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. A University of Michigan study has found that people in Ghana and across the Global South who recycle electronic waste face a difficult paradox: earning livelihoods to ensure survival comes at the cost of severe long-term exposure to toxicity and dramatic environmental pollution. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-recycling-ghana-exposes-workers-toxic.html Environment Thu, 04 Dec 2025 11:50:06 EST news684071221 A vital waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the Panama Canal relies on fresh water supplied by a reservoir to raise and lower the locks that allow the transit of thousands of ships a year. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-drought-global-panama-canal.html Earth Sciences Thu, 25 Sep 2025 11:53:04 EDT news678019981 The world's methane emissions continue to rise steadily with no signs of slowing, as global trade contributes some 30% to the total amount of the greenhouse gas swirling around the planet, a new study reveals. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-global-methane-regions-fuel-growth.html Earth Sciences Wed, 03 Sep 2025 08:54:03 EDT news676108441 Quantum computers have the potential to revolutionize computing by solving complex problems that stump even today's fastest machines. Scientists are exploring whether quantum computers could one day help streamline global supply chains, create ultra-secure encryption to protect sensitive data against even the most powerful cyberattacks, or even develop more effective drugs by simulating their behavior at the atomic level. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-efficient-route-quantum.html Quantum Physics Wed, 09 Jul 2025 10:40:04 EDT news671276401 The scientists who precisely measure the position of Earth are in a bit of trouble. Their measurements are essential for the satellites we use for navigation, communication and Earth observation every day. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-scientists-black-holes-universe-wi.html Astronomy Mon, 30 Jun 2025 10:20:04 EDT news670497602 A new tool created using AI could help forecast volcanic eruptions around the world, following breakthrough research from a University of Canterbury-led team. The data-driven models developed by the team could become part of early warning systems used to predict future eruptions, with the potential to save lives and prevent damage to critical infrastructure. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-generation-tool-early-volcanic-eruptions.html Earth Sciences Wed, 26 Feb 2025 10:13:04 EST news659787182 Siddarth Kara's bestseller, "Cobalt Red: How the Blood of Congo Powers Our Lives," focuses on problems surrounding the sourcing of cobalt, a critical component of lithium-ion batteries that power many technologies central to modern life, from mobile phones and pacemakers to electric vehicles. https://phys.org/news/2024-12-greener-cleaner-cobalt-junk-materials.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 06 Dec 2024 12:08:04 EST news652709281 The demand for lithium—critical to powering sustainable technologies—is rapidly growing, but up to 75% of the world's lithium-rich saltwater sources remain untappable using current methods. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-lithium-extreme-environments.html Materials Science Tue, 22 Oct 2024 09:12:17 EDT news648807131 From lobster to haddock and seaweed, seafood plays an important role in the U.S. economy, diet and culture. The nation is one of the top producers of marine and aquatic foods worldwide, but also the second largest seafood importer. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-capable-seafood-independence.html Ecology Mon, 12 Aug 2024 14:21:05 EDT news642691259 Sydney research reveals that trends in international trade are exacerbating inequalities between the Global North and the Global South, undermining efforts to reach the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-reveals-global-north-inequality-international.html Economics & Business Fri, 09 Aug 2024 08:47:31 EDT news642412047 Global GDP loss from climate change will increase exponentially the warmer the planet gets when its cascading impact on global supply chains is factored in, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-chain-disruptions-exacerbate-economic-losses.html Economics & Business Wed, 13 Mar 2024 12:00:01 EDT news629544994 About a quarter of the world's electricity currently comes from power plants fired by natural gas. These contribute significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions (amounting to 10% of energy-related emissions according to the most recent figures from 2017) and climate change. https://phys.org/news/2023-01-significant-reductions-global-greenhouse-gas.html Environment Wed, 11 Jan 2023 13:11:47 EST news592665104 In a paper published in the journal Communications Biology, scientists from Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Arkansas report that a crop pest called weedy rice has become widely herbicide resistant in regions where herbicide-resistant rice is planted. The study highlights challenges facing U.S. rice farmers when they battle a weedy enemy that is closely related to a desirable crop plant. https://phys.org/news/2022-09-weedy-rice-herbicide-resistant-rapid.html Evolution Thu, 08 Sep 2022 10:14:04 EDT news581850841 Global supply issues related to the pandemic and war in Ukraine have highlighted yet another global vulnerability: food availability. https://phys.org/news/2022-06-disruption-wheat-affect-food.html Economics & Business Mon, 27 Jun 2022 14:47:00 EDT news575560017 Plastics are useful, cheap and extremely popular. Global demand has quadrupled in the last forty years and is expected to continue to rise, with correspondingly negative consequences for the environment and human health. The public is generally aware of the environmental harm caused by plastics at the end of their life cycle in particular, such as when they release greenhouse gasses and air pollutants when burned, or pollute water and soil in the form of microplastics. https://phys.org/news/2021-12-carbon-footprint-plastics.html Environment Thu, 02 Dec 2021 11:18:39 EST news557666315 The haze that blurs a blue sky or a beautiful skyline is caused by tiny particles known in climate research as PM2.5. PM2.5 describes