Phys.org news
Phys.org / Student talent drives simpler method for programming artificial muscles in soft robots
An interdisciplinary student research team at the University of Waterloo has achieved an advance in materials science with the creation of a tissue-like hydrogel for artificial muscles to make soft robots move.
Phys.org / Something coming: what scientists know about a potential 'super' El Nino
Forecasters say a potentially "super" El Niño is rapidly taking shape in the Pacific—but whether it evolves into a history-making event could hinge on fickle winds and other volatile atmospheric shifts.
Phys.org / Stressed crystal creates nanoscale patterns on chip materials at room temperature
A new chip-making technique exploits a material's crystal structure to create nanoscale patterns at room temperature directly onto hard materials used in devices, including silica. The method could make it easier to pattern ...
Phys.org / Atlas reveals rocks with rare earth element potential, helping pinpoint new deposits
A new atlas charts the global distribution of unusual, critical-metal-bearing igneous rocks, finding that they often form near the thick and ancient cores of the world's major continents. Researchers from Cambridge's Department ...
Phys.org / South China Sea coral reefs reveal carbon stores rivaling mangroves and seagrasses
A collaborative research team has revealed the long-overlooked carbon storage potential of coral reef ecosystems and how reef-dwelling fish, corals, and surface sediments jointly shape reef carbon reservoirs. The paper is ...
Phys.org / Second ribosome binding site helps explain how tetracyclines work
For decades, doctors have widely used tetracyclines for conditions ranging from acne to tick-borne illnesses. Using high-resolution imaging technology, researchers in the laboratory of Christopher Bunick, MD, Ph.D., associate ...
Phys.org / Ocean acidification is ruining reef fishes' social lives, study finds
A new study from Adelaide University has found that when ocean acidification makes reef habitat less complex, the fish living there gather in smaller shoals that offer less social protection.
Phys.org / Using pulsars as ultra-precise gravitational probes to 'weigh' neighboring galaxies
Researchers at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of The University of Alabama System, have identified a promising new method for measuring the mass of galaxies orbiting the Milky Way by using pulsars, ...
Phys.org / How the Great Pyramid of Giza has survived 4,500 years of Egyptian earthquakes
The Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt has survived more than 4,500 years. Earthquakes have repeatedly shaken the region, including the magnitude 5.8 Cairo earthquake in 1992, which dislodged some of the pyramid's outer casing ...
Phys.org / Superconducting vortices moonlight as controllable qubits, turning a disruption into a resource
Vortices in superconductors have so far been considered a disruption, as they can impair the superconducting properties. Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have proved in experiments that magnetic ...
Phys.org / Agentic AI could help electron microscopes plan, adapt and analyze experiments
Scientific discovery is often portrayed as the result of long hours alone in a lab, but true science is inherently collaborative. The most robust experimental processes are developed through partnerships across multiple areas ...
Phys.org / Rice feeds billions of people—but its role in fueling climate change is growing
Rice feeds more than half the world. From terraced paddies in Southeast Asia to irrigated fields in China and India, it underpins daily meals for billions of people.
