Phys.org news

Phys.org / Firefighter gear contains potentially hazardous flame retardants, study shows

Some firefighter gear is manufactured with chemicals called brominated flame retardants that could pose a risk to firefighter health, according to a study published in Environmental Science & Technology Letters.

Dec 16, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Surface-engineered ZnO nanocrystals tackle perfluoroalkyl substance contamination

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), a large class of synthetic chemicals, are valued for their ability to withstand heat, water, and oil. These materials are used in the production of everyday as well as industrial items. ...

Dec 16, 2025 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / ROSE-3D advances isotropic 3D super-resolution microscopy

In a study published in Nature Methods on December 2, a research team led by Profs. Xu Tao and Ji Wei from the Institute of Biophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed a three-dimensional interferometric localization ...

Dec 16, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Cool satellites and flexible electronics: Thin interlayers strengthen flexible composite materials

The picture that pops up before our inner eye when we hear the word "satellite" is probably this: Two extended solar "wings" and a compact body wrapped in foil with a golden or silvery shimmer. Researchers at Empa's Mechanics ...

Dec 16, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / How cells survive oxidative stress and ferroptosis

EPFL scientists have identified a molecular pathway that protects cells from lipid oxidation and ferroptosis, a regulated form of cell death involved in aging and several diseases.

Dec 16, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Summer storms increase the risk of cyanobacterial blooms in clear water lakes

Researchers at the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) have investigated how summer storms change the ecology of deep, clear lakes in a large-scale experiment in the LakeLab at Lake Stechlin. ...

Dec 16, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / A new transfer strategy to boost ultra-thin flexible temperature sensor performance

In the fields of intelligent health care and robotic sensing, the development of ultra-thin flexible temperature sensors serves as a core prerequisite for achieving high conformability and integration. However, a fundamental ...

Dec 16, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Newly engineered giant superatoms show promise for reliable quantum state transfer

Quantum technologies are systems that leverage quantum mechanical effects to perform computations, share information or perform other functions. These systems rely on quantum states, which need to be reliably transferred ...

Dec 15, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Deep-sea squid caught masquerading as sponge stalks in Pacific abyss

Cephalopods—the class of animals that comprises octopuses and squids—are ubiquitous throughout the ocean, including in the deep sea. However, researchers still don't know very much about the distribution, diversity and ...

Dec 15, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Massive rock layer beneath Bermuda may explain island's unusual elevation

Bermuda may well be associated with exaggerated stories of missing ships and planes, but there is another mystery about this part of the Atlantic that has been puzzling scientists for decades: Why does the island appear to ...

Dec 15, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Astronomers find planetary and stellar companions to two ultracool dwarfs in Taurus

Astronomers from the University of Hawai'i (UH) at Manoa and elsewhere have observed the Taurus star-forming region, which resulted in the discovery of planetary-mass and stellar companions of two ultracool dwarf stars. The ...

Dec 15, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / 2.8 days to disaster: Why we are running out of time in low earth orbit

A "House of Cards" is a wonderful English phrase that it seems is now primarily associated with a Netflix political drama. However, its original meaning is of a system that is fundamentally unstable. It's also the term Sarah ...

Dec 15, 2025 in Astronomy & Space