Phys.org news

Phys.org / Could the solution to the carbon problem be carbon itself?

Can we use carbon to help decarbonize the world and transform the energy and chemical industries? Yes, it seems, but there are some key challenges to overcome first.

Nov 20, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Watching gold's atomic structure change at 10 million times Earth's atmospheric pressure

The inside of giant planets can reach pressures more than one million times the Earth's atmosphere. As a result of that intense pressure, materials can adopt unexpected structures and properties. Understanding matter in this ...

Nov 20, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Quantum calculations expose hidden chemistry of ice

When ultraviolet light hits ice—whether in Earth's polar regions or on distant planets—it triggers a cascade of chemical reactions that have puzzled scientists for decades.

Nov 20, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Smart toilets in Cambodia fall short due to improper use

A smart toilet design introduced in rural Cambodia was supposed to change lives—keeping families safe and protecting the environment. However, while households reported that they liked the new system, a crucial piece was ...

Nov 20, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Watching DNA repair in real time with a live-cell sensor

Cancer research, drug safety testing and aging biology may all gain a major boost from a new fluorescent sensor developed at Utrecht University. This new tool allows scientists to watch DNA damage and repair unfold in real ...

Nov 20, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / New fabric reflects 96% of sunlight to keep wearers cooler in extreme heat

As global temperatures rise and heat waves intensify, a new textile innovation co-developed by University of South Australia scientists promises to keep people cooler, drier, and more comfortable in extreme heat.

Nov 20, 2025 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Mystery of how turtles read their magnetic map solved—they feel the magnetism

Loggerhead turtles are able to sense Earth's magnetic field in two ways, but it wasn't clear which sense the animals use to detect the magnetic field when navigating using the magnetic map they are born with. Now researchers ...

Nov 20, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Extinct rocket frog species identified from single 62-year-old museum specimen

Anyone walking through the Tarumã neighborhood in Curitiba (the capital of the state of Paraná, Brazil) today may find it difficult to imagine the area as it was in the past. Between the buildings, racetrack, and the city's ...

Nov 20, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Cleveland's famous sea monster gets a scientific update

About 360 million years ago, the shallow sea above present-day Cleveland was home to a fearsome apex predator: Dunkleosteus terrelli. This 14-foot armored fish ruled the Late Devonian seas with razor-sharp bone blades instead ...

Nov 20, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / From light to logic: First complete logic gate achieved in soft material using light alone

Researchers from McMaster University and the University of Pittsburgh have created the first functionally complete logic gate—a NAND gate (short for "NOT AND")—in a soft material using only beams of visible light. The ...

Nov 20, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / NASA's Roman could bring new waves of information on galaxy's stars

A team of researchers has confirmed stars ring loud and clear in a "key" that will harmonize well with the science goals and capabilities of NASA's upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.

Nov 20, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Airborne sensors map ammonia plumes in California's Imperial Valley

A recent study led by scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and the nonprofit Aerospace Corporation shows how high-resolution maps of ground-level ammonia plumes can be generated with airborne ...

Nov 20, 2025 in Earth