Phys.org news

Phys.org / Pixel patterns harness diffraction for faster, more accurate nanoscale 3D printing

Researchers at the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering have developed a new approach to nanoscale 3D printing that improves both speed and fidelity, overcoming a challenge that has limited the technology's ...

Aug 3, 2026
Phys.org / Light controls nanoscale 'bubble' domains in a ferroelectric crystal

Researchers at Flinders University have discovered an unexpected way light can control tiny electronic structures inside advanced materials, a development that could help pave the way for more energy-efficient memory devices, ...

Aug 3, 2026
Phys.org / Pluto's hazy atmosphere may be collapsing as it moves farther from the sun

Pluto is on an icy march away from the sun. In 2114, it will turn back, but until then, its elliptical orbit will carry it to colder and darker parts of the outer solar system. This is Pluto's first time entering the outer ...

Aug 3, 2026
Phys.org / Metal deposits reveal how ice ages reshaped oxygen levels across Earth's oceans

Earth's oceans repeatedly lost oxygen and produced metal deposits during the planet's deepest ice ages. An international team of researchers analyzed manganese and other chemical signatures preserved in more than 27,000 ancient ...

Aug 3, 2026
Phys.org / Life speaks one universal language to activate genes: It speaks many more to silence them

The signals that cells use to switch genes on have remained almost unchanged across 2 billion years of evolution, but the ones used to switch genes off vary dramatically from one branch of life to another, according to a ...

Aug 3, 2026
Phys.org / Nanopore method improves detection of cyanobacteria toxins in lake water

Cyanobacterial blooms, like the ones that occur in Lake Geneva, are rapid, dense growths of photosynthetic bacteria in fresh and marine waters that can threaten the health of swimmers and their pets.

Aug 3, 2026
Phys.org / Kids who start social media earlier may do worse at school

Students who open a personal social media account earlier in adolescence appear to perform worse on later standardized tests, according to a study in Nature Human Behaviour based on 5,227 Italian students. The authors speculate ...

Aug 3, 2026
Phys.org / Cells of the same age can follow sharply different biological aging paths

New research reveals that cells of the same chronological age can follow dramatically different biological aging paths, offering new insights into cancer, neurodegeneration and the fundamental biology of aging. Rather than ...

Aug 3, 2026
Phys.org / Humpback whales match song themes to dive phases, tags reveal

For male humpback whales, singing is serious business. Their haunting, complex songs can last for hours and travel for miles underwater, playing a central role in reproduction during the winter breeding season. But despite ...

Aug 3, 2026
Phys.org / Tiny predatory bacteria help protect endangered Caribbean corals

A microscopic predator may offer a new way to protect some of the Caribbean's most endangered corals. Georgia Tech researchers found that tiny predatory bacteria can halt the spread of a destructive coral disease by hunting ...

Aug 3, 2026
Phys.org / Ultrafast X-ray flashes partially reverse the damage they cause, enabling brighter, more accurate imaging

The interaction between X-rays and matter can be actively controlled, according to an international research team led by the University of Hamburg and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory that has succeeded in producing bright ...

Aug 3, 2026
Phys.org / Ten viral genome regions may explain why deadly chicken virus evades vaccines

A highly contagious herpes virus causes Marek's disease, a deadly illness that mainly infects chickens. While it does not make people sick, the virus causes tumors and paralysis in chickens and, if unchecked, can spread rapidly ...

Aug 3, 2026