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. The "right to repair" movement is gaining steam as consumers push corporations to offer them more freedom to fix products—from cars to dishwashers to toys. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-movement-consumers-warranty-fine.html Economics & Business Mon, 15 Jun 2026 18:00:01 EDT news700745762 Wearable and implantable biosensors have the potential to revolutionize health care by diagnosing, monitoring, and even treating a wide range of health conditions. Recent innovations in the lab of Wei Gao, professor of medical engineering at Caltech and a Heritage Medical Research Institute Investigator, are pushing the field forward through the creation of soft, stretchable, tissue-integrated bioelectronics for continuous sensing and adaptive therapy. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-stretchy-soft-sticky-advancing-generation.html Biotechnology Wed, 10 Jun 2026 05:00:03 EDT news700237202 Whether it's documents in textbooks or fiction studied in literature classes, reading print remains a pillar in learning. But the audiobook craze opens up new possibilities. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-audiobooks.html Education Wed, 08 Apr 2026 15:20:02 EDT news694872122 Researchers have developed a microscopic 3D-printed optical device that can efficiently combine light from dozens of small semiconductor lasers into a single multimode optical fiber with very low loss. The team demonstrated photonic lanterns that multiplex 7, 19, and 37 multimode VCSEL lasers directly into a fiber while preserving brightness and easing alignment constraints. By enabling scalable incoherent beam combining of many multimode lasers, the technology could simplify and improve high-power laser systems, optical communications, and other photonic applications where efficiently delivering large optical power through fibers is critical. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-3d-photonic-lanterns-combine-multimode.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 10 Mar 2026 16:10:01 EDT news692374141 Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), an international team of astronomers has discovered a new massive and quiescent red galaxy, which they dubbed "Red Potato." The discovery was reported in a research paper published January 28 on the arXiv pre-print server. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-red-potato-galaxy-astronomers.html Astronomy Wed, 04 Feb 2026 09:40:01 EST news689419747 Lately we've been reporting about a series of studies on the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO), NASA's flagship telescope mission for the 2040s. These studies have looked at the type of data they need to collect, and what the types of worlds they would expect to find would look like. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-hwo-picometer-earth.html Planetary Sciences Tue, 27 Jan 2026 17:50:06 EST news688743673 The power of artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced computing has made it possible to design genetic sequences encoding for diverse biological applications, such as proteins that form the building blocks of materials stronger than steel, or personalized cancer treatments. But the act of constructing DNA sequences to realize those designs has been a significant bottleneck. Due to technological limitations, chemical DNA synthesis has been limited only to creating short pieces of DNA. However, DNA molecules on the scale of genes or genomes can be tens to thousands of times longer than current capabilities allow. Without DNA construction, AI-powered biological designs cannot be verified or improved—meaning that the blueprints for futuristic new technologies cannot be realized. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-dna-page-method-enables-accurate.html Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 26 Jan 2026 13:56:06 EST news688658136 For more than a century, scientists have wondered why physical structures like blood vessels, neurons, tree branches, and other biological networks look the way they do. The prevailing theory held that nature simply builds these systems as efficiently as possible, minimizing the amount of material needed. But in the past, when researchers tested these networks against traditional mathematical optimization theories, the predictions consistently fell short. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-scientists-theory-code-natural-networks.html General Physics Wed, 07 Jan 2026 11:52:24 EST news687009121 Lars Stevens-Cullinane works in a dark room. But he's not processing negatives and printing photographs on light-sensitive paper; he's testing whether brief flashes of light can make drug-resistant bacteria sensitive to antibiotics. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-phototherapy-reverse-antibiotic-resistance.html Biochemistry Fri, 28 Nov 2025 09:30:03 EST news683544001 Research has revealed how minute structural modifications in advanced perovskite materials critically influence their light-emission properties. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-subtle-perovskites-solar-cells-quantum.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 19 Nov 2025 09:40:04 EST news682765519 Only around 1.1% of the world's population is vegan, but this percentage is growing. For example, in Germany the number of vegans approximately doubled between 2016 and 2020 to 2% of the population, while a 2.4-fold increase between 2023 and 2025 to 4.7% of the population has been reported in the UK. Many people cite health benefits as their reason to go vegan: moving from a typical Western diet to a vegan one can lower the risk of premature mortality from noncommunicable diseases by an estimated 18% to 21%. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-vegan-diet-halve-carbon-footprint.html Environment Tue, 11 Nov 2025 00:00:01 EST news682016701 While NASA maintains the lead in human space exploration, other nations have already begun their own projects. Take the China National Space Agency, for example, with their CLEP, or Chinese Lunar Exploration Program. If you have any doubts about the objectives of the program, just check out their logo: a stylized crescent moon with two footprints in the middle. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-china-meteoric-space.html Space Exploration Mon, 04 Aug 2025 10:40:02 EDT news673519136 Overlooked diaries written by teenage boys in pre-war Soviet Russia reveal relatable perspectives on love, lust, boredom, pressure to succeed and trying to fit in; but also experience of famine, exile and conscription under Stalin. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-teenage-diaries-stalin-russia-reveal.html Social Sciences Sun, 20 Jul 2025 19:00:01 EDT news671947098 Bio-batteries constructed by electroactive microorganisms have unique advantages in physiological monitoring, tissue integration, and powering implantable devices due to their superior adaptability and biocompatibility. However, the development of miniaturized and portable bio-batteries that are plug and play and compatible with existing devices remains a challenge. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-portable-bio-battery-hydrogels-nerve.html Biotechnology Wed, 30 Apr 2025 17:18:03 EDT news665252282 Lately, there's been plenty of progress in 3D printing objects from the lunar regolith. We've reported on several projects that have attempted to do so, with varying degrees of success. However, most of them require some additive, such as a polymer or salt water, as a binding agent. Recently, a paper from Julien Garnier and their co-authors at the University of Toulouse, published in Acta Astronautica, attempted to make compression-hardened 3D-printed objects using nothing but the regolith itself. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-quality-3d-lunar-regolith-varies.html Planetary Sciences Mon, 28 Apr 2025 17:06:03 EDT news665078761 In the sweltering summer of AD18, a desperate chant echoed across China's sun-scorched plains: "Heaven has gone blind!" Thousands of starving farmers, their faces smeared with ox blood, marched toward the opulent vaults held by the Han dynasty's elite rulers. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-years-chinese-history-reveals-today.html Economics & Business Thu, 24 Apr 2025 13:40:03 EDT news664719972 You wouldn't know by looking at Escherichia coli that it's kind of a big deal. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-coli.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:05 EST news659290381 The microarchitecture of fossil pterosaur bones could hold the key to lighter, stronger materials for the next generation of aircraft, new research has found. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-ancient-pterosaur-bones-future-aerospace.html Biotechnology Tue, 11 Feb 2025 12:32:30 EST news658499544 The chameleon, a lizard known for its color-changing skin, is the inspiration behind a new electromagnetic material that could someday make vehicles and aircraft "invisible" to radar. https://phys.org/news/2025-01-electromagnetic-material-shifting-chameleon.html Condensed Matter Wed, 22 Jan 2025 10:27:19 EST news656764027 An international team of astronomers has investigated a planetary system consisting of three alien worlds orbiting the star TOI-396. The study, published Nov. 22 on the pre-print server arXiv, provides the first mass measurements for these three planets, shedding more light on the properties of the whole system. https://phys.org/news/2024-12-properties-planet-toi.html Planetary Sciences Mon, 02 Dec 2024 10:20:01 EST news652356916 The next step for fully integrated textile-based electronics to make their way from the lab to the wardrobe is figuring out how to power the garment gizmos without unfashionably toting around a solid battery. Researchers from Drexel University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Accenture Labs in California have taken a new approach to the challenge by building a full textile energy grid that can be wirelessly charged. In their recent study, the team reported that it can power textile devices, including a warming element and environmental sensors that transmit data in real-time. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-clothesline-grid-mxene-nanomaterials-enable.html Nanomaterials Thu, 31 Oct 2024 14:30:04 EDT news649603802 When the International Astronomical Union announced in 2006 that Pluto was being demoted from its status as the sun's ninth planet, many astronomers and non-experts alike were shocked. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-pluto-mission-south-african-astronomers.html Planetary Sciences Mon, 09 Sep 2024 15:05:04 EDT news645113101 How much was known at the mid-20th century about the dangers of human-caused climate change? A lot more than most Americans think. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-lawmakers-role-fossil-fuels-climate.html Environment Fri, 06 Sep 2024 12:27:05 EDT news644844421 Anyone who has ever lost track of some bread, produce or leftovers, and later returned to observe that nature has run its course, has experience using the five senses (eyes, nose, [hopefully less often] taste buds and even ears—container lid "popping"), to evaluate food spoilage. But have you ever wondered what microorganisms you might be able to grow in the lab from the decomposing dishes in your refrigerator? https://phys.org/news/2024-09-microbiology-food-spoilage-refrigerator.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 04 Sep 2024 12:41:05 EDT news644672461 In a world increasingly illuminated by artificial light, the beautiful night skies of a small coastal town in South Australia have attracted international recognition. Carrickalinga on the Fleurieu Peninsula is Australia's first official Dark Sky Community. The title rewards a dedicated community effort to combat light pollution and preserve the natural environment at night. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-australia-dark-sky-community-carrickalinga.html Environment Thu, 15 Aug 2024 10:53:05 EDT news642937982 Using NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), astronomers have detected 32 new bright pulsating DA white dwarfs of the ZZ Ceti subclass. The finding was reported in a research paper published July 9 on the pre-print server arXiv. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-astronomers-dozens-pulsating-white-dwarfs.html Astronomy Wed, 17 Jul 2024 09:56:08 EDT news640428966 Optical waves propagating through air or multi-mode fiber can be patterned or decomposed using orthogonal spatial modes, with far-ranging applications in imaging, communication, and directed energy. Yet the systems that perform these wavefront manipulations are cumbersome and large, restricting their utilization to high-end applications. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-3d-microscale-photonic-lantern-opportunities.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 03 Jun 2024 23:00:02 EDT news636644102 Researchers have delved into the composition of nanocomposites for ultraviolet metasurface fabrication and determined the ideal printing material for crafting them. Their findings are featured in the journal Microsystems & Nanoengineering on April 22. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-optimal-conditions-mass-production-ultraviolet.html Nanophysics Thu, 09 May 2024 11:06:03 EDT news634471562 Earth is the only life-supporting planet we know of, so it's tempting to use it as a standard in the search for life elsewhere. But the modern Earth can't serve as a basis for evaluating exoplanets and their potential to support life. Earth's atmosphere has changed radically over its 4.5 billion years. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-early-earth-life.html Astrobiology Tue, 07 May 2024 13:12:18 EDT news634306334 Scientists from the University of Sharjah and the Warburg Institute are poring over the writings of an 11th-century Arab-Muslim polymath to demonstrate their impact on the development of optical sciences and how they have fundamentally transformed the history of physics from the Middle Ages up to modern times in Europe. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-11th-century-arab-muslim-optical.html Other Mon, 15 Apr 2024 13:25:08 EDT news632406286