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. An international team led by researchers at University of California San Diego and University of California, Riverside has developed a free, web-based platform designed to make public metabolomics data more accessible. By allowing users to search for chemical structures across billions of chemical spectra (the unique signatures of molecules) spanning thousands of studies, the tool has the potential to make "big-data" metabolomics as straightforward as a standard internet search. It can be used to discover new metabolites, track drug exposures and connect specific molecules to diseases or environmental sources. The study was published in Nature Biotechnology. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-molecules-chemistry-life.html Biochemistry Wed, 13 May 2026 15:28:19 EDT news697904356 Scientists have developed a unique way to build electronic components so small they are made from chains of individual molecules—creating a toolbox to help build materials that could power the next generation of technology. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-molecular-chains-atomically-precise-nanoribbons.html Nanomaterials Thu, 23 Apr 2026 14:30:01 EDT news696170350 For people living in some parts of the United States, their accent might not just indicate where they live, but also who they think they are. In a small study in rural northwestern Ohio, researchers found that men who had a "country" identity—for example, a love of hunting and guns, pickup trucks and country music—showed different vowel patterns in their pronunciations than did their neighbors who showed more interest in pursuits like theater, golf and rock music. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-americans-accent-isnt.html Social Sciences Mon, 20 Apr 2026 18:20:05 EDT news695906702 Humans are masters of seeing faces in any old thing—a handbag, TV static, toasted white bread. Scientists want to know why. A few years ago, as the category 5 Hurricane Milton bore down on the Florida coast, the internet noticed something strange. Doesn't the satellite image of the storm look a bit like an angry bald guy? Or a skull? https://phys.org/news/2026-04-clouds-pareidolia.html Social Sciences Tue, 07 Apr 2026 09:26:37 EDT news694772735 An international research team has successfully synthesized oriented belt-shaped vanadium dioxide (VO2(B)) single crystals via a hydrothermal reduction method, using one-dimensional vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) nanofibers as the starting material. This work, published in the journal ACS Sensors, provides a new material platform and design guidelines for the development of next-generation low-power gas sensors capable of operating at room temperature. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-belt-vob-crystals-high-sensitivity.html Nanomaterials Tue, 24 Mar 2026 16:20:02 EDT news693581401 Researchers at Kyushu University have shown that careful engineering of materials interfaces can unlock new applications for nanoscale magnetic spins, overcoming the limits of conventional electronics. Their findings, published in APL Materials, open up a promising path for tackling a key challenge in the field and ushering in a new era of next-generation information devices. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-harnessing-nanoscale-magnetic-limits-conventional.html Nanophysics Fri, 23 Jan 2026 12:38:00 EST news688394208 Highspeed Internet, autonomous driving, the Internet of Things: data streams are proliferating at enormous speed. But classic radio technology is reaching its limits: the higher the data rate, the faster the signals need to be transmitted. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-terahertz-dirac-materials-enable-efficient.html Condensed Matter Thu, 04 Dec 2025 10:56:17 EST news684068161 Modern devices, from fitness trackers and smart garments to Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, require compact and sustainable power sources. In new research published in Scientific Reports, scientists present an energy harvester based on a horizontally mounted vial half-filled with a biodegradable ferrofluid. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-sloshing-ferrofluids-harness-vibration-energy.html Nanophysics Mon, 24 Nov 2025 14:54:02 EST news683218441 Understanding the properties of different materials is an important step in material design. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is an important technique for this, as it reveals detailed insights about a material's composition, structure, and functional characteristics. The technique works by directing a beam of high-energy X-rays at a sample and recording how X-rays of different energy levels are absorbed. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-machine-automates-material-analysis-ray.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 10 Nov 2025 05:00:26 EST news681737221 Is it wizardry? Physicists at the University of Konstanz have succeeded in changing the properties of a material in a non-thermal way with the help of light and magnons. The new process is not only promising for information technology, but possibly for quantum research, too—at room temperature. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-magic-magnons-material-properties-thermally.html Quantum Physics Wed, 16 Jul 2025 10:38:00 EDT news671881074 Scientists from Skoltech, the Institute of Nanotechnology of Microelectronics, RAS, and other research centers have refined the understanding of how plasma treatment of carbon-based electrodes affects the key characteristics of supercapacitors. These are energy storage devices that complement batteries in electric cars, trains, port cranes, and elsewhere. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-nitrogen-argon-plasma-boosts-carbon.html Nanophysics Thu, 03 Apr 2025 11:19:04 EDT news662897941 MIT aerospace engineers have found that greenhouse gas emissions are changing the environment of near-Earth space in ways that, over time, will reduce the number of satellites that can sustainably operate there. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-climate-satellites-safely-orbit-space.html Space Exploration Mon, 10 Mar 2025 12:00:01 EDT news660822647 Soilless growing systems inside greenhouses, known as controlled environment agriculture, promise to advance the year-round production of high-quality specialty crops, according to an interdisciplinary research team at Penn State. But to be competitive and sustainable, this advanced farming method will require the development and implementation of precision agriculture techniques. To meet that demand, the team developed an automated crop-monitoring system capable of providing continuous and frequent data about plant growth and needs, allowing for informed crop management. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-vision-tracks-growth-specialty-crop.html Biotechnology Thu, 27 Feb 2025 15:51:52 EST news659893899 Researchers successfully developed a multifunctional sensor based on semiconductor fibers that emulates the five human senses. The technology developed in the study is expected to be utilized in a variety of state-of-the-art technology fields, such as wearables, Internet of Things (IoT), electronic devices, and soft robotics. https://phys.org/news/2025-01-gen-fibers-smart-textile-pressure.html Nanomaterials Tue, 21 Jan 2025 12:56:02 EST news656686561 Scientists have developed the first electrically pumped continuous-wave semiconductor laser composed exclusively of elements from the fourth group of the periodic table—the "silicon group." https://phys.org/news/2024-12-electrically-semiconductor-laser-advances-silicon.