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. Studies from the Department of Communication and Learning in Science show that AI tools such as ChatGPT are not merely being used as support in students' studies. In fact, they may be reshaping how students perceive knowledge and learning—a perspective that is not always shared by teachers and universities. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-ai-norms-higher.html Education Tue, 03 Feb 2026 12:00:01 EST news689342007 For quantum computers to function, they must be kept at extremely low temperatures. However, today's cooling systems also generate noise that interferes with the fragile quantum information they are meant to protect. Now, researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have developed an entirely new type of quantum refrigerator, which is partly driven by the noise itself. This refrigerator enables very precise control over heat and energy flows and could play an important role in scaling up quantum technology. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-quantum-refrigerator-benefits-problematic-noise.html Superconductivity Thu, 29 Jan 2026 12:50:03 EST news688912696 To an untrained eye, the aircraft engine sitting outside of a Cincinnati facility in December might have looked like standard hardware. But NASA and GE Aerospace researchers watching the unit fire up for a demonstration knew what they were looking at: a hybrid engine performing at a level that could potentially power an airliner. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-nasa-ge-aerospace-hybrid-successful.html Space Exploration Tue, 27 Jan 2026 12:12:22 EST news688738321 Reagent-free (photo)electrochemical systems effectively break down cobalt–organic complexes while simultaneously recovering cobalt, presenting a promising strategy for advanced wastewater treatment and resource recovery. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-electrochemical-hazardous-cobalt-laden-wastewater.html Materials Science Wed, 17 Dec 2025 13:10:06 EST news685198638 China has just unveiled a new set of climate targets that will shape the pace of global decarbonization for years to come. As the United States steps back from climate leadership, the world's attention has turned to China—the largest emitter of greenhouse gases and a growing powerhouse in clean energy technology. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-qa-expert-discusses-china-latest.html Environment Tue, 04 Nov 2025 09:37:05 EST news681471422 A major breakthrough in quantum technology was achieved in October 2024: the first-ever quantum satellite communication link between China and South Africa. The connection spanned a remarkable 12,900 km: the longest intercontinental quantum communication link established to date. The longest before this was 7,600 km and within the northern hemisphere only. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-south-africa-china-quantum-communication.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 11 Aug 2025 14:05:51 EDT news674139948 How can quantum technologies be developed responsibly? In the journal Science, researchers from the Technical University of Munich (TUM), the University of Cambridge, Harvard University and Stanford University argue that international standards should be established before laws are enacted. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-quantum-technologies-standards-greater-chance.html Quantum Physics Fri, 08 Aug 2025 12:33:06 EDT news673875174 Researchers have demonstrated a new tool to improve the security of small-scale business transactions with the goal of helping ensure that businesses are paid and customers get what they pay for. The tool, which relies on blockchain-powered smart contracts, essentially serves the same function that letters of credit provide for large companies. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-tech-tool-small-business.html Economics & Business Wed, 30 Jul 2025 15:03:03 EDT news673106581 Studying plant vegetative reproduction is key to increasing crop yield and for bioengineering. Kobe University research is making progress in studying the genetic regulation of the process in liverworts, which are ideal model plants and even a candidate for space crops. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-shot-glass-liverworts.html Plants & Animals Wed, 30 Jul 2025 01:00:01 EDT news672937020 Multiple space agencies plan to return astronauts to the moon by the end of this decade. Along with commercial and international partners, these efforts aim to create infrastructure that will ensure a "sustained program of lunar exploration and development." This includes NASA's Artemis Program, China's International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), and the ESA's Moon Village, all of which consist of creating lunar habitats around the South Pole-Aitken Basin. Providing power for these bases is a significant challenge given the cycle of lunar day and night, which lasts for two weeks at a time. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-deepening-stirling-analysis-optimized-accurate.html Space Exploration Mon, 21 Jul 2025 12:30:01 EDT news672316675 Australian farms are at the forefront of a wave of technological change coming to agriculture. Over the past decade, more than US$200 billion (A$305 billion) has been invested globally into the likes of pollination robots, smart soil sensors and artificial intelligence (AI) systems to help make decisions. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-ai-agriculture-farmers-convinced.html Biotechnology Wed, 02 Jul 2025 11:33:04 EDT news670674775 A team from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya—BarcelonaTech (UPC) and the Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia has developed polymeric resins derived from plant-based materials aimed at reducing 3D printing's reliance on fossil fuel-based resins. The research findings have been published in RSC Applied Polymers. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-sustainable-3d-resins-based-materials.html Polymers Mon, 05 May 2025 16:30:02 EDT news665681401 When farmers apply pesticides to their crops, 30 to 50% of the chemicals end up in the air or soil instead of on the plants. Now, a team of researchers from MIT and Singapore has developed a much more precise way to deliver substances to plants: tiny needles made of silk. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-scientists-silk-microneedles-nutrients-chemicals.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 29 Apr 2025 13:18:05 EDT news665151481 A research team at Clarkson University has developed a method to effectively destroy per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on spent sorbents, addressing a critical environmental challenge. