Phys.org news

Phys.org / Mercury reveals short-lived radiation belts during its swing farther from the sun

Mercury was long considered the exception to the rule that magnetic planets have radiation belts similar to Earth's Van Allen belts, but a new study by University of Michigan Engineering and the University of California, ...

Jul 27, 2026
Phys.org / When polymers meet primitive membranes: How molecular cooperation may have helped life begin

A new study suggests that simple molecules on early Earth may have worked together to create more stable, cell-like structures, offering fresh clues about one of science's biggest questions: how life began. Led by Dr. Moran ...

Jul 27, 2026
Phys.org / Membrane nanostructures reshape in water, revealing route to better ion transport

Next-generation energy devices like fuel cells and water electrolyzers depend on ion-exchange membranes that allow only water and certain ions to pass through.

Jul 27, 2026
Phys.org / Molecular switch that activates cell growth signaling may offer more precise route for anticancer therapy

Cells carry their own growth switches. When enough nutrients—amino acids in particular—are available, cells flip this switch on and begin to grow. Researchers at KAIST and Yonsei University have uncovered the molecular mechanism ...

Jul 27, 2026
Phys.org / California wildfire damage risk map uses factors most closely linked to severe property losses

By analyzing 100,000 California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection inspection records from 2013 to 2024, researchers at the University of California, Irvine have identified the key environmental and human factors ...

Jul 27, 2026
Phys.org / Purple corn offers a stable natural alternative to artificial food dyes

University of Missouri researchers are turning a unique variety of corn into an effective natural alternative to artificial food dyes.

Jul 27, 2026
Phys.org / 'Dead stars' may have surprisingly healthy appetites

"Dead stars" known as white dwarfs have already shown the potential to help us better understand how planetary systems, including our own solar system, take shape and evolve. Now, research from the University of Michigan ...

Jul 27, 2026
Phys.org / Exploring why societies around the world no longer bury their dead at home

There are countless cultures and societies around the world, spanning thousands of years. One thing they all have in common is that death is a part of everybody's life. Examining how different societies commemorate their ...

Jul 27, 2026
Phys.org / Christmas in July: Engineers capture gigapixel 3D video of snowflakes

For the first time, researchers can witness nanometer-scale thickness changes across a melting snowflake with a compact, lensless chip that captures gigapixel video at 30 frames per second across centimeter-scale fields.

Jul 27, 2026
Phys.org / Virtual reality fish platform offers insights into the impact of artificial light on aquatic life

A virtual reality (VR) platform has given researchers new insights into how artificial light at night alters the way coral reef fish respond to predators. The study brings together, for the first time, the metabolic expertise ...

Jul 27, 2026
Phys.org / Invasive species hit the Global South significantly harder than previously assumed

Invasive alien species are among the world's leading drivers of species extinction. However, previous global assessments of the geographic distribution of this damage suffered from a systematic "research bias": Because significantly ...

Jul 27, 2026
Phys.org / Light reveals transient electronic step behind a hidden state in metal-organic framework

A fleeting photoinduced electronic state and the subsequent formation of a photoinduced hidden state in a metal–organic framework were captured in just 30 femtoseconds by researchers at Science Tokyo, Tohoku University and ...

Jul 27, 2026