https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Nearly 3.8 billion people could face extreme heat by 2050 and while tropical countries will bear the brunt cooler regions will also need to adapt, scientists said Monday. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-world-ready-extreme-scientists.html Environment Mon, 26 Jan 2026 13:50:04 EST news688657642 Earth is reflecting less sunlight, and absorbing more heat, than it did several decades ago. Global warming is advancing faster than climate models predicted, with observed temperatures exceeding projections in 2023 and 2024. These trends have scientists scrambling to understand why the atmosphere is letting more light in. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-cleaner-air-clouds.html Earth Sciences Wed, 05 Nov 2025 05:00:08 EST news681469861 As air temperatures stay elevated through fall months, people may still want clothes that cool them down while outside, especially if they live in cities that stay warmer than rural landscapes. Researchers who previously demonstrated a cooling fabric coating now report on additional tests of a treated polyester fabric in an article published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. Fabric treated with the team's chalk-based coating kept the air underneath up to 6°F cooler in warmer urban environments. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-additional-chalk-coated-textiles-cooling.html Polymers Fri, 08 Nov 2024 11:55:52 EST news650289347 A new UC Riverside study shows soot from large wildfires in California traps sunlight, making days warmer and drier than they ought to be. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-large-wildfires-weather-favors.html Earth Sciences Tue, 18 Jun 2024 06:29:55 EDT news637910981 As wildfires in Siberia become more common, global climate modeling estimates significant impacts on climate, air quality, health, and economies in East Asia and across the northern hemisphere. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-broader-effects-wildfires-siberia.html Earth Sciences Wed, 24 Apr 2024 09:00:01 EDT news633166141 Honey bees carrying nectar have the remarkable ability to adjust their flight behavior to avoid overheating when air temperatures increase, according to research led by a University of Wyoming scientist. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-nectar-laden-honey-bees-overheating.html Plants & Animals Tue, 13 Feb 2024 12:15:03 EST news627048901 As summer turns to fall, many people will be turning off the air conditioning and firing up heaters instead. But traditional heating and cooling systems are energy-intensive, and because they typically run on fossil fuels, they aren't sustainable. Now, by mimicking a desert-dwelling chameleon, a team reporting in Nano Letters has developed an energy-efficient, cost-effective coating. The material could keep buildings cool in the summers—or warm in the winters—without additional energy. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-chameleon-inspired-coating-cool-seasons.html Nanomaterials Wed, 20 Sep 2023 08:00:01 EDT news614360343 A team of meteorologists and atmospheric scientists at Nanjing University, in China, has found via modeling that planting trees in certain areas to reduce local temperatures is more effective if air pollution levels are reduced. In their study, reported in the journal Nature Geoscience, the group built climate models to measure estimated local temperature changes after planting trees with and without drops in air pollution levels. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-climate-curbing-air-pollution-newly.html Earth Sciences Wed, 30 Aug 2023 11:50:01 EDT news612613130 On a hot summer day, white clothing feels cooler than other colors due to reflecting—not absorbing—sunlight. Other colors like blue or black, will undergo a heating effect as they absorb light. To circumvent this heating effect in colored cooling films, researchers drew inspiration from nanostructures in butterfly wings. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-butterfly-inspired-vibrant-passively-cooling.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 03 Aug 2023 10:08:18 EDT news610276092 Limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5℃ is getting harder. A recent UN report even stated that there is now "no credible pathway" to achieve this goal. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-northern-europe-biggest-uncomfortable-dangerously.html Environment Mon, 17 Jul 2023 14:12:58 EDT news608821975 Summer is in full swing in the U.S., and people are turning up their air conditioners to beat the heat. But the hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants in these and other cooling devices are potent greenhouse gases and major drivers of climate change. Today, scientists report a prototype device that could someday replace existing "A/Cs." It's much more environmentally friendly and uses solid refrigerants to efficiently cool a space. https://phys.org/news/2022-08-environmentally-friendly-air-conditioner.html Materials Science Mon, 22 Aug 2022 05:00:04 EDT news580359582 Summertime is almost here, a time when many people try to beat the heat. But running air conditioners constantly can be expensive and wasteful. Now, researchers reporting in the ACS journal Nano Letters have designed a lightweight foam made from wood-based cellulose nanocrystals that reflects sunlight, emits absorbed heat and is thermally insulating. They