News by Topic
Through its diverse portfolio, including its system of laboratory and university programs, DOE promotes interdisciplinary research and the integration of basic and applied science.
Physical Sciences
DOE provides the majority (approximately 90%) of federal support for high-energy and nuclear physics research. This work uses advanced accelerator facilities as well as detectors placed underground and in space to understand the fundamental nature of matter, energy, space, time and the properties and interactions of atomic nuclei and nuclear matter.
One of DOE's long-term goals is to advance plasma science and harness fusion as a viable energy source. To this end, the agency supports research on the physics of plasmas and is exploring innovative paths to fusion energy.
LATEST PHYSICAL SCIENCES NEWS
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 11-Nov-2026 19:17 ET (12-Nov-2026 00:17 GMT/UTC)
New molecular fabric uses much less energy to separate chemicals
University of Texas at Austin
Want to be more productive at work? Show your boss this study
Texas A&M University
Whose voices shape pollution policy?
Northwestern University
Water, war and peace: Dr Peter Gleick explores how water has driven historical conflict, and how it could help to support peace
PLOS
Even in record-breaking high temperatures, schoolchildren in Arizona continue to play outside—with higher perceived and measured outside temperatures surprisingly associated with increased physical activity at recess
PLOS
Busier brain regions can become epicenters for atrophy in multiple sclerosis
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Dust from the Kuiper Belt suggests the outer solar system contains water with heavy oxygen
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
FEMA buyouts, intended to help households move out of flood zones, yield uneven benefits
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Scientists connect sleep-like slow brain waves to hallucinations and poorer cognition in Parkinson’s disease
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Combination therapy overcomes treatment resistance in breast cancer models
University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Research alert: Youth and caregiver reports of mental health issues differ, but both perspectives needed
University of California - San Diego
New USF-led research shows that even cacti are severely threatened in a warmer, drier world
University of South Florida
Shape-shifting rubber blades could make tidal power cheaper
University of Edinburgh
Inspired by networks found in nature, engineers design stronger, more resilient “metamaterials”
Massachusetts Institute of Technology