Phys.org news

Phys.org / Colorado basins supplying 70% of Lake Powell's water face major midcentury shortages

If the Colorado River Basin is the lifeblood of the American Southwest, keeping the region's agricultural, ecological and economic systems thriving, Colorado's West Slope River basins could be considered the heart. Together, ...

Jul 23, 2026
Phys.org / Earlier toilet training could curb growing diaper waste crisis

Earlier toilet training and new recycling technologies are among expert-backed solutions to reduce the environmental impact of disposable diapers and other hygiene products, according to a new study led by UCL researchers.

Jul 23, 2026
Phys.org / Universal structure of exceptional points revealed in nonlinear light‑based systems

Exceptional points, or EPs for short, are among the phenomena of modern physics. These are special points or locations at which the properties of matter, space or time change. In a new theoretical study, researchers from ...

Jul 23, 2026
Phys.org / Spent coffee grounds reveal a route to biodiesel and other bio-based products

Coffee grounds that usually end up being thrown away can have a second life as a raw material for producing biofuels and other high-value-added products. A study by the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) has evaluated how ...

Jul 23, 2026
Phys.org / Destructive crop caterpillar harbors fungi that can degrade Styrofoam

A moth caterpillar identified by the agribusiness sector as one of the most destructive pests of soybean, cotton and corn crops may harbor fungi and bacteria in its gut that can degrade expanded polystyrene, also known as ...

Jul 23, 2026
Phys.org / Human impacts rewrite the rules of island biodiversity around the globe

A new study reveals that human activities have fundamentally reshaped biodiversity patterns on islands across the globe, with important implications for how scientists understand ecology, evolution and conservation.

Jul 23, 2026
Phys.org / Training microbes to prepare soils for the impacts of climate change

Scientists at the University of Lincoln have discovered a promising new way to help protect crops from one of climate change's growing threats to global food production—increasing soil salinity.

Jul 23, 2026
Phys.org / Simple circuit brings topological insulators closer to practical electrical measurement standards

Researchers at the University of Würzburg have succeeded in detecting exceptionally robust electrical transport in a topological insulator. This could lead to new metrological applications. The work is published in the journal ...

Jul 23, 2026
Phys.org / Global map reveals mining's uneven toll on forests and biodiversity

A new study led by Japanese researchers from Tohoku University and the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES) reveals that some of the minerals most essential for green technologies may have a significant negative ...

Jul 23, 2026
Phys.org / Zebrafish rebuild damaged 'second brain' networks in nine days, offering clues for nerve repair

Why can zebrafish regenerate damaged gut nerves while humans largely cannot? Michigan State University researchers have developed a new research tool that allows them to remove gut neurons in zebrafish and watch them regenerate ...

Jul 23, 2026
Phys.org / How insect submariners survive the depths without imploding

Deep-diving insect larvae are challenging a long-held idea about why there are almost no insects in the ocean, thanks to sturdy air sacs. In Lake Malawi in East Africa, billions of lake fly larvae (Chaoborus edulis) make ...

Jul 23, 2026
Phys.org / National food waste recycling promises major climate gains but comes with microplastic risks

Keeping food waste out of landfills provides climate and other environmental benefits, and Vermont requires residents to divert these materials to better management pathways. With other states considering similar policies, ...

Jul 23, 2026