Phys.org news

Phys.org / How pointing errors impact quantum key distribution systems

Quantum key distribution (QKD) is an emerging communication technology that utilizes quantum mechanics principles to ensure highly secure communication between two parties. It enables the sender and receiver to generate a ...

Jan 19, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Teen girls cannot escape unrealistic beauty ideals on social media, researchers say

Girls between the ages of 13 and 19 are widely exposed to beauty content online that promotes products unsuitable for young skin—even when they are not actively seeking beauty-related information. Moreover, they believe ...

Jan 19, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Beta-decay half-life measurements reveal evolution of nuclear shell structure

An international team of researchers has systematically measured the β-decay half-lives of 40 nuclei near calcium-54, providing key experimental data for understanding the structure of extremely neutron-rich nuclei.

Jan 19, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / New structural insights reveal how human respiratory chain complexes assemble

A new study shows how one of the cell's most important energy-producing machines is built. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have mapped late steps in the formation of the human respirasome, a large protein assembly that ...

Jan 19, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Nanoscopic raft dynamics on cell membranes successfully visualized for first time

A collaborative team of four professors and several graduate students from the Departments of Chemistry and Biochemical Science and Technology at National Taiwan University, together with the Department of Applied Chemistry ...

Jan 19, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Meta-study reveals mechanisms of animals' adaptations to cope with climate change

Climate change has a wide range of effects on wildlife. It affects seasonal migration, reproduction times, body size and mass, and disrupts ecological processes, thereby posing challenges for the populations of some species. ...

Jan 19, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / MOSAIC platform compiles chemistry protocols for faster drug design

Speeding up drug discovery in the age of AI may come down to a concept that's comfortingly old-fashioned: Consulting a chemistry recipe book.

Jan 19, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Humans returned to British Isles earlier than previously thought at the end of the last Ice Age

The return of humans to the British Isles after the end of the last ice sheet, which covered much of the northern hemisphere, happened around 15,200 years ago—nearly 500 years earlier than previous estimates.

Jan 19, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / All ears: New study pinpoints what determines ear length in dogs

Ever see a basset hound and find yourself wanting to (gently) grab its long, floppy ears and give them a little waggle? The cute aggression caused by those droopy eared canines is real. And researchers at the University of ...

Jan 19, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Ultrafast spectroscopy reveals step-by-step energy flow in germanium semiconductors

Whether in a smartphone or laptop, semiconductors form the basis of modern electronics and accompany us constantly in everyday life. The processes taking place inside these materials are the subject of ongoing research. When ...

Jan 19, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Catalyst selectivity as a balancing act: Co₃O₄ 'trapped' in transition shows peak activity

In a study appearing in Nature Catalysis, researchers from the Inorganic Chemistry Department of the Fritz Haber Institute reveal how structural changes on the surface and in the bulk region of the cobalt oxide catalyst Co3O4 ...

Jan 19, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Mercury's BepiColombo Mio and Earth's GEOTAIL show shared wave frequency properties across planetary magnetospheres

An international team from Kanazawa University (Japan), Tohoku University (Japan), LPP (France), and partners has demonstrated that chorus emissions, natural electromagnetic waves long studied in Earth's magnetosphere, also ...

Jan 19, 2026 in Astronomy & Space