Phys.org news

Phys.org / Automated catalyst testing uses two coordinated robots, cutting 32 days of work to 17 hours

A technology has been developed that uses robots rather than humans to evaluate the performance of newly developed catalysts. By operating 45 times faster than manual work while also improving precision, it is expected to ...

12 hours ago in Chemistry
Phys.org / Alloy-engineered valleytronics: Microscopic mechanism gives scientists precise control over how excitons behave

Scientists have observed a new microscopic mechanism enabling precise control of the magneto-optical properties of excitons in alloys of two-dimensional semiconductors. This discovery opens up tangible prospects for technological ...

11 hours ago in Physics
Phys.org / Sunlight-powered process turns plastic waste into acetic acid without added emissions

Researchers at the University of Waterloo have discovered a way to turn plastic waste into acetic acid, the main ingredient of vinegar, using sunlight. The breakthrough offers a promising new approach to reducing plastic ...

10 hours ago in Chemistry
Phys.org / Twisting optical fiber creates a robust new pathway for light

Light powers everything from communications to sensing, yet even tiny imperfections can scatter it and weaken signals. To address this, a team led by the University of Bath—working with the University of Cambridge and international ...

12 hours ago in Physics
Phys.org / Early-life challenges and experiences shape how boldly bats behave as adults

What makes one bat take risks and venture far from its roost in search of food, while another stays close to familiar, safer areas? A new study from Tel Aviv University's School of Zoology reveals that the environment in ...

11 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Why the planet doesn't dry out all at once: Scientists solve a global climate puzzle

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN), in collaboration with international partners, have shown that ocean temperature patterns help limit the global spread of droughts. Published in Communications ...

11 hours ago in Earth
Phys.org / Quantum algorithm beats classical tools on complement sampling tasks

Quantum computers—devices that process information using quantum mechanical effects—have long been expected to outperform classical systems on certain tasks. Over the past few decades, researchers have worked to rigorously ...

21 hours ago in Physics
Phys.org / Between the Pampa and Patagonia: New clues about how ancient hunter-gatherers fed themselves

An archaeological study reveals how ancient hunter-gatherer groups lived—and survived—more than a thousand years ago in the transition zone between the Pampas and Patagonia in Argentina. The research, carried out by Martínez ...

11 hours ago in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Auroras on Ganymede and Earth share striking similarities

New observations of Ganymede reveal a striking similarity between the auroras on the largest moon in the solar system and those on Earth. The international team of astrophysicists, led by researchers from the University of ...

11 hours ago in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Mysterious Greek inscription reignites debate on whether a Syrian mosque stands atop Roman Emperor Elagabalus' Temple

A recently discovered Greek inscription at the base of a column inside the Great Mosque of Homs in Syria has rekindled a longstanding scholarly debate about the exact location of the Temple of the sun, whose high priest ascended ...

17 hours ago in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Earth's mantle may have been cooler than thought before Pangea's breakup

When the supercontinent Pangea began to fragment around 200 million years ago during the Early Jurassic, it reshaped the face of the planet. Vast new oceans opened, continents drifted apart and the familiar geography of today ...

22 hours ago in Earth
Phys.org / Animal muscles inspire biomaterial design for agriculture, fabrics and medicine

Natural muscle fibers are made up of spring-like proteins that can contract and stretch without losing their original form, dissipate mechanical energy as heat and maintain incredible tensile strength for all sorts of physical ...

11 hours ago in Biology