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Phys.org / Big supernova dataset challenges dark energy theory

The most comprehensive catalog of exploding white dwarf stars ever assembled has revealed new clues about dark energy, the mysterious force driving the universe's accelerating expansion. Researchers at The University of Queensland's ...

Sep 8, 2026
Phys.org / Do black holes grow along with the universe? A new study says yes

We know the universe is constantly expanding. We also know that gravitationally bound objects, such as solar systems and black holes, seem to be immune to that expansion. But a new paper by theoretical physicists Valerio ...

Sep 8, 2026
Phys.org / Brain's ability to hear a musical beat remains distinctly human, study suggests

The seemingly trivial ability to hear a regular pulse in music is a remarkable—and perhaps distinctively human—feature of the brain. In a wide-ranging critical review, Gábor Háden of the HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural ...

Sep 11, 2026
Phys.org / 1,000 times faster operations bring reliable quantum computing a step closer

So far, quantum computers have been held back by their extreme sensitivity to errors and external disturbances. The longer a quantum operation takes, the greater the risk of computational errors.

Sep 10, 2026
Phys.org / Luminescence dating pushes age of South Dakota's Mammoth Site back by more than 100,000 years

Deep within an ancient sinkhole lie the remains of dozens of mammoths, prehistoric wanderers who waded into the warm springs to their deaths. These deaths had long been accepted as having occurred roughly 26,000 years ago, ...

Sep 13, 2026
Phys.org / Gravitational-wave analysis narrows the search for black hole impostors

Black holes are regions of spacetime where gravity is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape. When two black holes orbit each other and merge, they produce gravitational waves (i.e., ripples in spacetime) that ...

Sep 13, 2026
Phys.org / There's nothing irrational about resisting AI

If you read about AI, you'll find a widespread belief: When people don't want to use AI, it's because they're afraid or just don't understand it. They're afraid of losing their jobs or of change generally. Or they don't understand ...

Sep 10, 2026
Phys.org / Scientists discover a strange new form of ice that could help explain the interiors of Neptune and Uranus

Scientists have discovered that there is ice deep inside planets like Neptune and Uranus and want to find out what form it takes and how it behaves. They cannot dig for it and transport it all the way back to Earth, so they ...

Sep 11, 2026
Phys.org / No cities on the moon—there isn't enough water, scientists say

The discovery of water in dark craters at the moon's poles has sparked a "moon rush" to establish bases there, followed by villages, cities and heavy industry. How sustainable is this rush?

Sep 14, 2026
Phys.org / White is more than a color: How nature inspired a new sustainable way to make white, water-repellent materials

Look closely at Hokusai's The Great Wave off Kanagawa, one of Japan's most iconic masterpieces. The brilliant white of the waves, snow on Mount Fuji and clouds above contain no white pigment. Instead, their whiteness comes ...

Sep 9, 2026
Phys.org / Tiny 2D cracks creep through materials before triggering sudden fracture, experiments reveal

We have all seen something suddenly break: a phone screen cracks, a plastic object snaps or a piece of glass shatters. To our eyes, the failure seems to happen all at once. But what if the most important part of the break ...

Sep 9, 2026
Phys.org / Southern Ocean may flip from carbon sink to carbon source under mitigation scenarios

Plans to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels depend on reaching net-zero emissions and, in many cases, actively removing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air. While this helps limit extreme ...

Sep 12, 2026