Phys.org news

Phys.org / Freestanding 3D MXene structures push the limits of microscale devices

In a breakthrough that could power next-generation electronics, sensors, and energy storage devices, CMU engineers have developed a fabrication technique that arranges MXene nanosheets, each a million times thinner than a ...

Jan 29, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / How fire-loving fungi learned to eat charcoal

Wildfire causes most living things to flee or die, but some fungi thrive afterward, even feasting on charred remains. New University of California, Riverside research finds the secret to post-fire flourishing hidden in their ...

Jan 29, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / How tree rings help scientists understand disruptive extreme solar storms

Scientists have long relied on tree rings to learn about ancient solar storms—rare bursts of high-energy particles from the sun that can disrupt satellites, power grids, and communication systems across the planet. When ...

Jan 29, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Caribbean heat waves intensify over five decades, study finds

A new study led by climatologists at the University at Albany has found that extreme heat waves across the Caribbean are becoming significantly more frequent, longer and severe. This study examined extreme summer heat waves ...

Jan 29, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Male or female? How one frog gene 'hijacked' sex determination about 20 million years ago

Early in development, many animals pick a team—male or female—based on their genetics, and, with time, acquire the characteristics to match. New research from the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) explores how one species ...

Jan 29, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Scientists develop high-performance Hg-based crystal for mid-far infrared birefringence

Mid- and far-infrared birefringent crystals are key functional materials for polarization control, laser technologies, and infrared photonics. However, existing materials generally suffer from limited infrared transparency, ...

Jan 29, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / 'Jerk' volcano early warning method uses single seismometer to detect magma movement

Forecasting volcanic eruptions in time to alert authorities and populations remains a major global challenge. In a study published in Nature Communications, researchers and engineers from the Institut de Physique du Globe ...

Jan 29, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Cleaner ship fuel changed clouds, but not their climate balance

To reduce air pollution associated with ocean transport, the International Maritime Organization tightened restrictions on sulfur content in ship fuel, resulting in an 80% reduction in emissions by 2020. That shift created ...

Jan 29, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Bacterial 'brains' operate on the brink of order and disorder

The sensory proteins that control the motion of bacteria constantly fluctuate. AMOLF researchers, together with international collaborators from ETH Zurich and University of Utah, found out that these proteins can jointly ...

Jan 29, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Svalbard polar bears show improved fat reserves despite sea ice loss

The body conditions of polar bear (Ursus maritimus) populations around the Norwegian island of Svalbard have improved despite sea ice losses, according to new findings. The findings differ from previously published observations ...

Jan 29, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Flying gurnard grunts and flares fins to communicate, camera study confirms

Researchers have just published a study demonstrating that the flying gurnard (Dactylopterus volitans) emits sounds while simultaneously performing movements to communicate—a discovery that enriches our knowledge about ...

Jan 29, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / King's Trough: How a shifting plate boundary and hot mantle material shaped an Atlantic mega-canyon

The King's Trough Complex is a several-hundred-kilometer-long, canyon-like system of trenches on the North Atlantic seafloor. Its formation was long thought to be the result of simple stretching of the oceanic crust. An international ...

Jan 29, 2026 in Earth