Phys.org news
Phys.org / 2D topological crystalline insulator turns decade-old prediction into reality
Physicists from University of Jyväskylä and Aalto University (Finland) have experimentally realized a two-dimensional topological crystalline insulator. This is a quantum material that has been theoretically predicted for ...
Phys.org / Tungsten carbide phase control: Engineering a low-cost alternative catalyst for producing sustainable petrochemicals
Important everyday products—from plastics to detergents—are made through chemical reactions that mostly use precious metals such as platinum as catalysts. Scientists have been searching for more sustainable, low-cost ...
Phys.org / Rainfall–salinity link sustains prolonged La Niña events, study reveals
La Niña—a climate phenomenon characterized by unusually cool sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean—can persist for multiple years, exerting significant climate impacts worldwide. ...
Phys.org / Growth chambers could enable reproducible plant-microbe data across continents
Harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to study plant microbiomes—communities of microbes living in and around plants—could help improve soil health, boost crop yields, and restore degraded lands. But there's ...
Phys.org / Cells that are not our own may unlock secrets about our health
During pregnancy, maternal and fetal cells migrate back and forth across the placenta, with fetal cells entering the mother's bloodstream and tissues. They can settle in maternal organs such as the thyroid, liver, lungs, ...
Phys.org / Accessing water on Mars: Examining the best technologies for future missions
A new study has examined how future human missions to Mars could access one of the planet's most vital resources—water. The "Martian aqua: occurrence of water and appraisal of acquisition technologies" paper, published ...
Phys.org / Entangled atomic clouds enable more precise quantum measurements
Researchers at the University of Basel and the Laboratoire Kastler Brossel have demonstrated how quantum mechanical entanglement can be used to measure several physical parameters simultaneously with greater precision.
Phys.org / AI model that found 370 exoplanets now digs into TESS data
Scientists have discovered over 6,000 planets that orbit stars other than our sun, known as exoplanets. More than half of these planets were discovered thanks to data from NASA's retired Kepler mission and NASA's current ...
Phys.org / Domestication has changed the chemicals that squash flowers use to attract bees
Flowers emit scented chemicals to attract pollinators, but this perfume—and how pollinators interact with the plant—can go through profound changes as a crop becomes domesticated.
Phys.org / Nash equilibria: The hidden math behind predator–prey behaviors
Animal survival depends on effective attack and defense strategies, yet how these behaviors arise remains unclear. Addressing this question, a recent study shows that predator and prey behaviors emerge naturally as stable ...
Phys.org / Rewilding corn reveals what its roots forgot
Corn is a colossal grain in the global food and feed chain, with the U.S. producing roughly 30% of the world's supply, or nearly 278 million metric tons in the 2024–25 growing season alone. But its journey from wild grass ...
Phys.org / Stingrays inspire smarter ocean robots: The physics of fin motion
Using robotic fins, researchers at the University of California, Riverside have learned how stingrays are able to swim with impressive control. These insights could help underwater vehicles avoid disastrous ground collisions.
