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. Nanocrystals are so useful that they formed the basis of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. But despite their usefulness, scientists have so far been able to make these microscopic crystals from only a limited palette of materials. A group of chemists at the University of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory has announced a way to make nanocrystals from a useful class of materials known as metal nitrides—a previously impossible task. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-chemists-gallium-nitride-material-nanocrystals.html Nanomaterials Thu, 16 Jul 2026 10:20:07 EDT news703405455 Listening to the "ringing" produced by black holes after they collide and merge could allow scientists to test Einstein's theory of general relativity under the most extreme conditions in the universe while unlocking the secrets of these mysterious objects. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-black-holes-future-gravitational-astronomy.html Astronomy Thu, 16 Jul 2026 10:10:01 EDT news703407340 Researchers have shown that it's possible to take clear, high-resolution X-ray images using very little radiation. With more development, the new approach could eventually make medical X-ray diagnostics less risky and more accessible. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-imaging-method-ray-dose-high.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 16 Jul 2026 10:00:09 EDT news703318227 Heavy precipitation becomes more intense with every degree Earth warms. This affects flooding. Using hourly data from 384 rivers in the Alps, researchers from the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF modeled how flooding will change by the end of the century. Their projections are significantly bleaker than earlier ones. The findings are published in the journal Science Advances. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-hourly-reveal-alpine-year-years.html Earth Sciences Thu, 16 Jul 2026 09:40:07 EDT news703405378 Sustaining attention over long periods affects everything from routine tasks to high-stakes decisions. Whether it is an umpire making a split-second call or a driver glancing at a navigation system, even small lapses in focus can have meaningful consequences. New research from Texas A&M University is shedding light on how people allocate their attention and why it fluctuates in ways that can lead to both errors and improved performance. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-people-shift-attention-everyday-high.html Social Sciences Thu, 16 Jul 2026 09:40:01 EDT news703410667 Quantum technologies promise revolutionary advances in computing, sensing and information processing. However, controlling individual quantum bits (qubits) at the atomic scale remains a major challenge because conventional approaches rely on magnetic fields, which are difficult to confine to a single molecule. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-scientists-electrical-molecule-quantum-states.html Quantum Physics Thu, 16 Jul 2026 09:30:03 EDT news703407599 A team of researchers from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens has discovered a completely new genus and species of subterranean freshwater snail in the Peloponnese region of southern Greece. The species, Cyllena hermes, is a small, unpigmented, eyeless aquatic snail fully adapted to life underground. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-cave-snail-greece-hermes-nymph.html Plants & Animals Thu, 16 Jul 2026 09:30:01 EDT news703407120 The spidery wattle (Acacia araneosa) is a national treasure. The plant is named for its spidery, leaflike phyllodes and shares the same iconic golden flowers as Australia's floral emblem, the golden wattle (Acacia pycnantha). https://phys.org/news/2026-07-rare-australian-wattle-brink-extinction.html Plants & Animals Thu, 16 Jul 2026 09:20:07 EDT news703410588 Theoretical physicists at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) have developed a new method of ordering Feynman integrals. This critical step in making theoretical predictions for high-energy precision measurements has posed a major computational bottleneck until now. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-library-feynman.html General Physics Thu, 16 Jul 2026 09:20:05 EDT news703405367 Since the early 1970s, when the Nixon administration launched the "war on drugs," Gallup has been asking Americans how they feel about problems surrounding illicit drugs. But the war has not gone well and Gallup's surveys reflect the public's opinion on a drug crisis that has worsened over time. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-americans-view-illicit-drug-policy.html Social Sciences Thu, 16 Jul 2026 09:00:07 EDT news703407477 A research team led by the University of Osaka, working with the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), RIKEN and the Institute of Science Tokyo, has uncovered a fundamental mechanism behind superionic conduction, in which ions move rapidly through a solid while its crystalline framework remains intact. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-ions-liquid-solid-crystal.html General Physics Thu, 16 Jul 2026 09:00:01 EDT news703405336 A truly useful quantum computer must be able to run any algorithm, with the same versatility an ordinary laptop offers. Physicists have now shown a new way to give a quantum computer exactly that flexibility, harnessing the capabilities of exotic quantum particles called non-Abelian anyons. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-braided-exotic-particles-reliable-universal.html Quantum Physics Thu, 16 Jul 2026 08:50:01 EDT news703406691 Quantum technologies, which leverage the principles of quantum mechanics, have been found to outperform their classical counterparts on specific tasks. Among other things, past studies have highlighted the potential of quantum systems that can enable long-distance communication, using photons (i.e., particles of light) to carry quantum information. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-quantum-teleportation-photon-loss-distance.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 16 Jul 2026 08:40:07 EDT news703332685 Proteins regulate a wide range of biological processes inside and outside cells by binding to specific molecular partners. In recent years, short peptides that can selectively recognize disease-related proteins have attracted attention as compact molecular tools for biosensors, diagnostic technologies, and drug discovery. However, how such small peptides recognize different proteins depending on their surrounding chemical environment has not yet been fully understood. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-natural-peptide-calmodulin-cancer-protein.html Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 16 Jul 2026 08:40:02 EDT news703407301 An international research team led by the Science Policy and Internationalization Department at the Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures has published a practical guide in the journal Scientific Data. