Phys.org news

Phys.org / Physicists drive antihydrogen breakthrough at CERN with record trapping technique

Physicists from Swansea University have played the leading role in a scientific breakthrough at CERN, developing an innovative technique that increases the antihydrogen trapping rate by a factor of ten.

Nov 18, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Social media use soars as kids drop sports, reading and the arts

In striking new statistics, experts warn of social media's growing grip on young people, with use among children and teens soaring by more than 200% since before COVID and showing no sign of decline.

Nov 18, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Stars forge elements in new, uncharted ways: Experimental physicist discusses the 'i-process'

All around us are elements forged in stars, from the nickel and copper in coins to the gold and silver in jewelry. Scientists have a good understanding of how these elements form: In many cases, a nucleus heavier than iron ...

Nov 18, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / New cable design mitigates flaws in superconducting wires

When current flows through a wire, it doesn't always have a perfect path. Tiny defects within the wire mean current must travel a more circuitous route, a problem for engineers and manufacturers seeking reliable equipment.

Nov 18, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Wine grape still carries molecular memory of its ancestry after 400 years, study finds

About 400 years ago, a cross between cabernet franc and sauvignon blanc gave birth to cabernet sauvignon. Today, cabernet sauvignon is the world's most-planted wine grape, dominating vineyards from Napa to Bordeaux. New research ...

Nov 18, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Sharper MRI scans may be on horizon thanks to new physics-based model

Researchers at Rice University and Oak Ridge National Laboratory have unveiled a physics-based model of magnetic resonance relaxation that bridges molecular-scale dynamics with macroscopic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) ...

Nov 18, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Enzyme-free approach gently detaches cells from culture surfaces

Anchorage-dependent cells are cells that require physical attachment to a solid surface, such as a culture dish, to survive, grow, and reproduce. In the biomedical industry, and others, having the ability to culture these ...

Nov 18, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Single-celled organisms have more complex DNA epigenetic code than multicellular life, researchers discover

Multicellular organisms (animals, plants, humans) all have the ability to methylate the cytosine base in their DNA. This process, a type of epigenetic modification, plays an important role in conditions such as cancer and ...

Nov 18, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / How bacteria 'feel' surfaces: Fluorescent probe visualizes and quantifies membrane tension

In natural environments, bacteria rarely live as free-swimming cells but are attached to surfaces as biofilms in medical devices, mobile phones or human tissue. The bacterial behavior, how they attach and grow, group together ...

Nov 18, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Ancient and colonial legacies continue to shape Amazon forest biodiversity today

Human influence across centuries continues to define biodiversity and carbon storage in the world's largest rainforest, according to a new international study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ...

Nov 18, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / CT scans reveal hidden details of ancient copper smelting in early Iran

About 5,000 years ago, people living in what is now Iran began extracting copper from rock by processing ore, an activity known as smelting. This monumental shift gave them a powerful new technology and may have marked the ...

Nov 18, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Quantum-centric supercomputing simulates supramolecular interactions

A team led by Cleveland Clinic's Kenneth Merz, Ph.D., and IBM's Antonio Mezzacapo, Ph.D., is developing quantum computing methods to simulate and study supramolecular processes that guide how entire molecules interact with ...

Nov 18, 2025 in Chemistry