Phys.org news

Phys.org / 'Implosion carving' shrinks 3D photonic devices 2,000-fold for visible-light computing

Using a new technique that can create vacancies at any site across a material and then shrink it to about 1/2,000 of its original volume, MIT researchers have designed nanotechnology devices that could be used for optical ...

4 hours ago
Phys.org / Why do brown bats stop feeding during fireworks?

Firework shows are controversial in this day and age. While beautiful, fireworks are loud, bright, and smoky, and they can be dangerous to the surrounding environment, releasing contaminants into the air and frightening both ...

5 hours ago
Phys.org / Support local people to protect world's nature, new report urges, as deadline for global conservation target looms

For better or worse, a huge number of people will be affected by efforts to achieve "30x30"—the internationally-agreed conservation goal to protect and conserve at least 30% of the world's land and seas by 2030. How many ...

10 hours ago
Phys.org / Atoms vibrate on circular paths—with an unexpected twist

An international team of researchers, including scientists from HZDR and Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, for the first time directly observed how angular momentum is transferred and conserved within a crystal ...

5 hours ago
Phys.org / JWST maps cosmic web in record detail back to universe's first billion years

Using data from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers led by researchers at the University of California, Riverside have produced the most detailed map of the cosmic web ever made, tracing the network of galaxies ...

5 hours ago
Phys.org / New tectonic plate boundary could be forming in Zambia, scientists say

Isotope analysis of gas from geothermal springs in Zambia could show that a new continental rift is forming, scientists say. Unexpectedly high helium isotope ratios indicate that a weakness in Earth's crust has broken through ...

15 hours ago
Phys.org / 'Nature's algorithm' found in Chinese money plants

Look up at the clouds. What do you see? A sailboat? A seahorse? Your great-aunt Rosemary? As humans, we're prone to seeing patterns where they don't actually exist. This behavior is so common there's a name for it: apophenia. ...

5 hours ago
Phys.org / Water-based nanocrystal provides a sticky solution to a pesky agricultural problem

A water-based formulation developed at the University of Waterloo using nanotechnology is both greener and more effective than conventional methods for delivering agricultural pesticides.

6 hours ago
Phys.org / Scurvy's skeletal fingerprint found in California's Late Holocene archaeological sites

A recent study published in the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology documented skeletal changes linked to scurvy in Late Holocene archaeological sites in California (500 BCE–1834 CE). The change observed shows the cascading ...

18 hours ago
Phys.org / Unexplored interactions between electrons and atomic nuclei shed light on dark matter

Dark matter particles could be mediators of the interaction between electrons and atomic nuclei, as shown by a study conducted by junior group leader, Dr. Konstantin Gaul, Dr. Lei Cong, and Professor Dr. Dmitry Budker, of ...

19 hours ago
Phys.org / New alien-life test could help Mars and Europa missions read organic molecules

For decades, the search for life beyond Earth has revolved around a key question: What molecules should scientists be looking for on other planets or moons? A new study, published in Nature Astronomy, suggests that the more ...

22 hours ago
Phys.org / Heat index maps uncover when city greening cools most—and when it can backfire

Tree shade is one of the fastest ways to make heat more bearable. It cuts direct sunlight, protects people walking or working outdoors, and remains essential for heat action plans. A new study by researchers from the Indian ...

20 hours ago