Phys.org news

Phys.org / Exploiting interfacial ionic mobility to make heat-moldable nanoparticle aggregates

If you have ever warped a cheap plastic cup by pouring coffee into it, then you have witnessed thermoplasticity in action. Thermoplasticity is the ability of a material to become pliable under heating. In industry, thermoplasticity ...

May 15, 2026
Phys.org / Q&A: Evolution may reshape how urban forests, wetlands and reefs protect cities

Over the past decade, cities around the world have increasingly turned to nature-based infrastructure to become more resilient in the face of a changing climate. Urban forests provide shade during heat waves and improve air ...

May 15, 2026
Phys.org / Fast-moving Gofar fault reveals quiet zones that may govern big earthquake timing

University of Delaware geologist Jessica Warren has contributed to research that brings us one step closer to better understanding how earthquakes operate. Situated along a stretch of the equator in the Pacific Ocean, between ...

May 15, 2026
Phys.org / Dense soils may spread earthquake surface ruptures into wider damage zones, particle models suggest

Earthquakes can visibly and permanently crack the ground apart in dramatic and unpredictable surface fault rupture, but new research led by University of Michigan Engineering revealed that soil density strongly influences ...

May 15, 2026
Phys.org / Honey-like heat flow: A new heat transport regime discovered in ultrathin semiconductors

Controlling heat flow is a major challenge for many technologies. In electronic and photonic devices, for example, heat dissipation can limit the performance and efficiency, as well as their potential for further miniaturization. ...

May 15, 2026
Phys.org / Bacterial energy enzyme reveals dual-trigger sodium pump mechanism, offering antibiotic clues

The Na+-NQR enzyme is vital for energy production in pathogenic bacteria like the one that causes cholera, making it a highly promising target for new antibiotics. Researchers combined modified artificial intelligence techniques ...

May 15, 2026
Phys.org / Customizable drinks could provide essential nutrients during space missions

After the success of Artemis II, longer space journeys are expected, raising new health and nutritional challenges for astronauts. Current space foods rely on dried, shelf-stable items.

May 15, 2026
Phys.org / Discovery could reshape RNA editing with DNA-guided CRISPR

A team of engineers at the University of Florida has developed a new form of CRISPR technology that could make diagnostics and treatments safer, more precise, and more affordable, while opening the door to entirely new ways ...

May 15, 2026
Phys.org / Nanometer-scale cell sugar mapping reveals internal states, from immune activation to cancer stages

Every human cell is surrounded by a sugar coating known as the glycocalyx. It not only interacts with its environment but also reveals a great deal about cells' internal states. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for ...

May 15, 2026
Phys.org / Could sea squirts' nano-packaging delivery system help restore sea forests?

How do sea squirts stay attached to rocks amid crashing waves and strong currents? Recent research has revealed that sea squirts do not simply secrete adhesive substances. Instead, they possess a unique system where they ...

May 15, 2026
Phys.org / String theory is uniquely derived from basic assumptions about the universe, physicists show

If you could take an apple and break it into smaller and smaller parts, you would find molecules, then atoms, followed by subatomic particles like protons and the quarks and gluons that make them up. You might think you hit ...

May 14, 2026
Phys.org / Q&A: Is it time to expand our thinking about dark matter? A new study says yes

We may be more in the dark about dark matter than previously thought, according to a new analysis of distant galaxy clusters. Yale astrophysicist Priyamvada Natarajan, a leading theorist on the nature of black holes and dark ...

May 14, 2026