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-genetic-databases-key-global-benefit.html Biotechnology Thu, 16 Jul 2026 08:20:09 EDT news703405307 Cadmium (Cd) contamination poses a serious threat to global food safety. As a toxic and carcinogenic heavy metal, cadmium can accumulate in agricultural soils through industrialization and urbanization before entering the human food chain. Rice is especially vulnerable because it absorbs more cadmium than other major cereal crops, making it one of the largest dietary sources of cadmium exposure for nearly half the world's population. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-tiny-gene-cadmium-rice-yields.html Biotechnology Thu, 16 Jul 2026 08:20:03 EDT news703405327 Approximately 90% of the U.S. population relies on public water systems. A significant portion of the water supplying those systems comes from forested lands, which means policies affecting forests also affect water access. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-roadless-million-americans.html Environment Thu, 16 Jul 2026 08:00:05 EDT news703405287 Would you trust a large language model to help plan your financial future? Many Americans already do. In a 2025 survey, more than half said they'd asked AI for financial advice. By comparison, about 40% have worked with a human financial adviser, suggesting that when generative AI talks money, people listen. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-llms-nudge-users-smart-investing.html Economics & Business Thu, 16 Jul 2026 08:00:03 EDT news703400641 Another last-resort antibiotic has fallen victim to the rapid evolution of drug-resistant superbugs. The powerful antibiotic combination ceftazidime-avibactam (CZA), widely used to treat severe hospital-acquired infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa—particularly in critically ill and immunocompromised patients—can no longer eliminate some of these infections. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-rare-mutations-dangerous-hospital-bacteria.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 16 Jul 2026 07:40:10 EDT news703402921 Before Artemis astronauts land on the moon's surface in 2028, NASA will conduct the Artemis III demonstration mission in 2027, allowing teams on Earth and in orbit to practice rendezvous and docking operations between commercial human landing systems and the Orion spacecraft. Data from that mission, along with future uncrewed demonstration missions at the moon, will support astronaut safety and mission success for crewed lunar landings. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-nasa-artemis-iii-lander-pave.html Space Exploration Thu, 16 Jul 2026 07:40:08 EDT news703399801 Americans are dissatisfied with the state of leadership in the United States across several sectors—business, education, government and health care—a Harris poll showed in 2025. The survey raised a foundational question about developing the next generation of leaders: How can today's young people be encouraged to become CEOs, principals, directors and even presidents? https://phys.org/news/2026-07-pool-tomorrow-leaders.html Economics & Business Thu, 16 Jul 2026 07:20:02 EDT news703395481 Hosted by the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM), The Simpson Center for Food & Agricultural Policy, Canadian Federation of Agriculture and the Canadian Pork Council, the two-day workshop brought together representatives from organizations including the Canadian Cattle Association, Dairy Farmers of Canada, Farm Credit Canada, TELUS Agriculture, Royal Military College of Canada and the University of Guelph to examine how geopolitical tensions, biological threats, trade disruptions and supply chain vulnerabilities are reshaping Canada's food system. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-agri-food-national-leaders-priority.html Agriculture Thu, 16 Jul 2026 07:00:03 EDT news703394641 Today, oceans host a large variety of fast, resilient marine predators, including tunas, mackerels and various other fish species. Many of these fish belong to a lineage known as Scombridae, whose members are characterized by fins supported by thin, bony structures known as rays. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-tunas-ocean-predators-evolved-slowly.html Evolution Thu, 16 Jul 2026 07:00:01 EDT news703241727 The vast majority of carbon emissions caused by "mega-events" such as World Cups and global concert tours come from audience travel, according to University of Cambridge researchers. In a new study, researchers estimate that expanding to 48 teams for this year's World Cup increased emissions by well over half a million metric tons to some 4.23 million metric tons of carbon for the whole tournament, 82% of which comes from traveling fans, with around 3 million metric tons from flying alone. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-fifa-superstars-discount-tickets-fans.html Environment Thu, 16 Jul 2026 05:00:06 EDT news703318193 The "red tide" algal blooms that are becoming more frequent along the Pacific coast produce one of the most potent neurotoxins known: saxitoxin, or STX. The toxin accumulates in shellfish and causes paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) when consumed. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-frog-protein-antidote-deadly-red.html Ecology Thu, 16 Jul 2026 05:00:01 EDT news703314889 Climate change has made extreme rainfall in West Africa five times more likely than in the late 19th century, scientists said Thursday, after regional floods killed nearly 100 people last month. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-climate-extreme-west-africa-rainfall.html Environment Thu, 16 Jul 2026 04:50:01 EDT news703394664 Toronto had the worst air quality of any major city in the world Wednesday, the Swiss firm IQAir said, as Canadian authorities urged people to stay indoors. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-toronto-air-world-worst-wildfire.html Environment Thu, 16 Jul 2026 04:40:01 EDT news703394515 Thousands of visitors were told to evacuate a remote Minnesota wilderness area accessible only by boat as wildfires send dangerously heavy smoke over the U.S. Midwest and Northeast this week. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-heavy-wildfires-blankets-midwest-northeast.html Environment Thu, 16 Jul 2026 04:19:40 EDT news703394311 When I tell people that I am a proud Boarisch-Schwob—Bavarian-Swabian—Indigenous person, I am often met with disbelief. I am white. I am European. I come from Bavaria, one of Europe's wealthiest regions. For some people, those facts settle the question before I have explained anything else. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-bavaria-indigeneity.html Social Sciences Wed, 15 Jul 2026 23:20:01 EDT news703329090 When the Marshall Fire tore through suburban Colorado in late 2021, residents had only hours to decide where to go. Some fled to nearby towns. Others stayed farther away for weeks or months. Now, a recent study published in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications suggests those decisions were shaped not only by distance or danger but also by something more human: the pull of familiar communities and social ties. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-disaster-people-familiar.html Social Sciences Wed, 15 Jul 2026 22:40:01 EDT news703340838