Phys.org news

Phys.org / Waste CO₂ converts into graphite through a newly observed two-step process

Graphite, the carbon core of a humble No. 2 pencil, is also an essential component in technologies such as batteries, smartphones, laptops and industrial power equipment. Today, nearly all of this critical mineral must be ...

Jul 30, 2026
Phys.org / Volcanic eruptions in Pacific Ring of Fire may have cooled Earth for centuries

For around 12,000 years, the Earth has been in the Holocene epoch, a warmer period following a glacial period. During this epoch, however, there have been around 22 abrupt cold phases, each lasting up to several centuries ...

Jul 30, 2026
Phys.org / Bacteria build a mineral shield that could help marine infrastructure resist rust

Researchers at Reichman University have developed a biological method for protecting marine infrastructure from corrosion caused by prolonged exposure to seawater. The study, published in Cell Reports Physical Science, presents ...

Jul 30, 2026
Phys.org / Learning may rely on stronger neural connections, not expanding networks

How does the brain learn? Does it acquire new knowledge by creating new neural pathways or by strengthening existing connections? A new study from Bar-Ilan University offers evidence in favor of the latter, suggesting that ...

Jul 30, 2026
Phys.org / Natural emulsion manages to stop fungus that threatens up to 80% of cocoa production

An innovative formulation based on natural compounds could become a sustainable alternative for controlling moniliasis, one of the most devastating diseases affecting cocoa in Latin America. A new study shows that emulsions ...

Jul 30, 2026
Phys.org / Electrically controlled magnetic switching shows promise for next-gen cryogenic devices

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have demonstrated a new way of switching a material between two fundamentally different magnetic states using an electric current. The discovery could pave the way for ...

Jul 30, 2026
Phys.org / Scientists have found a new way molecules can cooperate at room temperature

What if glowing molecules could synchronize, much like fireflies flashing in unison? Researchers have discovered that molecules confined within tiny gold nanostructures can behave collectively, coordinating their interactions ...

Jul 30, 2026
Phys.org / Pacific Ocean pattern helps explain diverging wildfire trends in US and Australia

Two of the world's most fire-prone regions have followed strikingly different wildfire trajectories despite both experiencing a warming climate. Burned forest area has surged across the U.S. Southwest, while eastern Australia ...

Jul 30, 2026
Phys.org / Female birds have shorter lifespans than male birds across 35 North American species, researchers find

Birds have a lot to do in their short lives: defend territories, build nests, raise chicks and feed themselves. But the toll of these activities may be greater for female birds than for male birds. A new study by UCLA ornithologists ...

Jul 30, 2026
Phys.org / Black hole feeding frenzy ends in lingering cosmic indigestion

Black holes are often portrayed as cosmic gluttons that swallow everything that comes too close. But new observations of a dramatic black hole outburst—led by Warwick Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Noel Castro Segura—suggest the ...

Jul 30, 2026
Phys.org / Scientists solve mystery of how muscle cells grow and stay healthy

In a study published in Nature Communications biophysicists unravel the mystery of how muscles form at the molecular level and maintain their function. The findings may help design treatments for muscle diseases such as dilated ...

Jul 30, 2026
Phys.org / Ancient DNA reveals Ice Age humans targeted female woolly mammoths

Analyzing ancient DNA from more than 500 mammoth bones, an international team of researchers found that Ice Age humans selectively targeted female woolly mammoths. The results of the study, published in Current Biology, show ...

Jul 30, 2026