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. A nano-wrinkled surface combined with a tiny soft actuator can break up infection-causing bacterial sheets, called biofilms, that form on medical implants, according to a University of Michigan Engineering study published in Advanced Functional Materials. When implanted in mice, the platform—called DARTS (dynamically actuated reconfigurable topographical surface)—reduced bacterial burden and improved the surrounding tissue response. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-nano-wrinkles-actuation-infectious-biofilms.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 27 Oct 2026 09:20:01 EDT news712310161 If you're reading this, your body probably contains forever chemicals. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-chemicals-yeast-ai.html Environment Mon, 05 Oct 2026 15:00:10 EDT news710415842 Knowledge workers such as scientists, teachers, lawyers and business leaders are increasingly using generative artificial intelligence applications for tasks that demand imagination, creativity and problem-solving. Ironically, perhaps, recent research shows that people who interact with generative AI for work tasks can end up not thinking critically. They can surrender to AI's quick and confident answers, which can lead to speedy but low-quality solutions. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-ai.html Economics & Business Fri, 02 Oct 2026 13:40:01 EDT news710158988 The research group at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia in Pontedera (Pisa), led by Gianni Ciofani, has developed new organic nanoparticles that combine multiple therapeutic functions in a single material for the first time. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-dopamine-based-nanotubes-combine-electrical.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 28 Sep 2026 19:40:08 EDT news709831081 An electron's charge is normally fixed, like a coin you can't break into pieces. But if electrons are cooled close to absolute zero and trapped in a two-dimensional layer under a powerful magnetic field, they organize into a collective state of "quasiparticles" that seem to hold only a fraction of an electron's charge. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-rare-quantum-state-reveals-particles.html General Physics Fri, 25 Sep 2026 09:00:08 EDT news709544881 For the first time, researchers have directly imaged the magnetization dynamics inside a spin Hall nano-oscillator—a nanoscale device that converts direct current into tunable microwave signals and is a promising building block for energy-efficient wireless communication and brain-inspired computing. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-nano-oscillator-imaged.html Nanophysics Wed, 23 Sep 2026 12:20:10 EDT news709380362 When sudden rainstorms roll across Texas, flooding can erupt in a matter of minutes. From coastal bends facing storm surges to low-water crossings in San Antonio, flood risks often spike block by block long before regional alerts sound. That means some people could have ankle-deep water in their yards by the time a flash flood warning sounds on their phones. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-powered-smart-local.html Environment Wed, 23 Sep 2026 10:20:05 EDT news709371242 An international research team has developed microscopic particles that can make blind retinas respond to light. The particles act as tiny light receptors. Researchers inject them into the eye, where they settle close to nerve cells in the retina. When light hits the particles, it triggers electrical and chemical processes that can activate the nerve cells and prompt them to send signals toward the brain. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-nanoparticles-retinas-preclinical.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 22 Sep 2026 18:40:02 EDT news709314961 Every new generation of phone display, television screen and solar panel is the result of precision optics experiments, which use lasers and other light sources to measure the optical properties of candidate materials. These experiments can take months to run, requiring scientists to meticulously angle and adjust delicate light sources, mirrors, cameras and other components in a process of careful, constant tuning that can be physically tedious and time-consuming. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-robotic-lab-optics-demand.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 17 Sep 2026 10:40:27 EDT news708854343 Glioblastoma is one of the most aggressive and treatment-resistant brain cancers known to medicine, carrying a median survival of just 12–15 months, even with the best available care. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-nanodevices-effective-treatment-drug-resistant.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 10 Sep 2026 12:40:05 EDT news708253656 Who has not dreamed of an invisibility cloak like the one used by Harry Potter? It sounds like magic, but it could become reality with the help of so-called metamaterials. In the summer of 2026, some of the world's leading researchers in the field gathered in Umeå for a Nobel Symposium on metamaterials. The symposium was organized by Nicolò Maccaferri, associate professor at Umeå University. He studies these special materials, which over the past few decades have proven useful in fields ranging from telecommunications to medical technology. