https://phys.org/ en-us Latest news from Springer Only 9.5% of plastic materials produced globally in 2022 were manufactured from recycled materials. The findings, reported in Communications Earth & Environment, are part of a comprehensive analysis of the global plastics sector, which also reveals a large increase in the amount of plastic being disposed of by incineration and substantial regional differences in plastic consumption. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-global-plastics-recycled-materials-reveal.html Environment Thu, 10 Apr 2025 11:20:02 EDT news663502801 Ice may be present a few centimeters below the moon's surface in more areas of the lunar polar regions than was previously thought due to large, yet highly localized, variations in surface temperatures. The results, published in Communications Earth & Environment, are derived from direct measurements taken at the lunar surface in 2023 by the Indian Chandrayaan-3 mission. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-potential-ice-moon.html Space Exploration Thu, 06 Mar 2025 11:00:03 EST news660472502 A unique dark-colored organic glass, found inside the skull of an individual who died in Herculaneum during the 79 CE Mount Vesuvius eruption, likely formed when they were killed by a very hot but short-lived ash cloud. The conclusion, from research published in Scientific Reports, is based on an analysis of the physical properties of the glass, thought to comprise the fossilized brain of the individual. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-vesuvian-ash-cloud-brain-glass.html Archaeology Sun, 02 Mar 2025 16:00:05 EST news659893923 A new method pioneered to optimally cook both the yolk and white (or albumen) of a boiled chicken egg has been published in Communications Engineering. The approach, which the authors call periodic cooking, yields an evenly-cooked egg with a higher nutritional content than shell-on eggs cooked by conventional boiling or sous vide methods. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-periodic-cooking-method-egg.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 06 Feb 2025 11:00:21 EST news657968221 Homo erectus was able to adapt to and survive in desert-like environments at least 1.2 million years ago, according to a paper published in Communications Earth & Environment. The findings suggest that behavioral adaptations included returning repeatedly over thousands of years to specific rivers and ponds for fresh water, and the development of specialized tools. https://phys.org/news/2025-01-homo-erectus-harsh-million-years.html Archaeology Thu, 16 Jan 2025 11:00:03 EST news656240929 Two machine learning algorithms can determine whether a whiskey is of American or Scotch origin and identify its strongest aromas, according to research published in Communications Chemistry. The results also suggest that the algorithms can outperform human experts at assessing a whisky's strongest aromas. https://phys.org/news/2024-12-algorithms-whiskey-american-scotch.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 19 Dec 2024 11:00:01 EST news653811481 Annual emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from private aviation increased by 46% between 2019 and 2023, according to an analysis published in Communications Earth & Environment. The results also show that some individuals who regularly use private aviation may produce almost 500 times more CO2 in a year than the average individual, and that there were significant emissions peaks around certain international events, including COP 28 (2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference), and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-private-aviation-emissions-soar.html Environment Thu, 07 Nov 2024 12:56:58 EST news650206614 The number of days per year that are simultaneously extremely hot, dry, and have a high fire risk have as much as tripled since 1970 in some parts of South America. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-drought-south-america.html Earth Sciences Thu, 26 Sep 2024 11:00:01 EDT news646567141 The average longest periods of drought could be ten days longer by the end of the century than previously predicted by climate models, according to research published in Nature. The findings suggest that the hazards droughts pose to societies and ecosystems in the coming decades may be greater than expected. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-future-droughts-longer.html Earth Sciences Wed, 18 Sep 2024 13:06:07 EDT news645883564 An increased amount of thick sea ice flowing south from the Arctic Ocean shortened the ice-free shipping season in several parts of the Northwest Passage between 2007 and 2021, according to an analysis in Communications Earth & Environment. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-thick-sea-ice-arctic-ocean.html Earth Sciences Thu, 11 Jul 2024 11:00:02 EDT news639905801 Global warming is projected to lengthen the ice-free period in the Hudson Bay, reducing the length of the resident polar bears' hunting season, according to research published in Communications Earth & Environment. Under a temperature rise of more than 2.1 degrees Celsius, the authors suggest that the duration of the ice-free period in the majority of Hudson Bay may be longer than the maximum fasting period adult polar bears can survive. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-longer-ice-free-periods-smaller.html Plants & Animals Thu, 13 Jun 2024 11:00:01 EDT news637486442 The increase in tropical cyclone frequency and intensity due to climate change could lead to dramatic declines in seabird populations, suggests a paper published in Communications Earth & Environment. The authors' conclusion is based on the impact of Cyclone Ilsa on Bedout Island, after the cyclone killed at least 80% of seabirds nesting on the island when it struck in April 2023. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-tropical-cyclone-frequency-deadly-consequences.html Plants & Animals Thu, 06 Jun 2024 11:00:01 EDT news636821761 An artificial intelligence (AI) model could improve the accuracy of flood forecasting, according to a new study published in Nature. The system is shown to be as accurate as, or an improvement on, current leading methods and could provide earlier warnings of large flooding events. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-ai-traditional-methods-struggle.html Earth Sciences Thu, 21 Mar 2024 11:41:02 EDT news630240061 White actors are featured more frequently and more prominently on posters for American-produced films than non-white actors, despite recent increases in the representation of actors from other ethnic groups, according to a study published in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-white-actors-featured-american-posters.html Social Sciences Wed, 07 Feb 2024 20:00:01 EST news626544443 High-energy neutron scattering is a powerful tool in spectroscopy, allowing researchers to probe the physical and chemical properties of many different materials. