Phys.org news

Phys.org / Global rice production has nearly doubled over 50 years despite climate change

Global rice production nearly doubled between the 1960s and the 2010s, despite the negative impacts of climate change, according to a new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The study found that management ...

Jun 10, 2026
Phys.org / A meteorite impact may have once rained gold on Western Australia

We're used to a lot of different natural things falling out of the sky. These can include snow, rain and sometimes even frogs (yes, really). All of these relate to weather phenomena.

Jun 10, 2026
Phys.org / Small optical component could change how telescopes view the sun

A new telescope technology—measuring just 6 millimeters (0.24 inches) in diameter—could improve how future space missions study and monitor the sun while simplifying onboard hardware and reducing costs.

Jun 10, 2026
Phys.org / Extreme coastal flooding surges worldwide as rising seas rewrite 100-year odds

Human-caused sea-level rise has significantly increased the frequency of extreme coastal flooding worldwide, according to a new study led by a Tulane University researcher. The research, published in the journal Nature Climate ...

Jun 10, 2026
Phys.org / Antibody-guided nanoparticles target blood cancer cells in bone marrow

New research co-led by Indiana University School of Medicine scientists presents a significant step toward more precise and effective cancer treatments by using a breakthrough method to deliver therapies directly to cancer ...

Jun 10, 2026
Phys.org / Why plastic lingers: Water chemistry slows nature's cleanup

Scientists have long known that sunlight helps break down plastic. So, why do plastic products linger for decades and even centuries in rivers, lakes, and oceans—even when bathed in direct sunlight? Northwestern University ...

Jun 10, 2026
Phys.org / Quantum witness technique reveals spinons in quantum spin liquid candidate

Physicists at University College Cork have developed a new approach in the search for a quantum spin liquid, a long-sought state of quantum matter resembling a magnetic liquid whose quantum properties mean it never freezes. ...

Jun 10, 2026
Phys.org / Custom protein binders zero in on near-identical disease targets with unprecedented selectivity

In the human body, the boundary between health and severe illness can be microscopic. For decades, molecular scientists have grappled with a frustrating biological reality: The proteins driving devastating diseases often ...

Jun 10, 2026
Phys.org / One storm pushed world's rarest great ape closer to extinction in Sumatra

Climate change-fueled landslides wiped out nearly one in 10 remaining members of the world's rarest great ape species on Indonesia's Sumatra island, scientists said Wednesday.

Jun 10, 2026
Phys.org / Retreating glaciers increase iceberg sightings and reshape deep-sea habitats

The number of icebergs in the Arctic has increased sharply since the 2000s. This is due to the destabilization of large glaciers in northeast Greenland and parts of the Russian Arctic, as well as the increasing mobility of ...

Jun 10, 2026
Phys.org / X-rays reveal how platinum oxidizes in real time inside hydrogen devices

Electrolysers produce hydrogen. Fuel cells, in turn, generate electricity from hydrogen. Both technologies are considered key building blocks of the energy transition, offering well-established solutions for storing, transporting ...

Jun 10, 2026
Phys.org / P53's five-hour rhythm may let resonance target gene networks on command

Can networks of genes be stimulated using resonance? Researchers at the Niels Bohr Institute are investigating whether the protein p53, which activates a range of different genes, can be induced to communicate with the body's ...

Jun 10, 2026