Phys.org news
Phys.org / Kids who own cellphones have poorer reading comprehension scores than those who don't, researchers find
School cellphone bans might seem like a good way to improve learning for elementary school children, but new research published in Behavioral Sciences shows that simply owning a cellphone correlates with worse reading comprehension. ...
Phys.org / Water's local asymmetry drives proton hopping between molecules, simulations reveal
Complex simulations—the most intricate of their kind to date—carried out by an international research team led by scientists at Heidelberg University's Institute for Physical Chemistry, have revealed how water governs the ...
Phys.org / Thin films 'dance' with substrates that are no longer inert, opening path toward 3D chips
Many of today's electronic devices—from the semiconductors in your cell phone to the photovoltaic cells in your solar panels—are built on thin-film substrates. The thin film is an electrically conductive material, while the ...
Phys.org / New thermodynamic framework explains pressure and edge currents in spinning active particles
Physicists from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU), the Technical University of Darmstadt, Sapienza University in Rome and the University of Camerino (both in Italy) have calculated the fundamental laws of thermodynamics ...
Phys.org / Industrial poultry farming is accelerating the spread of a major foodborne disease
A new study by the Ineos Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Research at the University of Oxford reveals that industrial poultry farming has led to a more than 100-fold increase in the movement of Campylobacter, allowing ...
Phys.org / Seabirds trade their own survival to raise more chicks after energy-intensive breeding seasons
Wild seabirds that face high energy demands during the breeding season go on to migrate farther and raise more chicks the next year, but at a cost to their own survival. An international team led by researchers from Nagoya ...
Phys.org / Simple semiconductor films break light's front-back symmetry
Light typically interacts with a material the same way whether it enters through the front or the back—like polarized sunglasses that work the same from either side. Cornell researchers have demonstrated a simple route to ...
Phys.org / Seven possible quasar lenses emerge from AI scan of 800,000 DESI objects
Quasars, distant cores of galaxies powered by supermassive black holes, are among the most luminous objects in the universe. While not uncommon, their brightness can make it difficult to accurately measure the galaxies they ...
Phys.org / New quantum chip architecture could use built-in vibrations to link distant qubits
A new concept from Warwick researchers could help solve one of the biggest challenges to building large-scale quantum computers: enabling communication between vast numbers of quantum bits (qubits) over long distances across ...
Phys.org / When polymers meet primitive membranes: How molecular cooperation may have helped life begin
A new study suggests that simple molecules on early Earth may have worked together to create more stable, cell-like structures, offering fresh clues about one of science's biggest questions: how life began. Led by Dr. Moran ...
Phys.org / Highly tunable electro-optic isolator achieves one-way light flow on photonic chips
Integrated photonic devices—tiny circuits that use light instead of electrons—are becoming increasingly important for scalable photonics technologies and high-bandwidth communications. They are particularly valuable for managing ...
Phys.org / Low-level cloud loss amplifies global warming, simulations suggest
Low-level clouds over Earth's oceans play a prominent role in keeping our planet cool by reflecting sunlight away from the surface. But their response to climate change has been hard to model. Now, researchers at Caltech ...