Phys.org news

Phys.org / On-demand electronic switching of topology achieved in a single crystal

University of British Columbia (UBC) scientists have demonstrated a reversible way to switch the topological state of a quantum material using mechanisms compatible with modern electronic devices. Published in Nature Materials, ...

7 hours ago in Physics
Phys.org / Detecting strong-to-weak symmetry breaking might be impossible, study shows

When a system undergoes a transformation, yet an underlying physical property remains unchanged, this property is referred to as "symmetry." Spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB) occurs when a system breaks out of this symmetry ...

16 hours ago in Physics
Phys.org / The mystery of the missing deep ocean carbon fixers

In a step toward better understanding how the ocean sequesters carbon, new findings from UC Santa Barbara researchers and collaborators challenge the current view of how carbon dioxide is "fixed" in the sunless ocean depths. ...

7 hours ago in Earth
Phys.org / Flood size and frequency found to shape river migration worldwide

A new Tulane University study published in Science Advances sheds light on how floods influence the way rivers move, offering fresh insight into how changing flood patterns may reshape waterways and the communities that depend ...

8 hours ago in Earth
Phys.org / New magnetic sensor material discovered using high-throughput experimental method

A NIMS research team has developed a new experimental method capable of rapidly evaluating numerous material compositions by measuring anomalous Hall resistivity 30 times faster than conventional methods. By analyzing the ...

8 hours ago in Physics
Phys.org / A new possibility for life: Study suggests ancient skies rained down ingredients

Earth's atmosphere might have contributed to the origin of life more than previously thought. In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, CU Boulder researchers and collaborators reveal that ...

8 hours ago in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Bird-of-paradise inspires darkest fabric ever made

The color "ultrablack"—defined as reflecting less than 0.5% of the light that hits it—has a variety of uses, including in cameras, solar panels and telescopes, but it's difficult to produce and can appear less black when ...

8 hours ago in Chemistry
Phys.org / Scientists map Mars' large river drainage systems for first time

Billions of years ago, it rained on Mars. The water collected in valleys and rivers, filled and spilled over the rims of craters, and was funneled into canyons, perhaps even making its way to a large Martian ocean.

8 hours ago in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Physicists create 'quantum wire' where mass and energy flow without friction or loss

In physical systems, transport takes many forms, such as electric current through a wire, heat through metal, or even water through a pipe. Each of these flows can be described by how easily the underlying quantity—charge, ...

9 hours ago in Physics
Phys.org / Sexual selection in beetles leads to more rapid evolution of new species, long-term experiments show

When males are forced to compete for females, new species form more rapidly. This has been shown in a new study where the researchers compared beetles allowed to mate freely with groups of the same species where competition ...

8 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Scientists can finally answer an old question about cellular aging

After a finite number of divisions, cells simply give up. As each round of replication trims their telomeres—the protective caps at the chromosome ends—those caps eventually become too short to prevent chromosome ends ...

8 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / The functional principles of eye evolution: Light-sensitive stem cells provide new insight

A new study, led by the University of Vienna and the Alfred Wegener Institute in Bremerhaven, shows how the eyes of adult marine bristleworms continue to grow throughout life—driven by a ring of neural stem cells reminiscent ...

8 hours ago in Biology