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-magnetic-properties-neodymium-compounds.html Condensed Matter Wed, 06 Dec 2023 14:22:03 EST news621094921 Swapping animal-based foods such as processed or red meat and eggs for plant-based foods such as nuts, legumes, and whole grains is associated with reduced risk of death and health conditions such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. This systematic review, published in BMC Medicine, provides further support for an overall shift from animal- to plant-based diets to promote better health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-11-swapping-animal-based-plant-based-foods.html Health Thu, 16 Nov 2023 14:24:18 EST news619367056 The idea that protons and neutrons were composed of even smaller particles, with non-integral electric charges, was proposed in 1963/64 by Andre Petermann, George Zweig and Murray Gell-Mann, who dubbed them "quarks." It was not until the mid-1970s, however, that the quark model became widely accepted. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-quark-personal-perspective.html General Physics Wed, 15 Nov 2023 11:02:35 EST news619268553 Research into artificial intelligence (AI) network computing has made significant progress in recent years but has so far been held back by the limitations of logic gates in conventional computer chips. Through new research published in The European Physical Journal D, a team led by Aijin Zhu at Guilin University of Electronic Technology, China, introduced a graphene-based optical logic gate, which addresses many of these challenges. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-optical-logic-gates-graphene-nanoribbons.html Nanophysics Wed, 15 Nov 2023 10:53:47 EST news619268025 Particle physicists who hunt for neutrinos, cosmic-rays and other charged particles rely on sophisticated instruments that detect very faint bursts of light given off when incident particles interact with a medium. The most common such instruments, called Cherenkov detectors, use photomultiplier tubes to capture as much of this light as possible. This provides a meaningful signal from which to glean information about the particle from whence it came. But their efficiency drops when subjected to Earth's magnetic field. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-magnetic-shielding-particle-detectors.html General Physics Wed, 08 Nov 2023 14:05:02 EST news618674701 American-born British theoretical physicist David Bohm made many significant contributions to physics. But he's most famous for challenging convention and interpreting quantum mechanics in terms of nonlocal or hidden variables. Several eminent contemporaries accused him of defending outdated ideals based in deterministic physics, rather than embracing his contemporaries' non-deterministic views. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-acquitting-physicist-accused-obscurantism.html Quantum Physics Wed, 08 Nov 2023 14:04:03 EST news618674642 Albert Einstein, best known for his work in relativity, won the Nobel Prize for his formula for the photoelectric effect, which often surprises modern physicists. He's not the only physicist whose Nobel award misaligns with the winner's modern claim-to-fame. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-matrix-mechanics-recognition-today.html Quantum Physics Wed, 08 Nov 2023 14:03:03 EST news618674581 Some asteroids have measured densities higher than those of any elements known to exist on Earth. This suggests that they are at least partly composed of unknown types of "ultradense" matter that cannot be studied by conventional physics. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-periodic-table-superheavy-elements-ultradense.html General Physics Tue, 10 Oct 2023 11:37:10 EDT news616156627 From laptop screens to navigation systems, liquid crystals are ubiquitous in modern life. These materials flow like liquids, but their molecules align with one another in a way that resembles the orientational order of a crystal. Electrically switching between different molecular orientations—or phases—in a liquid crystal changes how the material transmits light, hence their use/utility in visual displays. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-combining-bulky-chain-stable-polymer.html Soft Matter Mon, 09 Oct 2023 10:12:56 EDT news616065174 Humanity stands on the verge of two major revolutions: the boom in 2-dimensional supermaterials like graphene with incredible properties and the introduction of quantum computers with processing power that vastly outstrips that of standard computers. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-particle-graphene.html Superconductivity Wed, 27 Sep 2023 16:01:05 EDT news615049263 Through a nuanced balance of electrical and hydrophobic forces, biological molecules self-assemble into the large functional structures that maintain life's vital functions. Understanding how proteins self-assemble requires knowledge of both forces. But while predicting the electrical interactions of individual proteins is simple, deriving their hydrophobic ones is less straightforward. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-hydrophobicity-protein.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 01 Sep 2023 14:03:03 EDT news612795782 The process that powers the stars—nuclear fusion—is proposed as a future power source for humanity and could provide clean and renewable energy free of the radioactive waste associated with current nuclear fission plants. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-machine-hydrogen-isotopes-future-nuclear.html Plasma Physics Fri, 01 Sep 2023 10:29:00 EDT news612782936 Playing a Mozart lullaby may help reduce the pain experienced by newborn babies undergoing a heel prick blood test, according to a randomized, blinded clinical trial involving 100 infants published in Pediatric Research. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-08-mozart-lullaby-ameliorate-pain-newborns.html Medical research Mon, 28 Aug 2023 20:00:01 EDT news612434173 Through a new survey, researchers show how mathematical representations named 'tensor trains' can help to capture and simulate the dynamics of evolving quantum systems across a range of different scenarios. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-capturing-evolution-complex-quantum.html Quantum Physics Thu, 10 Aug 2023 07:16:20 EDT news610870572 Liquid crystal displays, touchscreens, and many solar cells rely on thin-film crystalline materials that are both electrically conductive and optically transparent. But the material most widely used in these applications, indium tin oxide (ITO), is brittle and susceptible to cracking. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-transparent-conductor-strain.html Condensed Matter Fri, 04 Aug 2023 10:39:22 EDT news610364359 Quantum field theory is a framework used by physicists to describe a wide range of phenomena in particle physics and is an effective tool to deal with complicated many-body problems or interacting systems. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-many-body-interactions-thermal-field-theory.html Quantum Physics Wed, 02 Aug 2023 07:52:12 EDT news610181528