Phys.org news
Phys.org / Photonics advance could enable compact, high-performance lidar sensors
Lidar systems use pulses of infrared light to measure distance and map a 3D scene with high resolution, allowing autonomous vehicles to rapidly react to obstacles that appear in their path. But traditional lidar sensors are ...
Phys.org / Mechanical method unlocks sunlight-driven wastewater cleanup
University of Birmingham researchers have demonstrated a new method to break down toxic pollutants in wastewater, using sunlight and molecular-thin catalysts created using an innovative "mechanical" approach. Non-degradable ...
Phys.org / The 'nostalgia effect': Scientists produce less disruptive work as they age
You probably know that Einstein changed the face of physics with his theory of relativity in his twenties. What you may not know is that he spent his later career on a crusade against quantum mechanics, the model that would ...
Phys.org / Researchers combine five metals to build a better nanocrystal
A nanocrystal is an extraordinarily tiny piece of material—composed of anywhere from a few to a few thousand atoms—in which atoms are arranged in a precise, ordered structure. Think of it like taking a piece of gold and shrinking ...
Phys.org / Myanmar's devastating quake could reshape how California and other fault zones gauge future risk
A devastating earthquake in Myanmar is giving scientists new insight into how major quakes start, spread, and grow. The findings could improve risk estimates for dangerous faults around the world. A new study, published in ...
Phys.org / Ancient soil temperatures may have steered millet farming across Neolithic East Asia
Millet has been an important crop in East Asia for much of the Holocene, a period beginning about 11,700 years ago. To better understand how environmental conditions may have shaped the development of millet agriculture, ...
Phys.org / Sharper brains switch to a 'not what you know, but who you know' mindset online and on social media, study shows
Forming social connections online and via social media reduces how much people engage with and learn from the content posted but significantly boosts their networking performance, according to new research. The study, published ...
Phys.org / How soil bacteria help plants defend themselves against disease
A study led by researchers at the University of Liège reveals the mechanism by which surfactin, a molecule produced by beneficial soil bacteria, activates plants' immune defenses. This mechanism, distinct from the classical ...
Phys.org / Pilot whales are already 'shouting' at full volume, but one busy waterway is pushing them to the edge
With over 60,000 ships passing through the Strait of Gibraltar each year, this stretch between the Atlantic and Mediterranean is one of the busiest waterways on the planet. This narrow strip of water is also home to a critically ...
Phys.org / Team steers electron spin ballistically in graphene
Researchers at The University of Manchester's National Graphene Institute have shown that electrons in ultra-clean graphene can be steered with high precision while keeping their spin information intact, a key requirement ...
Phys.org / LED light unlocks 3D optical fingerprints inside materials without lasers
Researchers have developed, for the first time in the world, incoherent dielectric tensor tomography (iDTT), a technology that can read complex three-dimensional optical fingerprints inside materials using only everyday LED ...
Phys.org / These monster black holes did not form the usual way—their history of violence is written into spacetime ripples
The most massive black holes in the universe detected by the ripples they make in spacetime were not born directly from collapsing stars, according to a new study. These cosmic giants instead build up through a series of ...
