Phys.org news

Phys.org / Scared of spiders? The real horror story is a world without them

Members of the arachnid class—think spiders, scorpions and harvestmen (daddy long legs)—are often the targets of revulsion, disgust and fear. Yet, they are crucial for ecosystems to thrive. Given the crash in worldwide ...

Mar 2, 2026
Phys.org / Agrivoltaics can increase or reduce yields and profits, depending on the crop and where the systems are deployed

In a world where increasing demands for food security and energy strain existing resources, scientists are looking for new ways to maximize both. One potential option, agrivoltaics, integrates solar photovoltaics with crops. ...

Mar 2, 2026
Phys.org / Ultrasound-activated 'nanoagents' kill superbugs hiding in biofilms

Scientists have designed nanoagents that act like smart drug-delivery capsules—carrying an antibiotic deep into bacterial infection sites and releasing it only when activated by gentle ultrasound. Delivering antibiotics ...

Mar 2, 2026
Phys.org / Tech upgrade reveals even finer transcription detail inside cells

In 2021, a technology developed at the University of Michigan, called Seq-Scope, revolutionized the ability to map gene activity within intact tissue at microscopic resolution, enabling researchers to measure all expressed ...

Mar 2, 2026
Phys.org / Smart fluorescent molecules provide cheaper path to sharper microscopy images

Multiphoton microscopy is used in biomedical research to study cells and tissues. Today, so-called two-photon microscopy is used to study processes within cells, but the technique has limitations in terms of image resolution. ...

Mar 2, 2026
Phys.org / Paleontologists investigate how life entered and adapted to the deep sea

The deep sea is a dark, cold place. It's just a few degrees above freezing, subject to immense pressure, and beyond the reach of the sunlight needed for photosynthesis. The life that does survive in such a hostile place must ...

Mar 2, 2026
Phys.org / Antarctica has lost 10 times the size of Greater Los Angeles in ice over 30 years, satellite data reveal

A comprehensive 30-year study led by University of California, Irvine glaciologists has produced a circumpolar ice grounding line migration map of Antarctica. An amalgamation of three decades of satellite data compiled and ...

Mar 2, 2026
Phys.org / El Nino may return in 2026 and make planet even hotter

The warming El Niño weather phenomenon could form later this year, potentially pushing global temperatures to record heights.

Mar 2, 2026
Phys.org / Scientists rescue lost song of the critically endangered regent honeyeater

Scientists from The Australian National University (ANU) and the Taronga Conservation Society Australia have successfully restored the lost traditional song of one of Australia's most endangered birds, offering new hope for ...

Mar 2, 2026
Phys.org / How to train your catalyst, one atom at a time

How do you keep a copper catalyst from losing its oomph? Just add a dusting of platinum, says a new study published in Nature Materials. A team of researchers, including scientists at the Department of Energy's SLAC National ...

Mar 2, 2026
Phys.org / Catching light in air: Programmable Mie voids boost light matter interaction

Atomically thin semiconductors such as tungsten disulfide (WS2) are promising materials for future photonic technologies. Despite being only a single layer of atoms thick, they host tightly bound excitons—pairs of electrons ...

Mar 2, 2026
Phys.org / Research reveals cosmic tug-of-war behind the Crab Pulsar's zebra stripes

For the past two decades, scientists have wondered about a bright, distinct striped pattern seen in radio waves emanating from the Crab Pulsar, the remnant of a supernova observed by Chinese and Japanese astronomers in the ...

Mar 2, 2026