Phys.org news
Phys.org / Study captures single polymer segments sticking and slipping on surfaces
Kyushu University researchers have directly observed, for the first time, how individual polymers—chain-like molecules—behave when in contact with solid surfaces. Published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, ...
Phys.org / Augmented reality job coaching boosts performance by 79% for people with disabilities, study finds
Employment can be a powerful gateway to independence, dignity, and belonging. Yet for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), that gateway remains limited. Although work supports better health, ...
Phys.org / Climate policies: The swing voters that determine their fate
The climate measures currently in place are unlikely to meet Paris Climate Agreement targets. Whether further political measures can move us closer to the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees and combating climate ...
Phys.org / Japanese scientists discover how falling cats almost always make perfect landings
When cats fall, they usually land on their feet. This uncanny ability to right themselves before hitting the ground has long puzzled scientists. Now, a team from Yamaguchi University in Japan has the answer, and it's all ...
Phys.org / New exoplanet survey method finds high rates of closely orbiting planets
Up until now, exoplanet surveys have mostly focused on nearby, bright stars that are sun-like or are red dwarfs, which are known to frequently host planets. While astronomers have discovered thousands of planets this way, ...
Phys.org / Precisely measuring quantum signals in large spin ensembles
Quantum mechanical effects are known to be easily disrupted by disturbances from the surrounding environment, commonly referred to as noise. To minimize these disturbances, physicists often study these effects in small and ...
Phys.org / Scientists harness quantum tunneling to boost heavy water production efficiency
A study by scientists at Hunan University introduces a new hydrogen isotope separation method that leverages proton quantum tunneling to produce heavy water, overcoming the key physical limitation faced by current methods ...
Phys.org / Glacial lakes in Alaska are expanding rapidly and could quadruple in size
Alaska's glacial lakes are growing faster than in previous decades. They expanded by more than 150 square kilometers between 2018 and 2024, and could eventually grow to more than four times their current size as glaciers ...
Phys.org / New African species confirms evolutionary origin of magic mushrooms
A long-standing debate about the evolutionary origin of the world's most widely cultivated "magic mushroom"—Psilocybe cubensis—may now have been settled by scientists from southern Africa and the United States.
Phys.org / Student serves up fresh solutions to the pancake problem
David Cutler is in the spotlight for his work on a tasty-sounding mathematics problem. In January, the New York Times featured a research paper authored by Cutler and Neil Sloane, the founder of The On-line Encyclopedia of ...
Phys.org / Unexpected magnetic response in gold and silver atomic contacts contradicts previous theoretical predictions
Researchers from the Department of Physics and the University Institute of Materials at the University of Alicante (UA) and the Low Temperature and High Magnetic Field Laboratory at the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM) ...
Phys.org / Ancient stone jars shows how tree cover shapes freshwater ecosystems over millennia
Researchers at McGill University used 2,000-year-old stone jars in Laos to observe long-term ecological processes, enhancing understanding of how strongly tree cover shapes small freshwater ecosystems. Their findings stand ...
