Phys.org news

Phys.org / Bioengineers build branched, perfusable kidney collecting ducts using 3D bioprinting

The human kidney filters about a cup of blood every minute, removing waste, excess fluid, and toxins from it, while also regulating blood pressure, balancing important electrolytes, activating Vitamin D, and helping the body ...

Feb 9, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / How big can a planet be? With very large gas giants, it can be hard to tell

Gas giants are large planets mostly composed of helium and/or hydrogen. Although these planets have dense cores, they don't have hard surfaces. Jupiter and Saturn are the gas giants in our solar system, but there are many ...

Feb 9, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / People act more helpfully in poor environments than rich ones, research reveals

People are more likely to act helpfully in situations where there are poorer choices to give to others, according to a new study that tested willingness to help others in different contexts.

Feb 9, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Physicists clarify key mechanism behind energy release in molybdenum-93

A team of physicists from the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, together with collaborators, has identified the dominant physical mechanism responsible for energy release in the nuclear ...

Feb 9, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Ultra-clean MXenes deliver 160-fold higher conductivity

An international team of researchers has developed a breakthrough method for producing MXenes—an important family of two-dimensional materials—with unprecedented purity and control. The new "gas–liquid–solid" process ...

Feb 9, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Bee bandits: How a yeast influences nectar-robbing behavior in bumble bees

From fundamental biological units as tiny as genes to complex societies, ecological systems rely on cooperation. All manner of organisms can benefit from working together to survive in a dog-eat-dog world. "Mutualism is a ...

Feb 9, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Muon Knight shift reveals the behavior of superconducting electron pairs

Quantum materials and superconductors are difficult enough to understand on their own. Unconventional superconductors, which cannot be explained within the framework of standard theory, take the enigma to an entirely new ...

Feb 9, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Wireless sensor assesses subsoil health in effort to cut costs and refine farming

A new smart platform invented by Purdue University researchers to wirelessly monitor subsoil health could change the landscape of agricultural sensing systems. The invention addresses a critical need in agriculture nationwide: ...

Feb 9, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / DeepChopper model improves RNA sequencing research by mitigating chimera artifacts

Scientists in the laboratory of Rendong Yang, Ph.D., associate professor of Urology, have developed a new large language model that can interpret transcriptomic data in cancer cell lines more accurately than conventional ...

Feb 9, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Seeing the whole from a part: Revealing hidden turbulent structures from limited observations and equations

The irregular, swirling motion of fluids we call turbulence can be found everywhere, from stirring in a teacup to currents in the planetary atmosphere. This phenomenon is governed by the Navier-Stokes equations—a set of ...

Feb 9, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / 3D 'polar chiral bobbers' identified in ferroelectric thin films

A novel type of three-dimensional (3D) polar topological structure, termed the "polar chiral bobber," has been discovered in ferroelectric oxide thin films, demonstrating promising potential for high-density multistate non-volatile ...

Feb 9, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Eco-friendly catalyst switches oxygen source based on particle size, study finds

As the climate crisis becomes a part of daily life with unprecedented heat waves and cold snaps, technology to effectively remove greenhouse gases is emerging as a critical global challenge. In particular, catalytic technology ...

Feb 9, 2026 in Chemistry