Phys.org news

Phys.org / Polar bears may be adapting to survive warmer climates, says study

New research reveals a link between rising temperatures and changes in polar bear DNA, which may be helping them adapt and survive in increasingly challenging environments.

Dec 11, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Dual substitution induces room-temperature ferromagnetism and negative thermal expansion in BiFeO₃

Using a dual-cation substitution approach, researchers at Science Tokyo introduced ferromagnetism into bismuth ferrite, a well-known and promising multiferroic material for next-generation memory technologies. By replacing ...

Dec 11, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Parker Solar Probe spies solar wind 'U-turn'

Images captured by NASA's Parker Solar Probe as the spacecraft made its record-breaking closest approach to the sun in December 2024 have now revealed new details about how solar magnetic fields responsible for space weather ...

Dec 11, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Chip-scale magnetometer uses light for high-precision magnetic sensing

Researchers have developed a precision magnetometer based on a special material that changes optical properties in response to a magnetic field. The device, which is integrated onto a chip, could benefit space missions, navigation ...

Dec 11, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Graphene membranes offer efficient, low-cost option for industrial CO₂ capture

Carbon capture is becoming essential for industries that still depend on fossil fuels, including the cement and steel industries. Natural-gas power plants, coal plants, and cement factories all release large amounts of CO₂, ...

Dec 11, 2025 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Biphenomycin biosynthetic pathway decoded, opening door to new antibiotic development

Biphenomycins, natural products derived from bacteria, show excellent antimicrobial activity, but have long remained out of reach for drug development. The main obstacle was the limited understanding of how these compounds ...

Dec 11, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Enhancing machine-learning interatomic potentials for advanced materials modeling

Machine learning is transforming many scientific fields, including computational materials science. For about two decades, scientists have been using it to make accurate yet inexpensive calculations of interatomic potentials, ...

Dec 11, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Small galaxies may buck the black hole trend, Chandra finds

Most smaller galaxies may not have supermassive black holes in their centers, according to a recent study using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. This contrasts with the common idea that nearly every galaxy has one of these ...

Dec 11, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Break the mold: Who defines the 'real' chemist?

The perception of a chemist varies. Some might imagine the "mad scientist" from old cartoons—a white-haired older man working with beakers in his lab—but as that cliche fades, the reality of what constitutes a chemist's ...

Dec 11, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Fungal allies arm plant roots against disease by rewriting the rules of infection

Scientists have discovered that beneficial root-dwelling fungi boost plant resilience to disease by remodeling the plant cell membrane at pathogen infection sites—offering critical new insights into how plants coordinate ...

Dec 11, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Tracing a path through photosynthesis to food security

The energy that plants capture from sunlight through photosynthesis provides the source of nearly all of humanity's food. Yet the process of photosynthesis has inefficiencies that limit crop productivity, especially in a ...

Dec 11, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Astronomers challenge 50-year-old quasar law

Compelling evidence that the structure of matter surrounding supermassive black holes has changed over cosmic time has been uncovered by an international team of astronomers.

Dec 11, 2025 in Astronomy & Space