Phys.org news

Phys.org / Sound waves create mist that can act like 'plant sunscreen'

RMIT University researchers have developed a new way to coat fragile surfaces, including living plant leaves, using high‑frequency sound waves to create a fine mist that can act like a plant sunscreen.

May 6, 2026
Phys.org / How quasars shut down star formation in the early universe

Supermassive black holes lurk at the centers of massive galaxies, including our own Milky Way. Puzzlingly, supermassive black holes more than a billion times the mass of the sun appear to exist just a few hundred million ...

May 6, 2026
Dialog / Hybrid vein networks in tree leaves reveal a new model of biological design

A leaf may appear to be one of the simplest structures in nature, thin, delicate and easily overlooked. At first glance, it seems far removed from the complex systems that scientists usually describe as networks. Yet, as ...

May 6, 2026
Phys.org / Death-defying protein found in tardigrades preserves synthetic cells

A protein found only in microscopic tardigrades, one that allows them to survive extreme conditions like dehydration, can convey similar durability in synthetic cells, according to new research from University of Michigan ...

May 6, 2026
Phys.org / Clean energy's nickel rush is heading straight for some of Earth's richest ecosystems

Meeting future nickel demand for stainless steel and clean energy technologies will require tough decisions with potential environmental trade-offs, a new study has found. Dr. Jayden Hyman from The University of Queensland's ...

May 6, 2026
Phys.org / Roman Space Telescope poised to transform hunt for elusive neutron stars

Astronomers have long known that neutron stars, the crushed cores left behind after massive stars explode, should be scattered throughout the Milky Way galaxy. However, most of them are effectively invisible. A new study ...

May 6, 2026
Phys.org / When strength in numbers stops working: Climate extremes rewrite monkey society in Costa Rica

As climate change intensifies, scientists are becoming increasingly concerned about how animals will cope with a more unpredictable world. One way to gain insight is by studying how animals have already responded to natural ...

May 6, 2026
Phys.org / Hologram technology where 'light becomes the key' enables hard-to-copy security

A new type of hologram technology has been developed that uses the motion of light as a key, revealing information only under specific conditions. This is gaining attention as a novel approach that can simultaneously overcome ...

May 6, 2026
Phys.org / Antimalarial drug hunt uncovers enzyme target with potent new inhibitors

Researchers from the Universities of Bath and Leeds (UK) have made a significant advance in the fight against malaria by uncovering a promising new potential target for drug discovery. The findings, published in the Journal ...

May 6, 2026
Phys.org / Quantum geometry applied to light-based systems expands toolkit for topological photonics

Quantum geometry describes quantum states in systems with changing system parameters, such as an electron spinning in a magnetic field whose direction is slowly changing. The state of the electron evolves, and this change ...

May 6, 2026
Phys.org / Genetic 'bonus material' boosts gut bacterium's oxygen tolerance up to 1,000-fold

The bacterium Segatella copri is one of the most common inhabitants of the human gut. In their latest study, researchers at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) have discovered that some strains of this bacterial ...

May 6, 2026
Phys.org / Webb and Hubble find massive star clusters emerge faster

Astronomers using the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope together with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have looked deeply at thousands of young star clusters in four nearby galaxies, studying clusters at different ...

May 6, 2026