Phys.org news

Phys.org / Five-metal 2D catalysts could convert CO₂ to CO without needing an extra electrical boost

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is usually discussed as something the world needs to get rid of. Activities such as the burning of fossil fuels for daily use, including electricity and transportation, and industrial applications release ...

22 hours ago
Phys.org / Trees use a 'muscle' to correct their posture—a newly discovered role for tension wood

A research team from INRAE and the University Clermont Auvergne has shown that trees are capable of correcting a curvature they detect in their stems through a specific biological process. In the study, young trees with bent ...

22 hours ago
Phys.org / Trapped light generates nanoscale magnetization

Using an engineered metasurface that traps light, Cornell researchers have demonstrated a new way to generate strong static magnetic fields without using external magnets or magnetic materials—an approach that could advance ...

23 hours ago
Phys.org / Cellular maintenance crew may miss as much as half of certain misfolded proteins

As proteins are made in a cell, they are folded into the 3D structure that allows them to work, but sometimes this process can go wrong. When it does, the misfolded proteins lose some or all of their function and usually ...

22 hours ago
Phys.org / AI-designed proteins enable a new generation of RNA transporters

RNA-based therapeutics use RNA as a blueprint that enables cells to produce specific proteins—including proteins that can precisely modify genes. For this to work, the RNA must reach the inside of the cell intact. Delivery ...

23 hours ago
Phys.org / Copper's oxygen-rich early oxidation layer could inform catalyst design and nuclear waste storage

Copper roofs lose their reddish color over time because a pale green layer of copper oxide forms on their surface, protecting the roof from further corrosion for many years. But what exactly happens during the first steps ...

23 hours ago
Phys.org / Fish dads offer new insight into behavioral effects of receiving paternal care

The plot of "Finding Nemo," a film that features an overprotective single father fish taking on dangers at sea to care for his son, may be more reflective of actual fish dad behavior than was previously known. A new study ...

Sep 2, 2026
Phys.org / Scientists observe Einstein's gravity in the quantum world

An international team including Nobel Prize-winning physicist Professor Sir Roger Penrose has observed a long-predicted effect of gravity on a falling quantum object for the first time. The result shows that a fundamental ...

Sep 2, 2026
Phys.org / Physicists test the weak equivalence principle in an orbiting space station

The weak equivalence principle (WEP) is central to Einstein's general relativity. It posits that gravity must accelerate everything equally, regardless of what it is made from. For the first time, a team led by Ming-Sheng ...

Sep 2, 2026
Phys.org / Sorry, this neutrino laser won't work, physicists say

Neutrinos are pervasive yet intangible particles that permeate the universe, streaming through whole planets, stars and our bodies by the trillions each second. The elementary particles are often described as "ghostly" for ...

Sep 2, 2026
Phys.org / Weak sea-surface temperature gradients may fuel stronger tropical cyclones

The fact that the ocean gets colder as you go deeper is fairly intuitive, but a similar gradient exists along the surface of the ocean, even at scales of 1 kilometer to tens of kilometers. A new study, published in the Proceedings ...

Sep 2, 2026
Phys.org / More than 120 molecular species found in giant cloud near Milky Way's center

Astronomers have discovered a second interstellar cloud near the center of the Milky Way that is extraordinarily rich in complex molecules, including several molecules associated with prebiotic chemistry. The newly studied ...

Sep 2, 2026