Phys.org news

Phys.org / BESIII sets world's most stringent direct limit on Lambda hyperon electric dipole moment

The BESIII Collaboration, led by the Institute of High Energy Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has achieved the world's most precise measurement of the electric dipole moment (EDM) of the Lambda (Λ) hyperon using ...

Sep 3, 2026
Phys.org / Permafrost melt could cost $261 billion in infrastructure damages, study suggests

A new study provides insight into the economic impact of melting permafrost on Arctic communities. Permafrost is ground that permanently remains below freezing for at least two consecutive years. Permafrost covers about 24% ...

Sep 3, 2026
Phys.org / Predictive tools can confuse rare mutations with dangerous ones

When a patient's DNA is read, it is compared with a reference version of the human genome. This allows geneticists and rare disease experts to look at a list of places where the patient's DNA differs. Most variations will ...

Sep 3, 2026
Phys.org / Electron spin unlocks magnetic control of hydrogen surface reactions

Chemical reactions at surfaces play a central role in many processes, including catalysis and materials synthesis. It is well known that the outcome of these reactions is influenced by the translational, vibrational and rotational ...

Sep 3, 2026
Phys.org / Built to last or break down: Ring size tunes biodegradable plastic lifetimes

Biodegradable plastics should be tough enough for use yet able to break down at an appropriate rate afterward. Researchers at the University of Osaka show that changing the size of rings threaded onto a biodegradable polymer ...

Sep 3, 2026
Phys.org / First switchable graphene nanoribbon that twists on demand

Researchers at Nagoya University have built a graphene nanoribbon that can switch the direction of its twist using a natural solvent. Graphene nanoribbons are thin, ribbon-shaped structures made of fused carbon rings. Twisted ...

Sep 3, 2026
Phys.org / Scientists solve years-long mystery of 'beating' signal in a quantum material

A team of Korean researchers has become the first in the world to identify the origin of the "beating" signal that has long been a major obstacle to interpreting quantum signals in topological insulator (TI) nanowires. Their ...

Sep 3, 2026
Phys.org / Dual-purpose qubit design could speed operations while cutting quantum errors

Researchers from MIT have designed a new qubit architecture that enables qubits to interact with each other much more quickly while remaining very stable. This advance could someday help scientists build practical quantum ...

Sep 3, 2026
Phys.org / Wrinkled or smooth? Cell growth mechanics determine shape of plant organs

When inner and outer cell layers of sepals—the leaf-like plant organs that cover and protect the flower bud before it opens—all grow upward, the organs stay smooth and uniformly stiff, which is optimal for the plant, according ...

Sep 3, 2026
Phys.org / Quantum control algorithm looks to explain how birds migrate

The hidden world of quantum mechanics exists at scales many orders of magnitude smaller than living organisms, yet scientists have long theorized that quantum effects play an important role in biology. Birds' ability to sense ...

Sep 3, 2026
Phys.org / Chimpanzees have accents too, study finds

A study has found that young chimpanzees develop distinct population-specific vocal patterns as they mature (ontogeny), challenging the long-held assumption that their calls are inflexible and determined solely by genetics. ...

Sep 3, 2026
Phys.org / Microbial 'dark matter' yields 173 potential carbon dioxide-fixing strains

There are millions of species of bacteria and archaea on Earth, remarkably little is known about most of them. Now, researchers have mined the genomes of thousands of microorganisms preserved at the RIKEN BioResource Research ...

Sep 3, 2026