Phys.org news

Phys.org / LimbLab: A tool to visualize embryonic development in 3D

Studying the shape of tissues and organs is critical to understanding how they are formed. Embryonic development happens in three dimensions, but many studies are limited by the use of two-dimensional approaches and images ...

10 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Controlling magnetism to unlock better hydrogen storage alloys

Hydrogen is expected to play a central role in future clean energy systems, but storing it efficiently and safely remains one of the biggest challenges to its widespread adoption. Solid-state hydrogen storage, in which hydrogen ...

11 hours ago in Chemistry
Phys.org / Study links daily mental sharpness to 30 to 40 extra minutes of work

A new U of T Scarborough study finds that being mentally sharp can translate into a productivity boost equivalent to about 40 extra minutes of work each day.

14 hours ago in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Peppermint oil plasma coating could cut catheter infections without releasing drugs

Australian researchers have developed a high‑performance coating made from peppermint essential oil that can be applied to the surfaces of many commonly used medical devices, offering a safer way to protect patients from ...

15 hours ago in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / New DNA tagging workflow boosts gene delivery to the nucleus over tenfold

Gene therapy holds the promise of preventing and curing disease by manipulating gene expression within a patient's cells. However, to be effective, the new gene must make it into a cell's nucleus. The inability to consistently, ...

14 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / YouTubers love wildlife, but commenters aren't calling for conservation action

YouTube is a great place to find all sorts of wildlife content. It is not, however, a good place to find viewers encouraging each other to preserve that wildlife, according to new research led by the University of Michigan. ...

15 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Breathing in the past: How museums can use biomolecular archaeology to bring ancient scents to life

Recent advances in biomolecular archaeology have revealed that ancient objects can retain the molecular fingerprints of past aromatic practices. These molecules provide unprecedented insight into ancient perfumery, medicine, ...

20 hours ago in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Glimpsing the quantum vacuum: Particle spin correlations offer insight into how visible matter emerges from 'nothing'

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have uncovered experimental evidence that particles of matter emerging from energetic subatomic smashups retain a key feature of virtual particles ...

Feb 4, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Why snakes can go months between meals: A genetic explanation

Snakes may well be one of nature's greatest predators, capable of eating whole deer or even crocodiles, but just as impressive is that they can go months, or even a whole year, without a single meal. And now an international ...

Feb 4, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Terahertz microscope reveals the motion of superconducting electrons

You can tell a lot about a material based on the type of light shining at it: Optical light illuminates a material's surface, while X-rays reveal its internal structures and infrared captures a material's radiating heat. ...

Feb 4, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Astronomers trace a runaway star to a former companion's supernova

Astronomers have strengthened long-standing predictions that massive runaway stars could have originated in binary pairs, and were dramatically ejected into space when their companion stars underwent supernova explosions. ...

Feb 4, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Poop as medicine? A Roman vial's chemistry backs up ancient medical texts

When some ancient Romans were feeling a little under the weather, they were treated with human feces. While this practice was mentioned in ancient Greco-Roman medical texts by figures such as Pliny the Elder, there was no ...

Feb 4, 2026 in Other Sciences