Phys.org news

Phys.org / Discovery reveals rapid pathways to complex aromatic molecules in space

A team of researchers led by the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Department of Chemistry has uncovered a faster way large carbon-based molecules may form in space, helping solve a long-standing mystery about how some of the ...

Aug 27, 2026
Phys.org / ASTRID traces 13.5 billion years of black hole and galaxy evolution

In dark skies at night, distant starlight twinkles and speaks to vast cosmic histories almost as old as time itself. New data from instruments such as NASA's James Webb Space Telescope are helping astrophysicists probe deep ...

Aug 27, 2026
Phys.org / Candida fungi can burst immune cells and shape-shift to evade immunity

Candida auris and Candida albicans are microscopic fungi that cause life-threatening human infections, killing almost a million people globally every year. The World Health Organization lists both species among the top four ...

Aug 27, 2026
Phys.org / Tiny oxygen gaps may determine whether next-generation memory films store data well

Researchers have captured in real time the "birth moment" when the performance of a next-generation memory material is determined. The key lies in controlling oxygen vacancies, microscopic defects created when oxygen atoms ...

Aug 27, 2026
Phys.org / Mirror-image molecules steer electron spins and lift perovskite solar cell efficiency

Some molecules come in two "handed" forms. This property, called chirality, can influence not only how molecules interact with light but also which electron spins they allow to pass. Researchers at the University of Osaka ...

Aug 27, 2026
Phys.org / Vehicle-mounted spectroscopy system detects methane in real time

Researchers have developed a vehicle-mounted spectroscopy system that can reliably detect methane in real time while driving. Using a moving vehicle to detect methane could make it easier to locate hidden methane emissions ...

Aug 27, 2026
Phys.org / Study reveals inter-city collaboration on emission reduction boosts sustainability performance

With Hong Kong recently recording record-breaking high temperatures, extreme weather has once again raised public awareness of global warming and emission-reduction measures. A large-scale international study led by The Hong ...

Aug 27, 2026
Phys.org / Primed and ready to fight, a nematode pheromone arms plants to battle pathogens

When cold and flu season comes around, we take steps like getting our flu shots and taking immune supplements to strengthen our bodies' defenses against pathogens. Plants face pathogenic threats, too. Plant pathogens can ...

Aug 27, 2026
Phys.org / Boosting soybean protein: Zinc and sulfur essential in sustainable crop production

Soybean is a critical element of the global food supply: Between its use for animal feed and human consumption, it accounts for roughly two-thirds of plant-based protein meal output worldwide. Canada is a global leader in ...

Aug 27, 2026
Phys.org / A few minutes of freezing can change the fate of iron in nature

Just a few minutes of freezing and thawing can have a decisive impact on how ferrihydrite, the most reactive iron mineral in cold soils, permafrost and glaciers, transforms, according to researchers at Umeå University. As ...

Aug 27, 2026
Phys.org / Parental care can influence evolution, beetle experiments show

How has offspring dependence on parents evolved over the course of evolution? Researchers at the University of Bayreuth, in collaboration with Kyoto University, Japan, have investigated one possible mechanism by studying ...

Aug 27, 2026
Phys.org / Shear flow in narrow channels sparks amyloid formation, experiments reveal

Many cars and not enough lanes is a recipe for traffic jams. Now, researchers from Japan show that even proteins can get backed up and start behaving poorly when too many try to squeeze too quickly through a small space.

Aug 27, 2026