Phys.org news

Phys.org / Molecular glue could hijack cells' natural machinery to help treat diseases

Proteins do most of the work in our body's cells. But when a protein is too active or does not function properly, it can lead to disease or other health problems. Researchers from the University of Toronto have discovered ...

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / JWST maps cosmic web in record detail back to universe's first billion years

Using data from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers led by researchers at the University of California, Riverside have produced the most detailed map of the cosmic web ever made, tracing the network of galaxies ...

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / New tectonic plate boundary could be forming in Zambia, scientists say

Isotope analysis of gas from geothermal springs in Zambia could show that a new continental rift is forming, scientists say. Unexpectedly high helium isotope ratios indicate that a weakness in Earth's crust has broken through ...

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / Method for measuring energy amounts less than a trillionth of a billionth of a joule could boost quantum computing

The fundamentals of quantum mechanics are minuscule. Scientists constantly home in on finer resolutions to measure, quantify, and control these fundamentals, like photons that carry light and have no mass unless they are ...

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / How Qing featherwork got its colors: New scans reveal multiple birds and hidden pigment layers

The kingfisher's brilliant blue feathers were once used like paint to create works of art. The technique, known as tian-tsui, was popular during China's Qing Dynasty. And because tian-tsui uses delicate feathers, previous ...

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / New quantum protocol breaks distance and speed barriers in fiber networks

Scientists at the University of Science and Technology of China have successfully deployed a multi-mode quantum relay network, achieving matter–matter entanglement over 14.5 kilometers, according to media reports.

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / How invading cancer cells grip and rip their way into new tissues

Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have discovered that cancer cells do not simply push through surrounding tissues to spread, but instead actively grip onto protective tissue barriers and pull them ...

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / Cold events rival heat waves in bleaching Indonesia's corals, analysis reveals

The Indonesian seas are a biodiversity hotspot, harboring the highest coral diversity in the tropics and home to an extraordinary variety of marine life. Yet these unique ecosystems have been under growing pressure for years, ...

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / DNA 'barcodes' help researchers pinpoint gold nanoparticles that can strike cancer at its power source

Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a high-throughput method to identify gold nanoparticles capable of delivering therapies directly to mitochondria (the energy centers inside cancer cells). ...

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / How we feel political emotions in our bodies—and why this matters for democracy

Researchers have found our emotions toward politics not only play on our minds, but shape how our bodies respond to political experiences, even driving political participation higher. The new study, published in the Proceedings ...

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / Scientists use AI to interpret the sun's acoustic heartbeat

A new AI-based approach that can "hear" inside the sun could give vital signs of the solar disturbances that have significant effects in near-Earth space and on human activities. The solar cycle is an approximate 11-year ...

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / Gentle, laser-driven flows enable precise 3D imaging of delicate samples

Until now, it has been technically nearly impossible to rotate highly sensitive samples in all directions under a microscope without making contact. Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have developed ...

May 12, 2026