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. NASA's Perseverance Mars rover recently took a self-portrait against a sweeping backdrop of ancient Martian terrain at a location the science team calls Lac de Charmes. Assembled from 61 individual images, the selfie shows Perseverance training its mast on a rocky outcrop on which it had just made a circular abrasion patch, with the western rim of Jezero Crater stretching into the background. The selfie was captured on March 11, the 1,797th Martian day (sol) of the mission, during the rover's deepest push west beyond the crater. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-perseverance-rover-snaps-selfie-western.html Planetary Sciences Tue, 12 May 2026 17:40:04 EDT news697818601 Living organisms sustain themselves through intricate metabolic processes that continuously convert energy and materials into useful functions. Inspired by these biological systems, researchers are now engineering synthetic materials that can replicate such dynamic behaviors. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-metabolism-hydrogels-replicate-heartbeat-motion.html Polymers Tue, 12 May 2026 12:20:05 EDT news697799252 Imagine a sea of glowing blue lights pulsing to the beat of the music. But instead of glow sticks filled with toxic chemicals, the luminescence comes from living algae, shimmering on demand. In a new study published in Science Advances, researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder and collaborators unveil a new technology that could make it possible. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-electricity-algae.html Biotechnology Wed, 06 May 2026 14:00:07 EDT news697275721 An international research team has developed a roadmap for an emerging field of technology called ecotech, which aims to create scalable solutions to urgent environmental, social and economic challenges. The team describes this field, providing a comprehensive framework for its adoption and expansion, in the journal Science Advances. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-ecotech-nature.html Ecology Wed, 06 May 2026 14:00:01 EDT news697292462 A new autonomous laboratory recently navigated through billions of potential material synthesis recipes to identify brighter, lead-free light-emitting nanomaterials in just 12 hours. The work could accelerate development of safer light-emitting nanoplatelets for use in applications ranging from photodetectors to the production of fuel from solar energy. A paper describing this work appears in Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-ai-powered-lab-brighter-free.html Nanomaterials Mon, 04 May 2026 18:20:02 EDT news697125962 Researchers at Tampere University have recently demonstrated that light can be used to precisely reshape soft materials without mechanical contact. They have developed light-responsive hydrogel thin films that enable programmable surfaces with high sensitivity, rapid response, precise spatial control and reversibility. The technology opens new possibilities for tunable devices in photonics, sensing and biomedicine. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-responsive-hydrogels-enable-fast-precise.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 29 Apr 2026 17:10:06 EDT news696696481 Natural rubber, tapped from trees as latex, is the world's most widely used bio-elastomer. Comprising long molecular chains that make it pliable and stretchy yet highly resistant to cracking and strain, natural rubber is foundational to countless products, including the heavy-duty tires in trucks, buses, and airplanes. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-natural-rubber-boosts-toughness-tenfold.html Polymers Tue, 28 Apr 2026 17:20:03 EDT news696613201 Under a microscope, a bouquet of lollipop-like structures, each smaller than a grain of sand, waves gently in a Petri dish of liquid. Suddenly, they snap together, like the jaws of a Venus flytrap, as a scientist waves a small magnet over the dish. What was previously an assemblage of tiny passive structures has transformed instantly into an active robotic gripper. The lollipop gripper is one demonstration of a new type of soft magnetic hydrogel developed by engineers at MIT and their collaborators at EPFL and the University of Cincinnati. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-swipe-magnet-microscopic-magno-bots.html Nanophysics Tue, 28 Apr 2026 11:00:03 EDT news696587647 For some time, researchers have assumed that solid materials could gain more useful properties by making their microscopic components more active. Now, a team led by Jack Binysh at the University of Amsterdam has found that this idea doesn't always hold. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-response-materials.html General Physics Sat, 25 Apr 2026 13:00:03 EDT news695900124 The possibility of life on other planets is one of the biggest mysteries in science. But what would happen if we actually found it? Our scientists are preparing for this possibility by helping to develop a new system that can analyze samples for signs of extraterrestrial life while keeping the planet safe. