Phys.org news
Phys.org / How primitive plants evolved to survive Earth's most catastrophic extinction event
Earth responded to its most severe past warming event by evolving a new and bizarre type of photosynthesis that allowed a group of primitive plants to survive. Research led by the University of Leeds has revealed how lycophytes—a ...
Phys.org / Mind the gap! The semiconductor industry is relying on the wrong materials
2D materials are widely seen as a promising path toward better computer chips. Researchers at TU Wien have now shown that some of these materials are unsuitable due to an underestimated effect. But there are alternatives.
Phys.org / Tiny structural shift leads to big leap in solar fuel
Researchers have uncovered that an orthogonal molecular architecture directs the formation of a rare double-cable structure, offering a new blueprint for advancing the fundamental design of energy-active materials. By guiding ...
Phys.org / Cocaine pollution alters salmon behavior in the wild, study reveals
An international study, led by researchers from Griffith University, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, the Zoological Society of London and the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, is the first to demonstrate ...
Phys.org / 'Tis the season: Sharing resources sustains ocean microbial biodiversity
Oceanographers from the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa discovered that microbial communities—from the sunlit surface to extreme depths—in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre exhibit robust seasonal cycles. The study provides ...
Phys.org / Migratory blackcap bird brain mapped for the first time, opening a new era of 3D digital atlases
A migratory bird brain, the Eurasian blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla), has been mapped for the first time using high-resolution light microscopy. The open-source software tools developed, and the detailed processes published, ...
Phys.org / A hidden property of light could power future nanomachines
Light does more than illuminate the world—it can also push and twist matter. It was back in the 1870s that James Clerk Maxwell first predicted that light carries momentum and can exert pressure on objects. Nearly a century ...
Phys.org / How tiny cave shrimps power the underworld of the Yucatan
Beneath the lush rainforests of the Yucatan Peninsula lies a hidden, subterranean world: a vast network of flooded sinkholes and anchialine caves. These unique underwater systems, which mix fresh and saltwater and are influenced ...
Phys.org / How maze-like magnetic patterns form and evolve in materials
The rapid increase in electric vehicle adoption in recent years has highlighted a crucial issue: the energy conversion efficiency of electric motors. In electric motors, iron loss or magnetic hysteresis loss is a primary ...
Phys.org / Water simulation of famous quantum effect reveals unexpected wave patterns
In the quirky quantum world, particles can be affected by forces that they never directly encounter. A classic example is the Aharonov–Bohm (AB) effect, where electrons are affected by a magnetic field, despite not passing ...
Phys.org / Total solar eclipse quiets seismic noise for cities within its path
A seismic hush fell over U.S. and Canadian cities that were in the "path of totality" during the 8 April 2024 total solar eclipse, according to new research presented at the 2026 SSA Annual Meeting.
Phys.org / How resilient fungus might survive Mars and space
Scientists have long known that fungi are resilient, but a new study suggests that some strains might survive every step of the long, brutal trip to Mars. In a paper published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, researchers ...
