Phys.org news

Phys.org / Autonomous drones measure volcanic gas clouds, offering clearer eruption warning signs

To better assess the danger posed by volcanoes, researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed a new measurement system. Laser beams are sent through escaping gas clouds and reflected by drones. An ...

Jul 12, 2026
Phys.org / New imaging method offers fresh insight into LED materials

Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are used in everything from household lighting and mobile phones to large display screens. Improving their efficiency could reduce energy use and enhance performance across a wide range of technologies. ...

Jul 12, 2026
Phys.org / Climate change leaves northern tree swallows more vulnerable than those in the southern US

Tree swallows in the northern U.S. and Canada face the greatest risk from climate change despite responding to temperature the same way as tree swallows in the southern U.S., according to a new study led by Cornell researchers ...

Jul 12, 2026
Phys.org / Climate oscillations shape nature's coral refuges in a warming ocean

Why do some coral reefs weather marine heat waves better than others? A new study published in Scientific Reports shows that the answer may lie not only in local ocean conditions, but also in climate patterns that span entire ...

Jul 12, 2026
Phys.org / X-ray tracking reveals uneven expansion in young supernova remnant G292.0+1.8

By analyzing data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, Dutch astronomers have investigated a young, oxygen-rich supernova remnant known as G292.0+1.8. Results of the new study, published June 29 on the arXiv preprint server, ...

Jul 11, 2026
Phys.org / Almost a quarter of Dutch bee colonies did not survive last winter

During the winter of 2025–2026, 24% of Dutch honeybee colonies were lost. The upward trend observed in recent years therefore continues. This is the fourth consecutive year in which winter mortality has exceeded 20%. The ...

Jul 11, 2026
Phys.org / Immune cells get transformed into fungus-fighting nanoparticles

Tiny particles made from the membranes of human immune cells could offer a promising new way to fight fungal infections that are becoming harder to treat. Engineers at the University of California San Diego created antifungal ...

Jul 11, 2026
Phys.org / Synthetic rotation brings black hole energy theory into lab, amplifying waves

More than half a century ago, Sir Roger Penrose envisioned a scenario in which energy could be extracted from a black hole spinning at extreme speeds. He proposed that a particle entering its ergosphere—a region of space ...

Jul 11, 2026
Phys.org / Saturday Citations: Blue zone longevity; soft tissue find predates dinosaurs; black hole collisions simplified

This week, researchers reported finding nanoplastics in Antarctic soils for the first time, suggesting they were delivered via long-range atmospheric transport. A study associates the use of hormonal birth control with the ...

Jul 11, 2026
Phys.org / Cast away: Tracing the voyage of a plastic bottle cap and its hitchhiking marine species

Researchers have traced the journey of a plastic bottle cap recovered near the waters of southern Japan by combining data from the label, chemical clues in tiny shells and ocean current simulations. They found 307 organisms, ...

Jul 11, 2026
Phys.org / Heavy traffic can turn flower-rich verges into bumblebee traps, study finds

Flower-rich road verges may attract hungry bumblebees, but at the same time, they can be dangerous for the buzzing insects—if traffic is too heavy. The new research from Lund University in Sweden examined the role roadsides ...

Jul 11, 2026
Phys.org / Ribosome-based gene circuit lets cells read six signals and trigger responses

The molecular machinery that normally builds proteins inside cells has now taken on a new role as a "switch." A research team at POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology) has developed a new 'RNA-based smart gene ...

Jul 11, 2026