Phys.org news
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 ...
Phys.org / How bacteria develop resistance to programmable antibiotics
Antimicrobial resistance is one of the greatest challenges facing modern medicine. A new class of programmable antibiotics known as asobiotics can be used to treat bacterial infections when classical antibiotics fail. A team ...
Phys.org / Major polluters are worsening the Western US water crisis: A new way to measure who's responsible
Climate change was once something scientists warned us about, and now it's a reality we are living in. In California's Central Valley, about one-third of climate-related groundwater loss between 2003 and 2024 can be attributed ...
Phys.org / Ancient DNA reveals cacao was consumed in present-day Georgia 1,000 years ago
One of the world's favorite sweet treats, chocolate, may have been enjoyed in eastern North America much earlier than previously thought, about 1,000 years ago. New research published in the journal PLOS One suggests that ...
Phys.org / El Niños have been more intense over the last 40 years than in the previous 1,000 years, coral records reveal
As an El Niño of historic proportions is taking shape in the tropical Pacific, a University of Michigan study has found that El Niño events have become nearly 40% stronger in the last 40 years than they were in the preindustrial ...
Phys.org / Surprising ingredients suggest ancient Egyptian paint was far more complex than previously assumed
Ancient Egypt has left us a wealth of artistic treasures, including wall paintings, wooden coffins and limestone reliefs. Many retain their vibrant colors despite the passage of time, a testament to the ingredients used to ...
Phys.org / Going beyond simple models of neural networks: Extended mean-field theory offers a better approach
Physics is most readily applied to relatively simple systems: a pendulum, two electrons colliding or the structure of the solar system. But when systems become complicated—when many particles interact with one another, in ...
Phys.org / Deep underground, SuperCDMS begins hunting light dark matter with 24 cryogenic crystals
In the hunt for one of nature's most elusive substances—dark matter, which makes up 85% of all matter in the universe—scientists are going to extremes. Deep underground and chilled to near absolute zero, the Super Cryogenic ...
Phys.org / Scented cleaners can create nanoparticles that reach deep into the lungs within minutes, tiny-home experiment finds
What does a clean room smell like? Many people say citrus, pine, or flowers because these fragrances are common in cleaning products. A research team led by Brandon Boor found that scent compounds in cleaning products—conventional ...
Phys.org / The physics of kiiking, Estonia's extreme sport of swinging
When an athlete swings upside down atop a 7-meter (23-foot) pendulum, it may seem like a feat of strength, courage or technique. A new study suggests it is something more fundamental: a striking demonstration of how intelligence ...
Phys.org / Tsunami of dirt: What caused Nepal's deadly glacial flood?
More than 150 people are dead and hundreds more are missing after an enormous wave of water, ice, mud and rock cascaded more than 170 kilometers (106 miles) down the Bhote Koshi River valley in Nepal. The valley is the main ...
Phys.org / First observation of optical Magnus effect could sharpen quantum computer control
Table tennis professionals are true masters at redirecting fast-moving projectiles. Putting a targeted spin on a serve can make the little white ball fly straight toward the edge of the table but then, at the last moment, ...