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-device-aims-earth-martian-microbes.html Astrobiology Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:40:04 EDT news695904393 Scientists have long known that fungi are resilient, but a new study suggests that some strains might survive every step of the long, brutal trip to Mars. In a paper published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, researchers isolated fungal microbes from NASA cleanrooms—facilities used in the assembly, testing, and launch of spacecraft—that had persisted after decontamination. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-resilient-fungus-survive-mars-space.html Astrobiology Mon, 20 Apr 2026 09:00:01 EDT news695634361 Biological tissues have a remarkable ability to organize and change shape, driven by forces generated by their own cells. One of the major challenges in bioengineering is harnessing this natural behavior to design synthetic living materials capable of adopting predetermined shapes. However, precisely controlling how a tissue behaves and directing its internal forces to adopt the desired shape remains a significant scientific challenge. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-scientists-shifting-tissue-cells-flat.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 16 Apr 2026 14:00:05 EDT news695548261 NASA and other space agencies are intent on sending astronauts back to the moon, and this time, to stay! A vital part of these plans for reducing costs and dependency on Earth is the process of In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), using local resources for construction materials and meeting astronauts' basic needs. This is why the South Pole-Aitken Basin, with its many permanently shadowed regions (PSRs), is considered a promising region for building habitats that will enable long-term exploration and development. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-exploring-moon-shadowy-craters-nuclear.html Planetary Sciences Wed, 15 Apr 2026 16:20:08 EDT news695475661 From ketchup to quicksand, non-Newtonian fluids have long fascinated and puzzled scientists. Unlike ordinary fluids, their flow properties change depending on how much force is applied, but the precise mechanics governing this behavior remain poorly understood—particularly under rapid deformation. Now, a team led by Xiang Cheng at the University of Minnesota has used droplet impacts to probe these dynamics in new detail, uncovering behaviors which have eluded physicists so far. Their findings appear in Physical Review Letters. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-droplet-impacts-reveal-physics-thickening.html General Physics Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:40:04 EDT news695376943 Drawing ever closer to Earth, the Artemis II astronauts tidied up their lunar cruiser for the upcoming "fireball" return and reflected on their historic journey around the moon, describing it as surreal and profound. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-artemis-ii-astronauts-lunar-voyage.html Space Exploration Thu, 09 Apr 2026 18:00:05 EDT news694968614 After successfully completing their mission to the moon, the Artemis II crew are about to return to Earth. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-artemis-ii-crew-3000c-reentry.html Space Exploration Thu, 09 Apr 2026 13:00:03 EDT news694950614 In a new Nature Physics publication, University of Amsterdam researchers introduce human-made materials that spring to life. These 'metamaterials' don't just learn to change shape, but can autonomously adapt their shape-changing strategy, perform reflex actions and move around like living systems do. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-metamaterial-chains-hinge.html General Physics Tue, 07 Apr 2026 14:20:05 EDT news694780502 At 13:24:59 Central Standard Time on December 19, 1972, the Apollo 17 command module splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, about 350 nautical miles southeast of Samoa, concluding the last mission to the moon. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-moon.html Space Exploration Tue, 31 Mar 2026 23:50:01 EDT news694183264 While I was leading a tour of the National Air and Space Museum in January 2026, a visitor posed this insightful question: "Why has it taken so long to return to the moon?" https://phys.org/news/2026-03-artemis-ii-countdown-space-historian.html Space Exploration Tue, 31 Mar 2026 17:40:04 EDT news694183224 Planetary surface missions currently operate cautiously. On Mars, communication delays between Earth and rovers (typically between four and 22 minutes), as well as data transfer constraints due to uplink and downlink limitations, force scientists to plan operations in advance. Rovers are designed for energy efficiency and safety, and to move slowly across hazardous terrain. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-legged-robot-resource-prospecting-moon.html Astrobiology Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:01 EDT news694078201 NASA's Apollo moonshots are a tough act to follow, even after all this time. