a 2023 marine heat wave—has effectively wiped several ...

Jan 23, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Ultra-thin wireless retinal implant offers hope for safely restoring vision signals

An international research team led by Prof. Dr. Sedat Nizamoğlu from the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Koç University has developed a next-generation, safe, and wireless stimulation technology ...

Jan 23, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Breakthroughs for preventing pistachio hull split

When pistachio hulls split before the nuts are harvested, insects and fungi can get inside, damaging the nut, costing farmers money and contaminating the nuts. About 4% of the overall crop experiences hull split, but some ...

Jan 23, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Transforming hydrogen energy by flattening granular catalysts into paper-thin sheets

Catalysts are the invisible engines of hydrogen energy, governing both hydrogen production and electricity generation. Conventional catalysts are typically fabricated in granular particle form, which is easy to synthesize ...

Jan 23, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Hydrogen's role in generating free electrons in silicon finally explained

Researchers announced that they have achieved the world's first elucidation of how hydrogen produces free electrons through the interaction with certain defects in silicon. The achievement has the potential to improve how ...

Jan 23, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Climate change can alter flower nectar quality and supply, threatening monarch butterfly migration

Monarch butterflies have always been remarkably resilient. Every fall, these delicate orange-and-black travelers set out on a journey so improbable it borders on myth, flying some three thousand kilometers from Canadian fields ...

Jan 23, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Refined radiocarbon dating provides clearer timeline of human activity along Cantabrian coast 18,000 years ago

A new study refines radiocarbon dating of marine remains and significantly improves the precision with which the human past of the Magdalenian period in the Cantabrian region of Spain can be reconstructed, a key phase of ...

Jan 23, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Halley's Comet wrongly named: 11th-century English monk predates British astronomer

The British astronomer and mathematician Edmond Halley was not, after all, the first to understand the cycle of the comet that now bears his name. This is shown by research conducted by, among others, Professor Simon Portegies ...

Jan 23, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Discovery reveals how acetylation controls key enzyme linked to cancer growth

Researchers from the University of Seville have participated in research to identify the molecular details of the regulation of an enzyme essential for sugar metabolism and closely linked to cell proliferation and growth: ...

Jan 23, 2026 in Biology