particulate matter, often made from pollution, less than 2.5 microns wide. Despite its microscopic size, PM2.5 is responsible for more than 4 million premature deaths every year. A new study in Nature Communications led by Japanese researchers shows that the pollution caused by consumption in the world's biggest economies leads to half of those deaths. https://phys.org/news/2021-11-particulate-pollution-infant-death.html Environment Tue, 02 Nov 2021 12:27:23 EDT news555074840 Currently, much of the thinking around risks posed by volcanoes follows a simple equation: the bigger the likely eruption, the worse it will be for society and human welfare. https://phys.org/news/2021-08-minor-volcanic-eruptions-cascade-global.html Earth Sciences Fri, 06 Aug 2021 05:00:01 EDT news547441469 Radical changes to the food system are needed to safeguard our food supply and combat malnutrition in the face of climate change, environmental degradation and epidemics, says new report. https://phys.org/news/2021-05-kelp-maggots-mycoprotein-future-foods.html Environment Thu, 13 May 2021 11:00:04 EDT news540104645 The Sloan Digital Sky Survey's fifth generation collected its very first observations of the cosmos at 1:47 a.m. on October 24, 2020. This groundbreaking all-sky survey will bolster our understanding of the formation and evolution of galaxies—including our own Milky Way—and the supermassive black holes that lurk at their centers. https://phys.org/news/2020-11-next-gen-astronomical-survey-cosmos.html Astronomy Mon, 02 Nov 2020 08:30:26 EST news523528223 A fifth of carbon dioxide emissions come from multinational companies' global supply chains, according to a new study led by UCL and Tianjin University that shows the scope of multinationals' influence on climate change. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-multinationals-chains-account-global-emissions.html Environment Mon, 07 Sep 2020 11:00:05 EDT news518680356 The urgency of reducing single-use plastic in global supply chains has been highlighted by a University of Queensland study in collaboration with the Indonesian Institute of Sciences. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-indonesia-coastal-shoulder-impacts-ocean.html Environment Fri, 04 Sep 2020 09:50:03 EDT news518429768 A cautious approach to easing lockdown restrictions that reduces the risk of later lockdowns may be better for the global supply chain in the long run, according to a new modeling study led by UCL and Tsinghua University. https://phys.org/news/2020-06-easing-lockdowns-global-economy.html Social Sciences Wed, 03 Jun 2020 05:18:47 EDT news510380316 A new analysis of earnings inequalities by an international team of 27 researchers has found that the between-workplace share of wage inequality is growing in 12 of 14 high-income countries studied, and that the countries vary a great deal in their levels and trends in overall earnings inequality. https://phys.org/news/2020-04-between-workplace-inequalities-high-income-countries.html Social Sciences Mon, 13 Apr 2020 15:00:04 EDT news505989132 New research reveals the growth of carbon production from Chinese exports has slowed or reversed, reflecting a "new phase of globalisation" between developing countries that could undermine international efforts to reduce emissions. https://phys.org/news/2018-05-phase-globalization-undermine-efforts-co2.html Environment Mon, 14 May 2018 05:00:19 EDT news445491997 When grocery stores tout sustainable products, consumers may take their claims at face value. Yet few studies have analyzed whether or not companies who claim to improve the sustainability of their products are actually changing practices in their supply chains. https://phys.org/news/2018-01-major-food-retailer-sustainability-farmers.html Environment Tue, 09 Jan 2018 07:35:07 EST news434705689 Additive manufacturing (AM), commonly called 3D printing, is a $4 billion business set to quadruple by 2020. One day, manufacturers may print everything from cars to medicines, disrupting centuries-old production practices. The Federal Aviation Administration recently certified the first 3D-printed part for GE commercial jet engines, and companies like Ford Motor Company are using AM to build products and prototypes. https://phys.org/news/2016-07-cybersecurity-3d.html Engineering Wed, 13 Jul 2016 08:51:53 EDT news387618703 Extreme weather events like super-typhoon Haiyan and hurricane Sandy can have major negative impacts on the world economy. So far, however, the effects on global production and consumption webs are missing from most assessments. This is a serious deficit, argues Anders Levermann from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research: "World markets as well as local economies are highly interlinked and rely on global supply chains—adaptation therefore requires a global perspective, not just a local one." https://phys.org/news/2014-02-chains-climate-smart-nature-commentary.html Environment Wed, 05 Feb 2014 13:00:08 EST news310827407 The End Of The World As We Know It—TEOTWAWKI—is littered with predictions that didn't quite pan out. https://phys.org/news/2012-12-apocalypse.html Other Wed, 12 Dec 2012 04:38:38 EST news274509501 Scientists now have a way to more accurately compare how efficiently plants and photovoltaic, or solar, cells convert sunlight into energy, thanks to findings by a research consortium that included a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientist. https://phys.org/news/2012-01-energy-conversion-solar-cells.html Energy & Green Tech Mon, 16 Jan 2012 08:00:58 EST news245923242 It is difficult to measure accurately each nation's contribution of carbon dioxide to the Earth's atmosphere. Carbon is extracted out of the ground as coal, gas, and oil, and these fuels are often exported to other countries where they are burned to generate the energy that is used to make products. In turn, these products may be traded to still other countries where they are consumed. A team led by Carnegie's Steven Davis, and including Ken Caldeira, tracked and quantified this supply chain of global carbon dioxide emissions. Their work will be published online by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences during the week of October 17. https://phys.org/news/2011-10-links-chain-global-carbon-emissions.html Environment Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:00:02 EDT news238080705