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-apollo-artemis-nasa-moon.html Space Exploration Mon, 30 Mar 2026 04:29:03 EDT news694063655 Today's nearly $70 billion U.S. biofuels economy is powered by two technology toolboxes. Biochemical technologies—used to produce around 17 billion gallons of ethanol annually—leverage microorganisms to convert plant biomass sugars into alcohols, other biofuels, or chemicals. Chemical technologies, the second toolbox, use catalysts to turn biomass and wastes into similar target products. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-cells-chemicals-enzymes.html Biotechnology Fri, 27 Mar 2026 22:30:01 EDT news693835350 As bubbles rippled across the frigid Finnish lake, diver Daan Jacobs emerged from a hole carved out of the thick, crackling ice. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-sea-beneath-arctic-antarctic-ice.html Environment Fri, 27 Mar 2026 12:10:01 EDT news693827378 Nucleic acids such as DNA and RNA play a central role in gene therapies and vaccines. They store and transmit biological information. In order for them to work in the body, they must enter the cells using chemical carrier systems. Researchers at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon are now proposing a new strategy for developing such systems: instead of using the same carrier material for different nucleic acids, the carrier should be individually adapted to the respective payload. This could improve the effectiveness of vaccines, for example. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-lipid-nanoparticles-custom-polymers-ai.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 26 Mar 2026 17:50:01 EDT news693763621 Materials scientist Dr. Yige Sun, from the Department of Materials and Linacre College at the University of Oxford, and the Faraday Institution, argues that as space becomes critical infrastructure for the global digital economy, its long-term viability depends on urgently transitioning from a linear to a circular model of development. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-frontier-feedback-loop-expert-space.html Space Exploration Tue, 24 Mar 2026 19:30:08 EDT news693570459 Self-driving laboratories (SDLs) powered by artificial intelligence (AI) are rapidly accelerating materials discovery, but can they also explain their results? Researchers from the Theory Department of the Fritz Haber Institute, in collaboration with BASF, and BasCat—UniCat BASF JointLab, show that they can. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-gray-ai-reveals-catalysts-discovery.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 24 Mar 2026 15:40:06 EDT news693574501 A fascination with fish gills has led researchers at Cornell to develop a bio-inspired approach to mixing heat and molecules in fluids—findings that could inform future biomedical devices, heat exchangers and soft robotics. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-fish-gill-panels-reveal-path.html General Physics Tue, 24 Mar 2026 12:20:03 EDT news693570121 In 1959, the Luna 2 probe from the Soviet Union became the very first human-made object to reach our closest celestial neighbor. In the decades since, we have been leaving footprints—both literally and figuratively—all over the moon. Today, there are over 100 metric tons of human-made material resting on the moon's surface—everything from advanced cameras and sensors to literal human waste. But that's nothing compared to what's to come. NASA predicts the next decade will see over 100 new lunar missions, equaling or exceeding all the missions previously flown, which brings up a pressing question about all the stuff that's already there—how do we protect that history? https://phys.org/news/2026-03-moon-crowded-heritage.html Space Exploration Thu, 19 Mar 2026 12:30:01 EDT news693141661 At a potluck, you ate the best chocolate chip cookie—golden-brown, thick and chewy. Unfortunately, you don't know who made the cookie to get the recipe from, so you decide to recreate it. Using forward design principles, you might randomly choose a recipe from dozens of options, bake and observe the resulting cookies. If they are too thin, you might start over with a new recipe, add more flour or chill the dough longer and make a new batch. An alternative method is to start from the cookie characteristics you want and ask: What recipe and baking settings will produce that type of cookie? This method is called inverse design. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-inverse-pathway-custom-functional-polymers.html Polymers Tue, 17 Mar 2026 09:00:07 EDT news692956417 A US Senate committee has directed NASA to begin work on a moon base "as soon as is practicable." Under legislation advanced by the Senate lawmakers, the outpost would serve as a science laboratory and proving ground, where astronauts would develop the capabilities to live and work beyond Earth's orbit. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-nasa-permanent-base-moon.html Space Exploration Thu, 12 Mar 2026 12:30:01 EDT news692536360