Phys.org news

Phys.org / Acceptor molecule upconverts low-energy green light to high-energy purple with high efficiency

Solar cells and photocatalysts can be surprisingly inefficient. Despite light consisting of many wavelengths, the range that even highly efficient devices use is limited. Other wavelengths, especially long wavelengths, simply ...

Jul 1, 2026
Phys.org / Ancient gum disease may have helped reshape jaws before human brains expanded

Human evolution is generally explained through changes in brain size, locomotion or tool use, but new research from Wits University suggests that gum disease and changes in facial structure may have been important factors ...

Jul 1, 2026
Phys.org / Cosmic dust could play key role in cracking long-standing mystery of solar corona heating

A researcher at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of The University of Alabama System, has published a new study in The Astrophysical Journal suggesting that tiny charged dust grains near the sun may significantly ...

Jul 1, 2026
Phys.org / Primate brains might have evolved to 'catch up' with larger bodies, but then kept growing

A new analysis supports the previously overlooked "brain lag" hypothesis—the idea that, in some primate lineages, the evolution of larger body size preceded the evolution of larger brain size—while also building on that hypothesis ...

Jul 1, 2026
Phys.org / Lake Chad supports 2.48 million waterbirds, emerging as one of Africa's top wetland refuges

A study titled "Monitoring major biodiversity stronghold in war zones: model predicts Lake Chad remains Africa's most important wetland for waterbirds" estimates that Lake Chad supports nearly 2.5 million waterbirds, making ...

Jul 1, 2026
Phys.org / Webb reveals merger scars in galaxies that stopped forming stars 9 billion years ago

Research has shed new light on why some distant galaxies suddenly stop forming stars. An international team led by astronomers at the University of Nottingham has used the James Webb Space Telescope to study a large sample ...

Jul 1, 2026
Phys.org / World's oceans break June heat record: EU monitor

The world's oceans just experienced their hottest June on record and could set fresh highs in the months ahead as El Nino and climate change drive temperatures even higher, scientists said Wednesday.

Jul 1, 2026
Phys.org / Orbit overload could devastate astronomy if 1.7 million proposed satellites brighten night sky

A new European Southern Observatory (ESO) study has found that current proposals to launch more than 1.7 million satellites into orbit, including extremely bright ones, would have "devastating consequences for astronomy." ...

Jul 1, 2026
Phys.org / NASA rolls out three robotic moon missions as 2029 lunar base plans take shape

NASA on Tuesday announced new uncrewed missions to aid in the future creation of a lunar surface base, a project beginning to take shape despite recent setbacks.

Jul 1, 2026
Phys.org / Martian dust storms may generate atmospheric electrical conditions that could impact future missions

A new study by a doctoral researcher at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), part of The University of Alabama System, suggests global dust storms on Mars may organize the Martian atmosphere into regions favorable ...

Jul 1, 2026
Phys.org / Sun-powered sponges may generate 11% of tropical coral reef productivity

In marine environments, sponges tend to eat other organisms to get their nutrients. But a study published in Functional Ecology by researchers at the University of Amsterdam's Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics ...

Jul 1, 2026
Phys.org / Cutting emissions more, removing carbon less could save 33,000 U.S. lives yearly

Published in Nature Climate Change, new research from the University of Wisconsin–Madison finds that reaching net-zero emissions by midcentury would substantially improve public health in the United States. However, climate ...

Jul 1, 2026