Phys.org news

Phys.org / How a superionic state enables long-term water storage in Earth's interior

The cycling of water within Earth's interior regulates plate tectonics, volcanism, ocean volume, and climate stability, making it central to the planet's long-term evolution and habitability and a key scientific question. ...

Jan 28, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Laser beam flips a ferromagnet's polarity without heating the material

Researchers at the University of Basel and the ETH in Zurich have succeeded in changing the polarity of a special ferromagnet using a laser beam. In the future, this method could be used to create adaptable electronic circuits ...

Jan 28, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Novel ferroelectric ultraviolet photodetector achieves near-10,000-fold speed increase

Researchers from the Institute of Metal Research (IMR) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed a new ferroelectric ultraviolet photodetector material that overcomes the long-standing performance limitations of conventional ...

Jan 28, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Tropical feedback loop: Butterfly mimicry patterns evolve faster near the equator

In the early 1990s, Keith Willmott and a friend, both undergraduate students from the United Kingdom, arrived in Ecuador with impressionable minds and big aspirations. Willmott initially imagined there might be 20 to 30 butterfly ...

Jan 28, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Corals sleep like us, but their symbionts never rest

Sleep is essential for much of the animal kingdom. During the night, neuron and tissue repair mechanisms are activated to aid recovery from daily activity. This is risky: organisms that sleep are more vulnerable to predators. ...

Jan 28, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Framework sets new benchmarks for 3D atom maps in amorphous materials

Researchers at the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA published a step-by-step framework for determining the three-dimensional positions and elemental identities of atoms in amorphous materials. These solids, such as ...

Jan 28, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / New radio method uncovers hidden bursts from dwarf stars and hints of exoplanets

An international team including Cornell researcher Jake Turner has developed a novel analysis method capable of uncovering previously undetectable stellar and exoplanetary signals hidden within archival radio-astronomical ...

Jan 28, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Mineral dust accelerates Greenland ice sheet melt by promoting algae growth

Large-scale melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet is irreversible and happening at a rapid rate, and now a new international study is the first to understand why. A University of Waterloo scientist and a team of international ...

Jan 28, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Subtle rotations in ancient light: Decoding the universe's symmetry

A team of researchers studying the uncertainties associated with a phenomenon known as cosmic birefringence has developed a method to reduce uncertainties in its observational measurements, according to a new study published ...

Jan 28, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Cryoelectron tomography reveals paracrystalline architecture of proteasome storage granules

Cells organize their molecules into distinct functional areas. While textbooks usually refer to membrane-bound organelles such as mitochondria and cell nuclei, recent studies have also revealed organelles without membranes. ...

Jan 28, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / New light-based platform sets the stage for future quantum supercomputers

A light has emerged at the end of the tunnel in the long pursuit of developing quantum computers, which are expected to radically reduce the time needed to perform some complex calculations from thousands of years down to ...

Jan 28, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Cross-border pollution tracking reveals unequal distribution of risk and responsibility

Microscopic airborne particles known as PM2.5 contribute to 100,000 premature deaths in the United States each year. A new University of Notre Dame study finds that 40% of these deaths can be attributed to pollution that ...

Jan 28, 2026 in Earth