Phys.org news

Phys.org / 3D DNA mapping in rare immune cells reveals new genes linked with autoimmune disease risk

Our DNA is often pictured as a simple spiral, like a piece of rope held taut. But inside cells, it folds into a complex three-dimensional structure, with 2 meters (6.6 feet) of DNA scrunched like a headphone wire in a pocket. ...

Aug 4, 2026
Phys.org / Cannabis farming is changing streams in California, experts warn

Groundwater pumped to irrigate cannabis crops in California's Emerald Triangle can cause some streams that normally run year-round to dry up entirely during summer, say researchers from Simon Fraser University, the University ...

Aug 4, 2026
Phys.org / Two materials, one photonic chip: Unlocking a new way to generate light frequencies

Modern photonic chips can pack sophisticated optical functions onto devices smaller than a fingernail. They are increasingly used to generate, manipulate and measure light for applications ranging from communications to sensing. ...

Aug 4, 2026
Phys.org / How the 'fecal revolution' changed Earth's ecosystems

An international study led by Flinders University has found a fertile area of inspiration to explain an important step in evolution—and it's a whole lot of poop. The new study describes the "fecal revolution" to explain a ...

Aug 4, 2026
Phys.org / Decades-old theory for how insect societies evolve challenged

For more than 60 years, evolutionary biologists have debated whether a unique genetic system found in ants, bees and wasps helps explain one of nature's most remarkable innovations: eusociality, a form of social organization ...

Aug 4, 2026
Phys.org / New catalyst design selectively suppresses competing hydrogen reaction in ammonia synthesis

A research team led by professor Yousung Jung from the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Seoul National University College of Engineering has developed a new catalyst design principle that suppresses the ...

Aug 4, 2026
Phys.org / Quantum fluid reveals hidden states that can be switched with a magnetic field

Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) are often described as a "fifth state of matter": a quantum state in which many particles lose their individual identities and behave as one collective object. For more than 60 years, researchers ...

Aug 4, 2026
Phys.org / Nano-optics: New mechanism for channeling light waves discovered in natural hyperbolic materials

Researchers at the 4th Physics Institute of the University of Stuttgart and the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) in Milan have demonstrated a new mechanism for directing light in a naturally hyperbolic van der Waals ...

Aug 4, 2026
Phys.org / Mapping monsters: Data release unveils all-sky views of supermassive black holes

Data released by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) marks a landmark expansion in the study of accreting supermassive black holes (SMBHs). As part of the fifth generation of the survey (SDSS-V), the Black Hole Mapper (BHM) ...

Aug 4, 2026
Phys.org / Magnetic dopants help quantum dots use light for chemical reactions

Scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory have demonstrated a new quantum-dot mechanism that could significantly expand the reach of light-driven chemistry. By introducing magnetic manganese dopants into semiconductor ...

Aug 4, 2026
Phys.org / Seaweed-derived coating keeps strawberries fresher than a fridge

University of British Columbia researchers have developed an edible, seaweed-derived coating that can keep strawberries fresh for at least four days at room temperature, outperforming uncoated berries stored in the refrigerator.

Aug 4, 2026
Phys.org / Electrocatalytic method could purify wastewater by converting pollutants into recoverable polymers

Wastewater treatment is a critical issue for global environmental protection and public health. Researchers from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have recently achieved a major breakthrough with ...

Aug 4, 2026