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-solvent-free-method-destroy-pfas.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 10 Apr 2025 04:36:08 EDT news663478564 Researchers at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have developed a cutting-edge AI-assisted 3D food printing solution that combines printing with infrared cooking, paving the way for safer, more efficient, and visually appealing food production. The study, "Advanced 3D Food Printing with Simultaneous Cooking and Generative AI Design," was recently published in the journal Advanced Materials. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-ai-3d-cooks-food-infrared.html Biotechnology Mon, 31 Mar 2025 15:39:04 EDT news662654342 A study led by the University of Portsmouth has achieved unprecedented precision in detecting tiny shifts in light displacements at the nanoscale. This is relevant in the characterization of birefringent materials and in high-precision measurements of rotations. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-quantum-unprecedented-precision-displacement.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 20 Mar 2025 14:14:04 EDT news661698840 A new study published in npj Science of Food reveals a breakthrough in cultured meat production, using Aloe vera as a natural, scalable, and cost-effective scaffold. This research was led by Dr. Gilad Gome, under the guidance of Dr. Sharon Schlesinger and Prof. Oded Shoseyov, from the Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food, and Environment at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-cultured-meat-secret-ingredient-aloe.html Biotechnology Tue, 11 Mar 2025 10:04:03 EDT news660906241 Microbial electrochemical systems (MES) are gaining significant attention for their potential to tackle pressing environmental challenges. By harnessing microorganisms to transfer electrons, MES can simultaneously degrade pollutants and generate electricity, presenting a promising solution for sustainable wastewater treatment and energy production. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-3d-microbial-electrochemistry-power-cleaner.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 03 Mar 2025 14:37:03 EST news660235021 Researchers at the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI) have developed a sustainable process that has redefined and expanded oilcane's product portfolio, adding value to this feedstock. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-bioprocessing-method-yields-high-products.html Biotechnology Tue, 25 Feb 2025 09:19:04 EST news659697541 Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a diverse group of synthetic chemicals, are commonly used in numerous products such as semiconductors, fire-extinguishing foams, heat-resistant, and non-stick cookware. PFAS possess remarkable resistance to heat, oil, grease, and water that can be attributed to the strong chemical bonds between the atoms. However, the major drawback of the exceptional resistance is that PFAS are highly persistent in the environment, earning the nickname "forever chemicals." https://phys.org/news/2025-02-carbon-based-materials-hazardous-chemicals.html Materials Science Wed, 19 Feb 2025 17:20:04 EST news659208002 The possibilities for material design and production of plastic components are being expanded through 3D printing technology. However, there is a shortage of recyclable polymers that meet the performance requirements. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-recyclable-plastic-printer-circular-economy.html Polymers Thu, 13 Feb 2025 09:43:51 EST news658662227 National strategies for storing carbon dioxide (CO2) could have the unintended consequence of making global inequalities even wider, according to new research. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-carbon-capture-storage-strategies-widen.html Environment Tue, 04 Feb 2025 11:56:03 EST news657892561 On a typical day, you can't turn on the news without hearing someone say that Congress is broken. The implication is that this dereliction explains why the institution is inert and unresponsive to the American people. https://phys.org/news/2025-01-aging-technology-congress-caught-era.html Political science Mon, 27 Jan 2025 12:30:07 EST news657202547 If Tokyo-based Nippon Steel's proposed $14.1 billion purchase of U.S. Steel doesn't go through, the U.S. government should support the domestic steel industry the way it supports the development of semiconductors, a Northeastern University supply chain expert says. https://phys.org/news/2025-01-steel-federal-investment-stay-competitive.html Economics & Business Thu, 09 Jan 2025 11:23:34 EST news655644209 Space exploration is a dangerous business, especially when squishy living organisms, such as humans, are involved. NASA has always prided itself on how seriously it takes the safety of its astronauts, so as it gears up for the next big push in crewed space exploration, the Artemis program, it is looking for solutions to potentially catastrophic situations that might arise. https://phys.org/news/2024-12-nasa-ideas-astronaut-moon.html Space Exploration Mon, 02 Dec 2024 10:59:03 EST news652359541 Due to the unique properties of PFAS, almost no other chemical substances can compete with them. That explains why it is so hard to find a replacement for these toxic "forever chemicals," which accumulate in the environment and do not break down over time. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-organosilicon-chemistry-options-pfas-food.html Materials Science Mon, 04 Nov 2024 15:56:47 EST news649958204 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 Although smell has historically played an important role in the fight against diseases such as the plague and tuberculosis, the human nose is generally not sensitive enough to be used as a reliable diagnostic tool. However, a new artificial "nose" inspired by our sense of smell could now make it possible to detect undiagnosed disease, hazardous gases, and food that is starting to spoil. And it is all made possible with technology that already exists. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-artificial-nose-fruit-meat.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 21 Oct 2024 14:21:04 EDT news648739261 A research team has developed a novel visible light communication encryption technology with high security using chiral nanoparticles. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-visible-communication-encryption-technology-chiral.html Nanophysics Thu, 10 Oct 2024 12:50:51 EDT news647783443 Stories of self-doubt are common among engineering students. That was a key finding of a study conducted recently at Boise State University by a team of researchers. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-empowering-students-storytelling.html Education Mon, 16 Sep 2024 13:25:04 EDT news645711902