Phys.org news

Phys.org / Ultrasound waves rupture COVID-19 and flu viruses without damaging cells

Researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil have discovered that high-frequency ultrasound waves similar to those used in medical exams can eliminate viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 and H1N1 without damaging human ...

23 hours ago
Phys.org / AI tool unifies fragmented cell maps into spatial atlases across tissues

A new computational method could dramatically accelerate efforts to map the body's cells in space, according to a study published in Nature Genetics. Spatial multi-omics technologies—often described as ultra-high-resolution ...

21 hours ago
Phys.org / The 'nostalgia effect': Scientists produce less disruptive work as they age

You probably know that Einstein changed the face of physics with his theory of relativity in his twenties. What you may not know is that he spent his later career on a crusade against quantum mechanics, the model that would ...

23 hours ago
Phys.org / Sharper brains switch to a 'not what you know, but who you know' mindset online and on social media, study shows

Forming social connections online and via social media reduces how much people engage with and learn from the content posted but significantly boosts their networking performance, according to new research. The study, published ...

22 hours ago
Phys.org / Mechanical method unlocks sunlight-driven wastewater cleanup

University of Birmingham researchers have demonstrated a new method to break down toxic pollutants in wastewater, using sunlight and molecular-thin catalysts created using an innovative "mechanical" approach. Non-degradable ...

22 hours ago
Phys.org / Pilot whales are already 'shouting' at full volume, but one busy waterway is pushing them to the edge

With over 60,000 ships passing through the Strait of Gibraltar each year, this stretch between the Atlantic and Mediterranean is one of the busiest waterways on the planet. This narrow strip of water is also home to a critically ...

23 hours ago
Phys.org / How soil bacteria help plants defend themselves against disease

A study led by researchers at the University of Liège reveals the mechanism by which surfactin, a molecule produced by beneficial soil bacteria, activates plants' immune defenses. This mechanism, distinct from the classical ...

23 hours ago
Phys.org / Harmless viruses trap Salmonella on flexible polymer in portable microfluidic sensor

Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) have developed a solid polymer coated with harmless viruses to detect the bacteria Salmonella enterica (S. enterica), an advance that could lead to new ways of finding ...

22 hours ago
Dialog / Scientists uncover hidden parasite diversity in barb fish from the Sea of Galilee

When most people think about biodiversity in lakes and rivers, they imagine fish, plants, or perhaps birds and amphibians. But beneath the surface exists another world that often goes unnoticed: microscopic parasites that ...

23 hours ago
Phys.org / Ancient soil temperatures may have steered millet farming across Neolithic East Asia

Millet has been an important crop in East Asia for much of the Holocene, a period beginning about 11,700 years ago. To better understand how environmental conditions may have shaped the development of millet agriculture, ...

23 hours ago
Phys.org / Novel nanoparticle therapy using manganese could improve cancer treatment

A research team led by the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has developed a new type of nanoparticle therapy that could make cancer immunotherapy safer and more ...

23 hours ago
Phys.org / Testing quantum collapse theory with the XENONnT dark matter detector

Theories of quantum mechanics predict that some particles can exist in superpositions, which essentially means that they can be in more than one state at once. When a particle's state is measured, however, this superposition ...

May 7, 2026