Phys.org news

Phys.org / A molecular switch for green hydrogen: Catalyst changes function based on how it's assembled

Hydrogen production through water electrolysis is a cornerstone of the clean energy transition, but it relies on efficient and stable catalysts that work under acidic conditions—currently dominated by precious metals like ...

Dec 23, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Journey to the center of a quantized vortex: How microscopic mutual friction governs superfluid dissipation

Step inside the strange world of a superfluid, a liquid that can flow endlessly without friction, defying the common-sense rules we experience every day, where water pours, syrup sticks and coffee swirls and slows under the ...

Dec 23, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Promising new superconducting material discovered with the help of AI

Tohoku University and Fujitsu Limited have successfully used AI to derive new insights into the superconductivity mechanism of a new superconducting material.

Dec 23, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Hagfish olfactory genes hint at ancient origins of vertebrate sense of smell

Researchers at University of Tsukuba and their collaborators have conducted a comprehensive analysis of the olfactory receptor repertoire of the hagfish (Eptatretus burgeri), a jawless vertebrate. This organism retains many ...

Dec 23, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Rare Hall effect reveals design pathways for advanced spintronic materials

Scientists at Ames National Laboratory, in collaboration with Indranil Das's group at the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics (India), have found a surprising electronic feature in transitional metal-based compounds that could ...

Dec 23, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Ancient pottery workshop reveals Iron Age production chain

Ceramics are one of the most important sources of information for archaeologists. Yet how these objects are produced, especially in the firing stage, has received little attention to date. The excavation of a well-preserved ...

Dec 23, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Scalable method enables ultrahigh-resolution quantum dot displays without damaging performance

Over the past decade, colloidal quantum dots (QDs) have emerged as promising materials for next-generation displays due to their tunable emission, high brightness, and compatibility with low-cost solution processing. However, ...

Dec 23, 2025 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Why a chiral magnet is a direction-dependent street for electrons

RIKEN physicists have discovered for the first time why the magnitude of the electron flow depends on direction in a special kind of magnet. This finding could help to realize future low-energy devices.

Dec 23, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / West Antarctica's history of rapid melting foretells sudden shifts in continent's 'catastrophic' geology

Due to its thick, vast ice sheet, Antarctica appears to be a single, continuous landmass centered over the South Pole and spanning both hemispheres of the globe. The Western Hemisphere sector of the ice sheet is shaped like ...

Dec 23, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Drug-resistant Candida auris harnesses CO₂ to survive on skin, research reveals

A new study involving the Medical University of Vienna shows how the multi-resistant fungus Candida auris utilizes carbon dioxide (CO₂) to survive on the skin and become resistant to antifungal therapies. The research team ...

Dec 23, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Molecular mechanisms behind speciation in corals identified

Matías Gómez-Corrales, a recent biological sciences Ph.D. graduate from the University of Rhode Island, and his advisor, Associate Professor Carlos Prada, have published a paper in Nature Communications, revealing key mechanisms ...

Dec 23, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / A DIY, fly-powered food waste recycling system

UC Riverside scientists have created a small-scale system that transforms food waste into high-protein animal feed and fertilizer using black soldier flies, offering a sustainable solution to a major environmental problem.

Dec 23, 2025 in Biology