Phys.org news

Phys.org / Room-temperature skyrmion-based synapses could pave the way for energy-efficient AI

Artificial intelligence is transforming how information is generated, processed and stored, but its rapid expansion is also driving unprecedented demand for computing power and electricity. Developing hardware that can process ...

Sep 14, 2026
Phys.org / Magma repeatedly breaks and heals during eruptions, microscopic evidence suggests

Explosive volcanic eruptions can be as destructive as they are difficult to predict, launching pyroclasts—the fragments of magma and rock blasted from a volcano—into the air and surrounding areas. These particles can have ...

Sep 14, 2026
Phys.org / Parakeets, male or female, love a good fight

In a study of monk parakeets, researchers at the University of Cincinnati and Duke University found that sex has little to no impact on who initiates fights, who is targeted or who rises in the dominance hierarchy.

Sep 14, 2026
Phys.org / Scientists discover dispersal mechanism and new gene family in harmful E. coli strains

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have identified how certain dangerous bacteria spread. They studied chain-like adherence pattern (CLAP) varieties of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), finding that single ...

Sep 14, 2026
Phys.org / Active black holes reveal star-forming rings and shock waves in nine nearby galaxies

A new study of nine nearby galaxies has shown that actively growing supermassive black holes may contribute to, rather than prevent, star formation in their host galaxies.

Sep 14, 2026
Phys.org / AI models enable cross-species mapping of cell biology

Researchers at Stanford Medicine have developed two new artificial intelligence models of the biological cell. The first, called universal cell embedding, paved the way for a second-generation model called TranscriptFormer, ...

Sep 14, 2026
Phys.org / Hidden receptor interactions may explain past failures of brain disorder drugs

Metabotropic glutamate receptors, which are important but difficult drug targets, interact in surprisingly varied ways with their principal regulatory proteins, according to two new studies led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. ...

Sep 14, 2026
Phys.org / Anger, hope and compassion do little to spur more climate donations

Emotional mechanisms are frequently used to inspire good environmental behavior. But how effective are they at inspiring actual sustainable change? Perhaps not as much as previously believed, according to a new study that ...

Sep 14, 2026
Phys.org / Structural study explains how cells stabilize protective membrane pockets

Our cells' membranes have many functions. They not only provide mechanical protection but also precisely control which substances enter or leave cells. If they fail to perform these tasks, disease can result. Their structure ...

Sep 14, 2026
Phys.org / Antibody cocktails could steer viruses into evolutionary dead ends

When a virus mutates, the world usually finds out the hard way. Variants of influenza and SARS-CoV-2 can slip past vaccines and antibody drugs before scientists fully understand what has changed. A new study from Harvard's ...

Sep 14, 2026
Phys.org / Getting photons into shape for reliable quantum communication

The vast majority of modern quantum technologies—from quantum cryptography to the quantum internet to the quantum computer—rely on one essential element: the transmission of photons. Two qubits (two atoms, for example) exchange ...

Sep 14, 2026
Phys.org / Radiation-tolerant rotifers rebuild broken chromosomes over successive generations

DNA repair mechanisms are essential for maintaining the integrity of our genome. When they malfunction, they can cause disease or contribute to the development of cancer. Nature, however, offers remarkable examples of organisms ...

Sep 14, 2026