https://phys.org/ en-us Latest news from University of Colorado at Boulder For centuries, mental illness and physical disease have been viewed as two distinct categories, each with its own field of study, its own doctors, and its own menu of treatments. New University of Colorado Boulder research calls that age-old dichotomy into question, showing that the same chunks of DNA that underlie psychiatric disorders like depression, PTSD and ADHD are associated with risk of a host of physical ailments, too. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-mental-physical-illnesses-genetic.html Wed, 08 Apr 2026 18:00:02 EDT news694885681 Water likely accumulated on the moon slowly over billions of years, rather than during one big event, according to a new study by an international team of scientists. The researchers, including Paul Hayne, a planetary scientist at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado Boulder, have published their findings in Nature Astronomy. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-moon-narrows.html Planetary Sciences Tue, 07 Apr 2026 05:00:03 EDT news694708202 For decades, lab-grown cells have been studied in materials that don't reflect the softness and flexibility of human tissue. Now researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder have developed a water-rich, Jell-O-like material that more closely mimics how real tissues move, stretch and relax; and whose liquid or solid state can be precisely controlled by light. The work was recently published in the journal Matter and was directed by Distinguished Professor Kristi Anseth. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-hydrogel-mimics-soft-human-tissue.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 16 Mar 2026 17:50:04 EDT news692899741 In the middle of the old-growth forests of Congaree National Park in South Carolina, fireflies put on an otherworldly display every May. Thousands of male insects belonging to the species Photuris frontalis flash together at the same time and follow the exact same pattern—a synchronous light show you can see only in few places in the United States. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-south-carolina-swamp-uncover-secrets.html Ecology Fri, 13 Mar 2026 19:00:01 EDT news692630101 Physicists at the University of Colorado Boulder have demonstrated a new kind of vacuum ultraviolet laser that is 100 to 1,000 times more efficient than existing technologies of its kind. The researchers say the device could one day allow scientists to observe phenomena currently out of reach for even the most powerful microscopes—such as following fuel molecules in real time as they undergo combustion, spotting incredibly small defects in nanoelectronics and more. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-compact-vacuum-ultraviolet-laser-nanotechnology.html Nanophysics Wed, 11 Mar 2026 16:00:03 EDT news692462339 New research by engineers at the University of Colorado Boulder aims to get to the bottom of why, as the saying goes, you get a "skip in your step" when you're happy. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-dopamine-trigger-quick-movement-vigor.html Neuroscience Fri, 27 Feb 2026 16:00:02 EST news691426650 In recent years, studies and media reports have blamed growing partisan hostility in the U.S. for shattered marriages, broken families, ruined holiday dinners, and increased stress. New CU Boulder research suggests it may have an even broader impact, hindering democracies' capacity to address climate change around the world. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-political-polarization-spur-emissions-stymie.html Social Sciences Fri, 27 Feb 2026 12:40:01 EST news691409761 Wildfires have increased in frequency and severity over the past few decades. More fires are burning at the wildland-urban interface (WUI), where homes and other buildings meet the natural landscape—but our understanding of emissions from structure fires is still growing. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-lab-house-emissions-differ-forest.html Environment Wed, 25 Feb 2026 18:20:01 EST news691247400 CU Boulder researchers have built high-performing optical microresonators, opening the door for new sensor technologies. At its simplest form, a microresonator is a tiny device that can trap light and build up its intensity. Once the intensity is high enough, researchers can perform unique light operations. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-ultra-efficient-optical-sensors-circulating.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 23 Feb 2026 09:00:07 EST news690820044 Frank Cuozzo and Michelle Sauther first traveled to South Africa in 2012 to search for some of the most unusual primates on Earth—bushbabies. These animals are nocturnal and small, often around the size of a housecat. Bushbabies have big ears, round eyes and get their names from the eerie, wailing noises they make at night. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-bushbabies-reclassified-threatened-scientists-adorable.html Plants & Animals Tue, 17 Feb 2026 21:10:01 EST news690554530 The southern Indian Ocean off the west coast of Australia is becoming less salty at an astonishing rate, largely due to climate change, new research shows. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-ocean-saltiest-regions-freshening-circulation.html Earth Sciences Sat, 14 Feb 2026 11:30:01 EST news690114285 Imagine an asteroid striking Earth and wiping out most of the human population. Even if some lucky people survived the impact, Homo sapiens might still face extinction, because the social networks humans rely on would collapse. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-deer-chickadees-social-encounters-extinction.html Plants & Animals Thu, 05 Feb 2026 16:00:01 EST news689520288 In the quest to cure Alzheimer's, the protein known as beta-amyloid has long taken center stage, driving development of a long list of drugs aimed at breaking up amyloid plaques in the brain. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-alzheimer-protein-neurodegenerative-tauopathies.html Neuroscience Wed, 04 Feb 2026 10:24:44 EST news689423042 Picture a spacecraft returning to Earth after a long journey. The vehicle slams into the planet's atmosphere at roughly 17,000 miles per hour. A shockwave erupts. Molecules in the air are ripped apart, forming a plasma—a gas made of charged particles that can reach tens of thousands of degrees Fahrenheit, many times hotter than the surface of the sun. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-kind-plasma-tunnel-recreates-extreme.html Space Exploration Tue, 03 Feb 2026 17:10:01 EST news689342970 Some tropical land regions may warm more dramatically than previously predicted, as climate change progresses, according to a new CU Boulder study that looks millions of years into Earth's past. Using lake sediments from the Colombian Andes, researchers reveal that when the planet warmed millions of years ago under carbon dioxide levels similar to today's, tropical land heated up nearly twice as much as the ocean. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-tropical-oceans-climate-sediment.html Earth Sciences Mon, 02 Feb 2026 15:00:12 EST news689266441 A neural circuit hidden in an understudied region of the brain plays a critical role in turning temporary pain into pain that can last months or years, according to new University of Colorado Boulder research. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-chronic-pain-key-culprit-brain.html Neuroscience Wed, 28 Jan 2026 10:10:01 EST news688817130 A new, fast and easy test could revolutionize blood transfusions, giving blood centers and hospitals a reliable way to monitor the quality of red blood cells after they sit for weeks in storage. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-donated-blood-shelf-life-tracks.html Biomedical technology Wed, 21 Jan 2026 16:20:02 EST news688234425 A team of engineers has made major strides in generating the tiniest earthquakes imaginable. The team's device, known as a surface acoustic wave phonon laser, could one day help scientists make more sophisticated versions of chips in cellphones and other wireless devices—potentially making those tools smaller, faster and more efficient. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-01-earthquake-chip-tech-smartphones-smaller.html Engineering Wed, 14 Jan 2026 11:00:14 EST news687521343 Scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder may have solved a pressing mystery about the universe's gravitational wave background. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-solution-gravitational-mystery.html Astronomy Thu, 08 Jan 2026 10:46:41 EST news687091553 Researchers at CU Boulder have created tiny, microorganism-inspired particles that can change their shape and self-propel, much like living things, in response to electrical fields. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-programmable-microparticles-morph-propel-electrical.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 06 Jan 2026 14:16:26 EST news686931361 CU Boulder researchers have introduced a solution to improving the performance of large-scale desalination plants: stimulated Raman scattering (SRS). https://techxplore.com/news/2025-12-real-membrane-imaging-sustainable-filtration.html Engineering Tue, 16 Dec 2025 15:45:35 EST news685122301 Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S., second only to heart disease. But a new cancer treatment method from CU Boulder researchers uses sound waves to soften tumors and could be a potent tool against the disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-ultrasound-paired-vibrating-nanoparticles-softens.html Oncology & Cancer Tue, 16 Dec 2025 07:00:02 EST news685089998 New research uncovers a major blind spot in how people read and interpret online reviews, one that can lead to wasted money, disappointing purchases and piles of low-quality products. As many as 98% of consumers check reviews before buying, and most assume star ratings reflect product quality alone, not context or expectations. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-online-shoppers.html Social Sciences Mon, 15 Dec 2025 13:29:20 EST news685027741 Researchers have made a major advance in quantum computing with a new device that is nearly 100 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-tiny-optical-modulator-enable-giant.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 11 Dec 2025 16:46:37 EST news684693961 Physicists at the University of Colorado Boulder have designed a new material for insulating windows that could improve the energy efficiency of buildings worldwide—and it works a bit like a high-tech version of Bubble Wrap. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-12-window-insulation-blocks-view.html Engineering Thu, 11 Dec 2025 16:32:18 EST news684693121 Like a toddler right before naptime, TRAPPIST-1 is a small yet moody star. This little star, which sits in the constellation Aquarius about 40 light-years from Earth, spits out bursts of energy known as "flares" about six times a day. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-frequent-flares-trappist-impact-habitability.html Astronomy Thu, 04 Dec 2025 15:31:44 EST news684084661 An estimated one in five U.S. adults live with mental illnesses, conditions that are almost universally characterized by their negative consequences. But there are also positive attributes associated with psychological disorders— and acknowledging them can reduce stigma, improve care and provide hope to patients and their families. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-mental-illness-silver-lining-paper.html Psychology & Psychiatry Wed, 03 Dec 2025 12:46:20 EST news683988361 Earth's atmosphere might have contributed to the origin of life more than previously thought. In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, CU Boulder researchers and collaborators reveal that billions of years ago, Earth's early sky might have been producing sulfur-containing molecules that were essential ingredients for life. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-possibility-life-ancient-skies-ingredients.html Astrobiology Mon, 01 Dec 2025 15:00:01 EST news683543041 Nearly 4.5 million years ago, two large, hot stars brushed tantalizingly close to Earth's sun. They left behind a trace in the clouds of gas and dust that swirl just beyond our solar system—almost like the scent of perfume after someone has left the room. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-hot-stars-millions-years-left.html Astronomy Mon, 01 Dec 2025 13:35:29 EST news683818502 A smart toilet design introduced in rural Cambodia was supposed to change lives—keeping families safe and protecting the environment. However, while households reported that they liked the new system, a crucial piece was missing: using it correctly. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-smart-toilets-cambodia-fall-short.html Environment Thu, 20 Nov 2025 11:38:46 EST news682861121