Closing your eyes might not help you hear better after all
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 1-May-2026 16:16 ET (1-May-2026 20:16 GMT/UTC)
In JASA, researchers test whether a person closing their eyes can really hear better in noisy environments. Volunteers listened to sounds through headphones amid background noise, adjusting the volume of the sounds until they could barely make them out. This test was conducted with eyes closed, then with eyes open but looking at a blank screen, looking at a still picture corresponding to the sound, and looking at a video matching up with the sound. Closed eyes impaired their ability to detect sounds.
In the journal Chaos, researchers use nonlinear dynamics to calculate the dose of medication required to treat eczema, exploring why flare-ups happen and how to improve treatment outcomes. They divided their mathematical approach into two regimes: suppressing an active flare-up and keeping the condition in remission. The. In the first phase, the amount of medication required — as determined by the skin’s permeability and the patient’s immune response — scales proportionally and predictably, but in the second phase, the relationship is highly nonlinear.
AIP and APS are honored to award Charles Thorn with the 2026 Dannie Heineman Prize for Mathematical Physics. Thorn is being recognized for “fundamental contributions to elementary particle physics, primarily the theory of strong interactions and the development of string theory.” This annual award recognizes significant contributions within the field of mathematical physics and was presented at the APS Global Physics Summit in Denver on March 16.
Scientists have developed a new material that can use sunlight and water to convert carbon dioxide (CO₂) into carbon monoxide (CO) – a key building block for making fuels, plastics, pharmaceuticals and other everyday chemicals.
A comprehensive review published in SCIENCE CHINA Chemistry explores the Chiral Induced Spin Selectivity effect in chiral nanomaterials—a quantum phenomenon where electron spin is filtered by chiral structures without external magnets. The work details underlying mechanisms like spin-orbit coupling and spin filtering, advanced characterization techniques, and transformative applications in spintronics, electrocatalysis, and photocatalysis. These insights pave the way for energy-efficient electronics, selective chemical production, and sustainable energy technologies.