Phys.org news

Phys.org / Indigenous land restitution empowers communities, but environmental gains require extra support

Charting a better future will require redressing the problems of the past. That's one reason many countries have begun to return dispossessed land to Indigenous peoples. The goal of Indigenous land restitution is to empower ...

Aug 13, 2026
Phys.org / A magnetic path to lower-power computing

From smartphones to data centers, modern electronics rely on billions of tiny switches that consume electricity every time they turn on or off. As global demand for computing continues to grow, so does the energy required ...

Aug 13, 2026
Phys.org / Understanding nature's 'dimmer switch': Study sheds new light on how algae regulate photosynthesis with pH

A new joint study from Constructor University and Princeton University in the Journal of the American Chemical Society focuses on PC645, a protein complex that contributes to cryptophyte algae's ability to photosynthesize ...

Aug 13, 2026
Phys.org / Sugar molecule could help protect against dangerous hospital fungus Candida auris

Researchers have developed a potential new approach against the highly drug-resistant hospital fungus Candida auris. They discovered that a synthetic sugar molecule that is a natural part of the fungus's cell wall, but is ...

Aug 13, 2026
Phys.org / Teaching AI the biology of antibodies speeds drug discovery

Designing an effective antibody drug is like searching for the right key in a warehouse of locks. Scientists may begin with millions—or even billions—of antibody candidates, but only a tiny fraction will recognize and bind ...

Aug 13, 2026
Phys.org / Uniaxial strain reveals new way to tune electron flow in altermagnet material

Altermagnetism is a new, third type of magnetism of great interest for spin-transport applications like computer memory. If properly harnessed, it could combine the benefits of the two existing types of magnetism, ferromagnetism ...

Aug 13, 2026
Phys.org / Three supermassive black holes discovered in a single galaxy for the first time

An international team of astronomers led by the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics has identified three actively accreting supermassive black holes in the galaxy J0148-4214. Matter is falling into the black ...

Aug 12, 2026
Phys.org / Satellite constellations could create spiraling space debris

To date, close to 30,000 satellites have been launched into Earth's orbit, leading to mounting concerns over the debris created when they collide. In a new analysis posted to the preprint server arXiv, Hugh Lewis of the University ...

Aug 12, 2026
Phys.org / Long-sought Zhang-Rice singlet visualized directly in cuprate superconductor

Superconductors are materials that conduct electricity with zero electrical resistance below specific temperatures. Most of these materials become superconducting at very low temperatures, but some also exhibit superconductivity ...

Aug 12, 2026
Phys.org / Recyclable glue bonds underwater in seconds and holds for years

Most glues need a dry surface to stick properly. Bonding materials underwater is challenging because water forms a thin film on any surface, so instead of an adhesive touching a material directly, it touches a layer of water, ...

Aug 12, 2026
Phys.org / River shipping emits nearly one-quarter of global shipping CO₂, analysis finds

River and canal ships generate roughly a quarter of the world's shipping carbon dioxide emissions, according to new research published in Nature Climate Change. And that's despite the fact that these bodies of water make ...

Aug 12, 2026
Phys.org / Famous oddball quasar isn't X-ray weak after all, astronomers say

For more than two decades, the quasar PHL 1811 has been considered the prototype of a rare class of "intrinsically X-ray weak" quasars, thought to produce unusually little X-ray radiation. But in 2024, the Einstein Probe ...

Aug 12, 2026