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-metamaterials-enable-invisibility-cloaks-thinner.html Materials Science Mon, 31 Aug 2026 10:20:07 EDT news707386676 A tedious process of trial and error is normally required to discover ceramic materials that generate electricity under mechanical stress. Known as piezoelectric ceramics, these valuable next-generation materials can replace batteries that power small electronic devices, like sensors. To streamline the research process, a team led by materials science researchers at Penn State introduced a new framework that combines an existing artificial intelligence (AI) model with human expertise to uncover these materials. To test the new approach, researchers developed a new piezoelectric composite and incorporated it into an energy harvester, which converts vibrations or movements into electricity. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ai-ceramics-generate-electricity.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 31 Aug 2026 09:00:10 EDT news707385241 Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have shown that making extremely small changes to the structure of a material can dramatically improve its ability to respond to electrical signals. Published recently in Science Advances, the breakthrough could help create a new generation of wireless devices that can change frequency on demand, making communication systems more flexible and energy efficient. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-tiny-atomic-smarter-wireless-technology.html Nanophysics Wed, 26 Aug 2026 14:00:12 EDT news706896901 Researchers from Skoltech and their colleagues from Harbin Institute of Technology in China and ITMO University in Russia have devised a way to deposit elaborate geometric patterns of carbon nanotubes without wasting material. Such patterns are used in advanced optical devices and mechanical strain sensors for structural integrity monitoring. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-reusable-stencils-carbon-nanotube-patterns.html Nanophysics Tue, 25 Aug 2026 23:20:01 EDT news706880285 There's a new lighthouse on Long Island. But instead of shining light to guide ships through waterways, this one transmits and receives particles of light that carry quantum information. Perched atop a seven-story building at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory, the "Quantum Lighthouse" is a key pillar of the free-space optical (FSO) link spanning Brookhaven Lab, the State University of New York at Stony Brook (Stony Brook University) and Yale University. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-free-space-optical-link-wireless.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:43:00 EDT news706783326 They spotted the first mat of Sargassum seaweed several miles out in Biscayne Bay. The captain of the 37-foot (11-meter) Yellowfin brought the vessel to a full stop, allowing the scientists on board to get a closer look at the brown macroalgae that has been washing ashore by the tons this summer and fouling the shorelines of Gulf Coast and Atlantic beaches. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-plastic-webbed-drifters-track-sargassum.html Environment Tue, 18 Aug 2026 12:40:03 EDT news706267021 From launchpads to low Earth orbit and beyond, space companies and their affiliates are deploying a familiar marketing tactic—with a new twist. In a space economy projected to reach US$1.8 trillion by 2035, they sell space exploration narratives by appealing to a desire to expand humankind beyond Earth—while downplaying or omitting the negative repercussions for Earth and the space environment. Welcome to the age of starwashing. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-starwashing-space-companies-greenwashing-playbook.html Space Exploration Fri, 14 Aug 2026 21:00:01 EDT news705765127 Signals ride on waves of one kind or another: light, sound, radio. But new carriers are needed to relay information in next-generation devices. Disturbances or waves in magnetic materials called magnons could be an efficient option—if scientists can tame them. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-spontaneous-magnons-synchronize-external-room.html Condensed Matter Wed, 12 Aug 2026 12:00:05 EDT news705746821 Plants convert light into energy efficiently through photosynthesis—an ability that scientists and engineers still struggle to match with electronic devices. Recently, researchers have looked beyond traditional semiconductor materials to create devices using a promising class of materials called nanoplasmonics. These tiny metal structures can absorb and concentrate optical energy and generate energetic charge carriers. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-artificial-leaf-powers-wireless-biomedical.html Nanophysics Thu, 25 Jun 2026 12:00:03 EDT news701599443 Controlled manipulation of fibers that are as thin as or even thinner than human hair is a real challenge. Despite technological development, the precise and reversible change of the microfibers' orientation is not easy. The interdisciplinary team of researchers from the Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, has recently developed a way to control the shape of microfibers with electricity. This brings us closer to a novel technical solution in micromechanics and soft robotics. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-carbon-fiber-electricity-wireless-voltage.html Nanomaterials Fri, 13 Feb 2026 13:40:29 EST news690212401 A new smart platform invented by Purdue University researchers to wirelessly monitor subsoil health could change the landscape of agricultural sensing systems. The invention addresses a critical need in agriculture nationwide: the efficient use of water, fertilizers and pesticides. Due to the variability of soil conditions across large fields, applying uniform amounts of these inputs can lead to significant waste, increasing costs for farmers and causing environmental harm if nutrient runoff reaches water systems. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-wireless-sensor-subsoil-health-effort.html Biotechnology Mon, 09 Feb 2026 15:01:51 EST news689871662 An international research team led by Prof. Dr. Sedat Nizamoğlu from the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Koç University has developed a next-generation, safe, and wireless stimulation technology for retinal degenerative diseases that cause vision loss. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-ultra-thin-wireless-retinal-implant.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 23 Jan 2026 14:00:09 EST news688399101 Scientists from Turkey have designed a next-generation implantable biosensor using genetically engineered E. coli for molecular-level monitoring within the body that runs on its own, wirelessly, with no external batteries required. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-implantable-sensor-bacteria-wireless-molecular.html Biotechnology Mon, 08 Dec 2025 10:20:01 EST news684410624 A research team from Queen Mary University of London has discovered a new way to engineer thin films that can "tune" themselves much more effectively than existing materials, making them highly responsive and efficient. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-tuning-paves-future-wireless-radar.html Nanophysics Mon, 03 Nov 2025 16:37:03 EST news681410221 The potential of using low-energy light to shape ferroelectric thin films for micro devices is advancing with an international team of researchers most recently reporting success with "photostriction." https://phys.org/news/2025-10-reshapes-ferroelectric-thin-wireless-sensors.html Nanophysics Fri, 24 Oct 2025 11:38:29 EDT news680524698 A research team has co-developed a nanomaterial-based 'wireless multi-sensing platform' for the early detection of pressure injuries, which have a high prevalence among individuals with limited mobility, including the elderly and people with disabilities. The team's findings are published in Advanced Functional Materials. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-nanomaterial-based-wireless-sensor-pressure.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 13 Oct 2025 14:28:04 EDT news679584481 In the race to develop faster and more flexible wireless communication technologies, researchers are turning to an unexpected source: the same organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) found in smartphone screens and TVs. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-oleds-faster-longer-distance-wireless.html Optics & Photonics Fri, 18 Jul 2025 07:50:02 EDT news672043263 Led by Assistant Professor Kou Li, a research group in Chuo University, Japan, has developed chemically enriched photo-thermoelectric (PTE) imagers using semiconducting carbon nanotube (CNT) films, resulting in the achievement of enhanced response intensity and noise reduction, that enables efficient remote and on-site inspections, according to a recent paper publication in Communications Materials. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-chemically-enriched-carbon-nanotube-boost.html Nanophysics Tue, 15 Jul 2025 12:10:01 EDT news671800024 Researchers have developed a wireless implantable drug delivery system that enables anticancer drugs to penetrate deep into solid tumors—without harming surrounding healthy tissue. The multidisciplinary team, led by experts in materials science, bioelectronics, and pharmaceutical engineering, offers a new strategy to enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy while minimizing side effects. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-wireless-implant-chemotherapy-deep-tumors.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 10 Jul 2025 14:10:04 EDT news671373460 Researchers have published the demonstration of a fully-integrated single-chip microwave photonics system, combining optical and microwave signal processing on a single silicon chip. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-programmable-solution-higher-wireless-communication.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 05 Jun 2025 12:16:03 EDT news668344561