Phys.org news

Phys.org / Reusing liquid pickle waste to produce omega-3 fatty acids

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are omega-3 fatty acids known to have beneficial effects and are popular as functional foods and dietary supplements. They are polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs); ...

Aug 19, 2026
Phys.org / Beijing's isoprene-emitting trees highlight ozone risks in greener, hotter cities

Amid current heat waves, urban greening is once again moving to the center of public debate. Greener cities are generally expected to have cleaner air because trees capture airborne particles, absorb gaseous pollutants and ...

Aug 19, 2026
Phys.org / AI screens 100,000+ membrane combinations, predicting carbon capture performance within seconds

Reducing carbon dioxide emissions from industrial processes and energy production remains one of the major technological challenges in addressing climate change. Membrane-based gas separation offers an energy-efficient alternative ...

Aug 19, 2026
Phys.org / New lipid nanoparticle delivers capped circular RNA for longer-lasting gene expression

Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan in collaboration with FUJIFILM have developed a novel way of delivering circular RNA (cirRNA) into cells, paving the way for longer-lasting mRNA-based therapeutics including cancer ...

Aug 19, 2026
Phys.org / Antarctica's brief rebound was caused by climate variability, not a 'new normal'

Between 2021 and 2023, Antarctica appeared to be growing. Heavy snowfall fueled by wetter weather caused parts of the continent to gain mass, leading some to question whether climate change is really causing the ice to melt. ...

Aug 19, 2026
Phys.org / Microbial clocks can accurately estimate time since death across different climates

New research reveals that microbial clocks—forensic tools that track the succession and development of bacteria and fungi involved in decomposition after death—are highly accurate for estimating time since death, or postmortem ...

Aug 19, 2026
Phys.org / A 100-year-old mystery in the cat kidney may be linked to scent communication

Many animals obtain information about others from scent marks left in the environment, including urine. Because these marks remain after the sender has left, they allow animals to communicate across space and time. But odor ...

Aug 19, 2026
Phys.org / Fastest known Milky Way star offers new test of supermassive black hole's spin

Astronomers have discovered the fastest known star in our galaxy, the Milky Way, orbiting the black hole at its center. The star, named S301, was detected with the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope Interferometer ...

Aug 19, 2026
Phys.org / Interacting with AI can make people act more like robots

As AI continues to develop at a rapid pace, social robots powered by AI are becoming more commonplace in customer service settings such as retail, hospitality, tourism and health care. But as these robots become smarter and ...

Aug 19, 2026
Phys.org / Peru's highest mountain confirms tropics were a major methane source before the industrial era

A new analysis of ice cores collected from the Andes in Peru has produced the first global record of historical tropical methane, filling a critical gap in our understanding of the origins of Earth's greenhouse gases.

Aug 19, 2026
Phys.org / Genetic 'switches' could program 3D-printed bone tissue for blood vessel growth

An interdisciplinary team of engineers and chemists at Penn State has laid the groundwork for 3D printing spheroids—tiny clusters of living cells—capable of regenerating bone tissue in response to severe trauma or infections.

Aug 19, 2026
Phys.org / AI flood map reveals 11 million Americans may be omitted from official risk zones

Official flood maps shape disaster preparedness, insurance decisions and urban planning, but large parts of the United States remain unmapped or under-mapped. This means some communities may be left unaware of the risks they ...

Aug 19, 2026