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 09 Dec 2024 16:55:07 EST news652985695 In high school science class, we learned that plugging a cable into an electrical circuit sets off a flow of electrons, powering everything from our lights to our phones. Traditionally, we've understood how electrons behave in metals and semiconductors through this simple model: electrons are imagined as tiny, independent particles, much like cars on an open highway—each one moving freely, without interacting much with the others. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-viscous-electronics-fluid-electrons-tech.html Nanophysics Mon, 21 Oct 2024 12:33:29 EDT news648732806 One key to making portable devices more compact and energy efficient lies in the precise nanoscale form of energy-storing capacitors. Researchers in Sweden report they've cracked the challenge with a unique 3D printing method. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-3d-method-micro-energy-storage.html Nanophysics Mon, 14 Oct 2024 12:04:03 EDT news648126242 A research team has developed a double-layer dry transfer printing technology that simultaneously transfers light-emitting and electron-transferring layers onto a substrate. This technology is expected to provide a more life-like view in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), greatly enhancing the immersive experience. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-display-technologies-ultrahigh-definition-screens.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 22 Aug 2024 10:22:24 EDT news643540942 Imagine knowing your milk has gone bad without having to open your fridge. A technology called printed electronics could one day make innovations like this possible. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-electronics-material-current.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 19 Aug 2024 11:57:48 EDT news643287465 Speech recognition, weather forecasts, smart home applications: Artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things are enhancing our everyday lives. Systems based on reservoir computing are a very promising new field. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-possibilities-reservoir-topological-magnetic-ferroelectric.html Condensed Matter Wed, 03 Jul 2024 10:03:03 EDT news639219782 Researchers have unveiled a pioneering breeze wake-up anemometer (B-WA), employing a rolling-bearing triboelectric nanogenerator (RB-TENG) that provides a new strategy for low-energy consumption environmental monitoring. The ability of the B-WA to operate autonomously and efficiently in varying wind conditions marks a substantial advancement in the field of sustainable environmental monitoring. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-sensor-minimal-power-advanced-weather.html Nanomaterials Wed, 29 May 2024 16:24:26 EDT news636218664 A research team from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) recently successfully achieved lattice-mismatch-free construction of III-V/chalcogenide core-shell heterostructure nanowires for electronic and optoelectronic applications. This breakthrough addresses crucial technological challenges related to the lattice mismatch problem in the growth of high-quality heterostructure semiconductors, leading to enhanced carrier transport and photoelectric properties. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-lattice-mismatch-issue-advance-optoelectronic.html Nanomaterials Thu, 14 Mar 2024 09:44:03 EDT news629628242 A research team led by Professor Wang Cheng from the Department of Electrical Engineering (EE) at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) has developed a world-leading microwave photonic chip that is capable of performing ultrafast analog electronic signal processing and computation using optics. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-world-microwave-photonics-chip-high.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 28 Feb 2024 11:00:01 EST news628247695 Biological computing machines, such as micro and nano-implants that can collect important information inside the human body, are transforming medicine. Yet, networking them for communication has proven challenging. Now, a global team, including EPFL researchers, has developed a protocol that enables a molecular network with multiple transmitters. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-networking-nano-biosensors-wireless-communication-blood.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 22 Nov 2023 12:42:01 EST news619879318 The next generation of 2D semiconductor materials doesn't like what it sees when it looks in the mirror. Current synthesizing approaches to make single-layer nanosheets of semiconducting material for atomically thin electronics develop a peculiar "mirror twin" defect when the material is deposited on single-crystal substrates like sapphire. The synthesized nanosheet contains grain boundaries that act as a mirror, with the arrangement of atoms on each side organized in reflected opposition to one another. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-mirror-twins-defect-plaguing-generation.html Nanophysics Fri, 04 Aug 2023 08:08:42 EDT news610355318 Fast data transmissions could be delivered in homes and offices through light-emitting diodes (LED) bulbs, complementing existing communication technologies and networks. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-future-internet-transmission.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 25 Jul 2023 10:03:27 EDT news609498205 Neuromorphic computers do not calculate using zeros and ones. They instead use physical phenomena to detect patterns in large data streams at blazing fast speed and in an extremely energy-efficient manner. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-team-neuromorphic.html Condensed Matter Mon, 24 Jul 2023 10:23:04 EDT news609412981 An elastic material that changes color, conducts electricity, can be 3D printed and is also biodegradable? That is not just scientific wishful thinking: Empa researchers from the Cellulose & Wood Materials laboratory in Dübendorf have produced a material with these exact properties on the basis of cellulose and carbon nanotubes. The work is published in the journal Advanced Materials Technologies. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-3d-biodegradable-color-changing-material-cellulose.html Nanomaterials Wed, 05 Jul 2023 15:42:14 EDT news607790532 In recent years, scientists have been studying special materials called topological materials, with special attention paid to the shape, or topology, of their electronic structures (electronic bands). Although it is not visible in real space, their unusual shape in topological materials produces various unique properties that can be suitable for making next-generation devices. https://phys.org/news/2023-06-features-band-topology-amorphous-thin.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 30 Jun 2023 09:38:02 EDT news607336681 A new study led by Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) brings into sharper focus the structural details of the COVID-19 virus, revealing an elliptical shape that "breathes," or changes shape, as it moves in the body. The discovery, which could lead to new antiviral therapies for the disease and quicker development of vaccines, is featured in the journal Structure. https://phys.org/news/2023-03-team-uncovers-sars-cov-.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 30 Mar 2023 12:28:06 EDT news599398080