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. As the weather grows cold this winter, you may be one of the many Americans pulling their winter jackets out of the closet. Not only can this extra layer keep you warm on a chilly day, but modern winter jackets are also a testament to centuries-old physics and cutting-edge materials science. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-materials-physics-science-winter-jacket.html General Physics Mon, 29 Dec 2025 11:20:09 EST news686226258 Mechanoluminescent (ML) materials are attractive for haptic interface sensors for next-generation technologies, including bite-controlled user interface, health care motion monitoring, and piconewton sensing, because they emit light under mechanical stimulation without an external power source. However, their intrinsically broad emission spectra can degrade resolution and introduce noise in sensing applications, necessitating further technological development. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-mechanoluminescent-sensors-dual-function-polymer.html Polymers Fri, 07 Nov 2025 12:57:43 EST news681742659 Fatal drownings are a big risk for small-scale fishers on Africa's largest lake, with many of those deaths attributed to bad weather—conditions that are likely to worsen with climate change, according to a new study. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-kenyan-fishers-climate.html Environment Wed, 22 May 2024 16:44:34 EDT news635615071 Buzz Aldrin's jacket worn on his historic first mission to the moon's surface in 1969 has been auctioned off to a bidder for nearly $2.8 million. https://phys.org/news/2022-07-bidder-28m-jacket-worn-space.html Space Exploration Tue, 26 Jul 2022 17:02:42 EDT news578073760 The Indian Navy and Air Force joined rescue efforts in the western state of Maharashtra on Friday after heavy monsoon rains left thousands stranded in floods and landslides that have killed at least three people. https://phys.org/news/2021-07-monsoon-thousands-stranded-india.html Environment Fri, 23 Jul 2021 08:27:33 EDT news546247651 Summertime is here, and that often means long, lazy days at the beach, water skiing and swimming. Life jackets and swimsuits are essential gear for these activities, but if not dried thoroughly, they can develop a gross, musty smell. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces have developed a one-step method to create a buoyant cotton fabric for these applications that is also oil- and water-repellent. https://phys.org/news/2021-07-summer-buoyant-liquid-proof-life-jackets.html Materials Science Wed, 14 Jul 2021 12:35:30 EDT news545484926 A new line of heated jackets powered by a mobile USB battery bank will protect police officers, military personnel and others while working in harsh winter conditions. https://phys.org/news/2019-02-jacket-police-military-harsh-winter.html Hi Tech & Innovation Thu, 14 Feb 2019 08:52:00 EST news469356713 The Swiss sportswear manufacturer KJUS presented the world's first ski jacket with an integrated electronic user-controlled membrane on November 15. Thanks to the HYDRO_BOT technology developed together with Empa, the ski jacket actively pumps out sweat from inside the jacket to keep skiers dry and warm. https://phys.org/news/2018-11-button.html Engineering Mon, 19 Nov 2018 09:29:07 EST news461842143 Have you ever had to shout to call your family to the dinner table? https://phys.org/news/2018-05-wasps-food-nearby.html Plants & Animals Tue, 15 May 2018 11:47:26 EDT news445603630 Levi Strauss this week begins selling a denim jacket with touch controls woven into the fabric in the first fashion offering stitched from a collaboration with Google. https://phys.org/news/2017-09-google-levi-strauss-jacket.html Consumer & Gadgets Mon, 25 Sep 2017 16:11:51 EDT news425574705 Humans might know them as vicious stingers, but yellow jacket wasps also impress with their vigorous protection over their young. To resolve the mystery around their complex defensive behavior, a Canadian research team, led by Dr. Sean McCann, Simon Fraser University, have used simple components to develop and construct a device that consequently helped them to locate the species-specific alarm pheromones in three wasp groups. The insects use the emission of these substances to mark the enemy threatening their colonies and then join forces against it. The study is published in the open-access Journal of Hymenoptera Research. https://phys.org/news/2015-12-arms-social-wasps-alarm-pheromones.html Plants & Animals Wed, 02 Dec 2015 13:07:58 EST news368284045 A fire is raging in a large building and the fire leader is sending a message to all firefighters at the scene. But they don't need a mobile phone – they simply check their jacket sleeves and read the message there. https://phys.org/news/2014-04-jacket-mobile.html Hi Tech & Innovation Wed, 23 Apr 2014 09:40:02 EDT news317463270 Roughnecks working on oil and gas installations in the Arctic need clothes that monitor the health. Research scientists at SINTEF are developing a jacket with built-in sensors. It will monitor both body temperature and workers' activity, and may become a useful tool for supporting decision-making. https://phys.org/news/2013-03-extreme-artic.html Engineering Mon, 11 Mar 2013 10:08:16 EDT news282215161 Everyone needs a hug now and then, but at the CeBIT, the world's top high-tech fair, even that can be created with technology as a Singapore-based firm unveiled its "cuddle jacket", hailed as a global first. https://phys.org/news/2013-03-world-fair-embraces-cuddle-jacket.html Consumer & Gadgets Wed, 06 Mar 2013 07:40:01 EST news281777121 A state in southern India is running a competition for designers to produce an "air-conditioned" jacket for outdoor labourers with prize money of more than 20,000 dollars up for grabs. https://phys.org/news/2010-10-india-cool-jacket-hot-labourers.html Engineering Fri, 15 Oct 2010 06:10:01 EDT news206338215 The Emotions Jacket is a research platform that uses the sense of touch to take the cinematic experience to new levels, allowing viewers to experience the intense emotions felt by characters on-screen. While other viewing enhancement techniques focus primarily on audio and visual aspects, the Emotions Jacket instead stimulates the biggest, our heaviest and most sensitive sense; the human skin. This exploration is part of Philips’ wider ‘sensory experiences’ program. https://phys.org/news/2009-10-philips-emotions-jacket-immersive.html Hi Tech & Innovation Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:00:21 EDT news174761284 (PhysOrg.com) -- The U.S. military can now calibrate high-power laser systems, such as those intended to defuse unexploded mines, more quickly and easily thanks to a novel nanotube-coated power measurement device developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. https://phys.org/news/2009-05-nanotube-coating-enables-laser-power.html Nanomaterials Wed, 06 May 2009 14:31:41 EDT news160839024 (PhysOrg.com) -- Sometimes you may feel a shiver go up your spine as you're watching a chilling movie scene, but a new jacket can actually give you a real shiver. The haptics jacket, designed by scientists at Philips Electronics, can enable movie viewers to feel movies through a sense of touch, in an attempt to provide full emotional immersion in a film. https://phys.org/news/2009-03-movies-haptics-jacket.html Hi Tech & Innovation Mon, 23 Mar 2009 15:55:38 EDT news157042502 To protect your $359 investment in Amazon's Kindle 2, I suggest buying a cover. The first Kindle shipped with one; the new version does not. https://phys.org/news/2009-03-plenty-kindle-extras-marketplace.html Consumer & Gadgets Thu, 12 Mar 2009 09:00:37 EDT news156067081