Phys.org news

Phys.org / Diamond surfaces are covered in thin, ice-like water layers

Using atomic-scale defects in diamond, researchers in China have gained unprecedented insights into the complex chemical processes that unfold at the interfaces between solid surfaces and their surroundings. Published in ...

Feb 24, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Fast-paced lives demand faster vision: Ecology shapes how 'quickly' animals see time

Animals don't just see the world differently from one another, they experience time itself at dramatically different speeds. That is according to a new study that considered 237 species across the animal kingdom, and which ...

Feb 24, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / When light 'thinks' like the brain: The connection between photons and artificial memory

An international study has revealed a surprising connection between quantum physics and the theoretical models underlying artificial intelligence. The study results from a collaboration between the Institute of Nanotechnology ...

Feb 24, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Chemists thought phosphorus had shown all its cards—until it surprised them with a new move

A discovery by UCLA organic chemists may one day put catalytic converter thieves out of business. In new research, they've used abundant, inexpensive phosphorus as a catalyst in chemical reactions that usually require precious ...

Feb 24, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Stone Age deceased dressed in spectacular feather and fur headgear, new research technique reveals

A recently published research article examines the microscopic remains of clothing and burial items dating back roughly 7,000 years. The study focused on the Skateholm I and II cemeteries in Scania, southern Sweden, with ...

Feb 24, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Physicists watch light drift in quantized steps for the first time

In physics, the classical "Hall effect," discovered in the late 19th century, describes how a transverse voltage is generated when an electric current is exposed to a perpendicular magnetic field. Simply put, the magnetic ...

Feb 24, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Tokyo Bay's night lights reveal hidden boundaries between species

A key characteristic of modern human society is rapid urbanization, a process that can reshape natural environments and disrupt the habitats of many organisms. One widespread byproduct of urbanization is artificial light ...

Feb 24, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Engineered bacteria can consume tumors from the inside out

A research team led by the University of Waterloo is developing a novel tool to treat cancer by engineering hungry bacteria to literally eat tumors from the inside out. "Bacteria spores enter the tumor, finding an environment ...

Feb 24, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Shorter early-life telomere length could predict survival in Arctic seabirds

A study published in Ecological and Evolutionary Physiology reveals a surprising link between cellular aging markers and survival in black-legged kittiwakes (members of the gull family). In the work titled "Who's coming home? ...

Feb 24, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / AI develops easily understandable solutions for unusual experiments in quantum physics

Researchers at the University of Tuebingen, working with an international team, have developed an artificial intelligence that designs entirely new, sometimes unusual, experiments in quantum physics and presents them in a ...

Feb 24, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Targeted climate policies are successfully cutting carbon, study shows

Countries with stricter and better-targeted climate policies cut carbon emissions faster, according to a major new study by researchers in the UK and EU. The study draws on the most comprehensive climate policy dataset ever ...

Feb 24, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Nutrient-driven 'death fronts' may explain why some antibiotics fail outside the lab

Antibiotics are medical marvels that have transformed once deadly bacterial infections into manageable conditions. But with a rise in antibiotic resistance that renders existing treatments ineffective, new agents are urgently ...

Feb 24, 2026 in Biology