Phys.org news

Phys.org / Marriage or moving in? Study explains what lifts happiness after 50

Who says that butterflies in the stomach are only for the young? A new study by psychologist Iris Wahring from the University of Vienna and her international team shows that when people over 50 enter into a new relationship ...

Feb 18, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / New 'Mars GPS' lets Perseverance pinpoint its location within 25 centimeters

Imagine you're all alone, driving along in a rocky, unforgiving desert with no roads, no map, no GPS, and no more than one phone call a day for someone to inform you exactly where you are. That's what NASA's Perseverance ...

Feb 18, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Chemistry-powered 'breathing' membrane opens and closes tiny pores on its own

Ion channels are narrow passageways that play a pivotal role in many biological processes. To model how ions move through these tight spaces, pores need to be fabricated at very small length scales. The narrowest regions ...

Feb 18, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Plant-based material offers sustainable method of recovering rare earth element

Despite rare earth elements' importance in manufacturing cell phones, magnets and a host of other consumer and commercial electronics, the lack of a sustainable, environmentally friendly approach to obtaining these metals ...

Feb 18, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Quantum simulator reveals statistical localization that keeps most qubit states frozen

In the everyday world, governed by classical physics, the concept of equilibrium reigns. If you put a drop of ink into water, it will eventually evenly mix. If you put a glass of ice water on the kitchen table, it will eventually ...

Feb 18, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Turtles' brains shed light on evolutionary developments dating back hundreds of millions of years

A new study from the School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry, and Biophysics reveals a surprising insight into the operation of the ancestral brain: the visual cortex of turtles is capable of detecting unexpected visual stimuli ...

Feb 18, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Mantle plume vs. plate tectonics: Basalt cores reshape the North Atlantic breakup debate

About 56 million years ago, Europe and North America began pulling apart to form what became the ever-expanding North Atlantic Ocean. Vast amounts of molten rock from Earth's mantle reached the ocean floor as the crust stretched ...

Feb 18, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / From power grids to epidemics: Study shows how small patterns trigger systemic failures

Why do some systems collapse suddenly after what seems like a minor disturbance? A single transmission line failure can cascade into widespread blackouts. A delayed shipment can ripple through a global supply chain, emptying ...

Feb 18, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / New study identifies sequence of critical thresholds for Antarctic ice basins

The Antarctic ice sheet does not behave as one single tipping element, but as a set of interacting basins with different critical thresholds. This is the finding of a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact ...

Feb 18, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / A clearer future: Researchers unveil transparent, plastic-free wood

Researchers at the University of Osaka have developed a highly transparent material made entirely from natural wood without adding plastic and uncovered why some wood becomes clearer than others. Their study reveals that ...

Feb 18, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Microscopic mirrors for future quantum networks: A new way to make high-performance optical resonators

Researchers in the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences have devised a new way to make some of the smallest, smoothest mirrors ever created for controlling ...

Feb 18, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Rewriting our understanding of early hominin dispersal from Africa to Eurasia

What if Homo erectus (H. erectus), the direct ancestor of modern humans, arrived in China much earlier than we thought? Research published in Science Advances may rewrite our understanding of early human dispersal in that ...

Feb 18, 2026 in Other Sciences