suggest that the material could reduce buildings' cooling energy needs by more than a third. https://phys.org/news/2022-05-team-wood-based-foam-cooler.html Nanomaterials Wed, 18 May 2022 15:17:58 EDT news572105875 As temperatures soar, air conditioners switch on. Cooling takes lots of energy—which strains power grids and drives up emissions in countries still dependent on fossil fuels. https://phys.org/news/2021-09-energy-cold-crunch-efficient-cooling.html Polymers Wed, 22 Sep 2021 08:10:51 EDT news551517047 A promising replacement for the toxic and flammable greenhouse gases that are used in most refrigerators and air conditioners has been identified by researchers from the University of Cambridge. https://phys.org/news/2019-10-electronic-solid-carbon-emissions-fridges.html Materials Science Wed, 09 Oct 2019 13:00:01 EDT news489825836 Researchers from the UK and Spain have identified an eco-friendly solid that could replace the inefficient and polluting gases used in most refrigerators and air conditioners. https://phys.org/news/2019-04-green-material-refrigeration.html Materials Science Thu, 18 Apr 2019 05:00:01 EDT news474781910 A color developed by Egyptians thousands of years ago has a modern-day application as well – the pigment can boost energy efficiency by cooling rooftops and walls, and could also enable solar generation of electricity via windows. https://phys.org/news/2018-10-ancient-pigment-boost-energy-efficiency.html General Physics Wed, 10 Oct 2018 09:11:38 EDT news458381493 Can a splash of gray pavement paint help combat global warming? https://phys.org/news/2017-08-los-angeles-cooling-pavement.html Environment Mon, 14 Aug 2017 04:17:14 EDT news421903023 In a groundbreaking study released today, scientists at the South Coast Air Quality Management District and the University of Southern California have found that widespread installation of certain "cool roof" materials in the region could slightly increase ozone and fine particulate pollution levels. https://phys.org/news/2017-08-choice-cool-roofing-materials-potentially.html Environment Mon, 07 Aug 2017 15:00:07 EDT news421322725 Sydney materials scientists are claiming a breakthrough in cool roof technology with a surface they've developed that will stay cooler than the ambient air temperature, even under the mid-summer Australian sun. https://phys.org/news/2015-05-super-cool-roof-solution-hot.html Energy & Green Tech Thu, 28 May 2015 07:14:36 EDT news352016065 (Phys.org) —Working with Chinese researchers, the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has conducted the first comprehensive study of cool roofs in China and concluded that they would be effective in substantially reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in climate zones with hot summers. https://phys.org/news/2014-08-cool-roofs-china-energy-emissions.html Energy & Green Tech Thu, 28 Aug 2014 08:30:01 EDT news328430229 In a dark, windy room on the top floor of Engineering Hall on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, racks of computers are processing information for a college that relies, like all technical fields, on massive computing power. The noise comes from multiple fans located inside each computer case and from the large air conditioner that drives currents through the room to remove waste heat from the processors. https://phys.org/news/2014-03-startup-focuses-reliable-efficient-cooling.html Engineering Thu, 20 Mar 2014 16:59:56 EDT news314553584 A University of California, Davis, challenge to build more energy efficient air conditioning has spurred a major global manufacturer to build a rooftop air conditioner that is 40 percent more energy-efficient than conventional units. https://phys.org/news/2012-11-energy-efficient-air-conditioner.html Energy & Green Tech Fri, 09 Nov 2012 06:57:57 EST news271666659 Warmer water and reduced river flows in the United States and Europe in recent years have led to reduced production, or temporary shutdown, of several thermoelectric power plants. For instance, the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant in Alabama had to shut down more than once last summer because the Tennessee River's water was too warm to use it for cooling. https://phys.org/news/2012-06-european-energy-vulnerable-climate.html Environment Sun, 03 Jun 2012 13:00:01 EDT news257922808 Open refrigerated display cases holding eggs, cheese, drinks and more are a favorite of supermarket chains. Despite the easy access they offer customers, the inefficient energy-guzzlers cost retailers a huge amount of money. https://phys.org/news/2011-10-curtailing-grocery-refrigerators-energy-loss.html Engineering Fri, 28 Oct 2011 10:02:47 EDT news239014959 (PhysOrg.com) -- The solar wind is hotter than it should be, and for decades researchers have puzzled over the unknown source of energy that heats it. In a paper published in the June 12 issue of Physical Review Letters, NASA scientists say they may have found the answer. https://phys.org/news/2009-07-mystery-source-solar.html General Physics Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:30:01 EDT news167054041 (PhysOrg.com) -- While most Australians are taking care to shield themselves from the harsh summer heat, scientists from the CSIRO Energy Transformed Flagship are working on ways to harness the sun’s warmth to cool our homes and offices. https://phys.org/news/2009-01-cool-summer.html Energy & Green Tech Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:00:10 EST news151934346