Phys.org news

Phys.org / From guesswork to guidance: How machine learning speeds dopant design for water-splitting photocatalysts

MLIP calculations successfully identify suitable dopants for a novel photocatalytic material, report researchers from the Institute of Science Tokyo. As demonstrated in their study, published in the Journal of the American ...

Mar 13, 2026
Phys.org / From plastics to pharmaceuticals, a new discovery sparks chain reactions

After years of research, international experts have confirmed the discovery of a new chemical reaction, launching new opportunities for rapid advances in a range of fields—from recycled plastics to pharmaceuticals. In the ...

Mar 13, 2026
Phys.org / Safer space travel: Scientists create a cosmic ray simulator

Cosmic rays are one of the greatest challenges for space travel and pose a considerable risk to humans and materials. For the first time on European soil, an international research team in collaboration with the European ...

Mar 13, 2026
Phys.org / How flexible protein regions retain their function via motifs and chemical context

A new LMU study shows how proteins function reliably even without a stable 3D structure—and the crucial importance not only of short sequence motifs, but also of chemical characteristics.

Mar 13, 2026
Phys.org / Fish stocks are on the line: Climate change impacts global fishing yields

As the saying goes, there are plenty more fish in the sea—but climate change is rapidly challenging that notion, with fish stocks around the world under threat. New modeling from Monash University predicts how climate change ...

Mar 13, 2026
Phys.org / Inside the light: How invisible electric fields drive device luminescence

Fleeting electron-hole pairs are giving scientists a new window into optimizing light-emitting devices (LEDs). Using quantum magnetic resonance, Osaka Metropolitan University researchers have discovered how shifting internal ...

Mar 13, 2026
Phys.org / Quantum handshake: How orbital overlap dictates molecular conductance

By placing single-atom-thick adlayers of p-block metals on commonly employed gold electrodes (d-block), a research team at National Taiwan University has successfully quantified the "interfacial hopping integral" between ...

Mar 13, 2026
Phys.org / Female birds more likely to sing when their extended family helps with childcare

Most of us have heard the phrase "it takes a village" when it comes to childcare. This age-old saying holds true for some songbirds, and a new study has found that this "village" has evolutionary consequences for their songs.

Mar 13, 2026
Phys.org / Leopard gecko study clarifies how temperature shapes sex development

In reptiles, a simple temperature change can determine whether an egg develops into a male or female. This process is formally known as temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD), in which the sex of an embryo is determined ...

Mar 13, 2026
Phys.org / Not so pretty but plenty of likes: A bumblebee bandwagon effect prioritizes busy flowers over beautiful ones

If you were a bee, how would you choose a flower to land on? You might go to the most beautiful one, as pollination biologists have long suggested that flowers with striking colors attract pollinators more easily. Or perhaps, ...

Mar 13, 2026
Phys.org / Urban park soil microbes reveal function–evolution trade-off

Urban parks are a vital component of urban ecosystems and provide distinctive habitats for soil microorganisms. Yet scientists have questioned whether—and how—the functional diversity and evolutionary potential of microbial ...

Mar 13, 2026
Phys.org / Comprehensive digital materials ecosystem can perform 'sanity check' to guide design

There is a near-infinite number of material candidates out there—and simply not enough time to hunker down in the lab and test them all. Thankfully, researchers have a variety of tools (such as AI) at their disposal to ...

Mar 13, 2026