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New thermal insulator outperforms any material found in nature
Science News

New thermal insulator outperforms any material found in nature

Researchers have engineered a new material that is an extreme thermal insulator, is exceptionally stiff and can be printed as a thin film at large scales. The material has one of the lowest thermal conductivity profiles of any dense, or nonporous, material—approaching the theoretical limit of how good a material can be as a thermal insulator.

📅 2026-09-18 18:00:06    •    Phys.org
Discovery of CRISPR's long lost ancestor may expand gene-editing toolkit
Science News

Discovery of CRISPR's long lost ancestor may expand gene-editing toolkit

CRISPR may be a powerful technology for gene editing, but the system existed in bacteria long before scientists began using it. For billions of years, CRISPR has acted as a natural immune system in bacteria and other microbes, helping defend them against invading viruses. But now, two new studies, published in Science, describe a similar RNA-guided system that originated in the viruses themselves and appears to be a precursor to CRISPR.

📅 2026-09-18 17:20:12    •    Phys.org
Who benefits from tariffs, according to research
Science News

Who benefits from tariffs, according to research

Tariffs are usually debated as trade policy. But a study from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business treats them as something else: a mechanism for redistributing wealth.

📅 2026-09-18 17:20:10    •    Phys.org
Hemp waste cellulose unlocks tougher biodegradable plastics
Science News

Hemp waste cellulose unlocks tougher biodegradable plastics

Korean researchers have developed a method to strengthen biodegradable plastics using hemp hurd, an agricultural byproduct. The approach is expected to be applicable to other large-volume agricultural residues, including soybean stalks and rice straw.

📅 2026-09-18 17:00:04    •    Phys.org
Background hums and buzzes affect human behavior, researcher finds
Science News

Background hums and buzzes affect human behavior, researcher finds

Have you ever stopped and listened to the background sounds in a room you are in? The hum of the ventilation? The buzz of electricity? While most of the time we are barely aware of these sounds, Arthur Jinyue Guo, a researcher at the RITMO Centre for Interdisciplinary Research on Rhythm, Time and Motion, has revealed that they nevertheless affect our behavior.

📅 2026-09-18 17:00:01    •    Phys.org