Phys.org news

Phys.org / Ultrathin membranes unlock nano-infrared views of biomolecules in water

Very small biological samples and even individual biomolecules can now be examined under near-physiological conditions with high confidence at the BESSY II infrared beamline using a newly validated and improved technique: ...

Sep 16, 2026
Phys.org / New simulations link unusual particle diffusion to yielding in soft jammed matter

Soft materials such as colloidal suspensions, emulsions, foams and gels often display complex and unusual behaviors compared with ordinary solids or liquids. From a mechanical point of view, for instance, they can resist ...

Sep 16, 2026
Phys.org / Sliding droplets point to charging mechanism beyond mobile ions

Whether on a windowpane at home or during the industrial cleaning of computer chips: droplets sliding over solid surfaces become electrically charged. Yet the physical mechanism behind this charging remains a subject of debate. ...

Sep 16, 2026
Phys.org / Australia's ancient rainfall patterns more complex than previously believed

"Sediment and fossil records are a major pillar of our understanding of how the climate works—but climate scientists have gotten something wrong about Australia's ice age," says Dr. Alex F. Wall, lead author of a new research ...

Sep 16, 2026
Phys.org / Pufferfish taste receptor more versatile than a human's, detecting both savory L- and sweet D-amino acids

Our sense of taste is critical for survival, alerting us to substances that provide vital nutrients and those that might poison us. Now, a team led by researchers from the University of Osaka has discovered how one such taste ...

Sep 16, 2026
Phys.org / Heating mica to 200°C reveals friction independent of sliding speed

Through joint research with the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Tokyo, NIMS for the first time experimentally demonstrated friction completely independent of sliding velocity—an ideal that had never been realized—by ...

Sep 16, 2026
Phys.org / Light lets microswimmers switch between bacteria-like and algae-like propulsion

Physicists at Leipzig University and Charles University in Prague have developed a method for changing the swimming style of tiny artificial microswimmers in real time. They can make a single microscopic particle switch at ...

Sep 16, 2026
Phys.org / Most Americans reject political violence, but support can vary sharply by party

Republicans and conservatives are more likely than Democrats or liberals to justify political violence in 17 surveyed situations, according to a study published in PLOS One by Garen J. Wintemute of the University of California, ...

Sep 16, 2026
Phys.org / Wild dogs make the longest recorded journey of any terrestrial mammal in Africa

African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) travel incredibly long distances to search for a mate and new places to breed. They typically embark on these mammoth treks as young adults and often face numerous hazards along the way. ...

Sep 15, 2026
Phys.org / Biophysical model suggests how cells optimize information gathering without using too much energy

In both biological and engineered systems, cells and sensors must make sense of noisy, changing signals to function. However, collecting and using this information consumes valuable energy. A new study, published in Physical ...

Sep 15, 2026
Phys.org / A famous galaxy's black hole has been hiding its most violent behavior

Astronomers have found that a nearby galaxy's black hole is blasting out a far more powerful and hidden gas outflow than previously realized. Studying NGC 1068, a well-known galaxy with an actively feeding black hole at its ...

Sep 15, 2026
Phys.org / New species of 240-million-year-old prehistoric animal could reshape dinosaur origins timeline

A new prehistoric animal species from Tanzania dating to around 240 million years ago, during the Triassic period, has been described by an international team of researchers. Led by the University of Bristol, the new species, ...

Sep 15, 2026