Phys.org news

Phys.org / Direct observation reveals 'two-in-one' roles of plasma turbulence

Producing fusion energy requires heating plasma to more than one hundred million degrees and confining it stably with strong magnetic fields. However, plasma naturally develops fluctuations known as turbulence, and they carry ...

Dec 10, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Oxygen scavenger doubles biosensor accuracy for medical and agricultural uses

Biosensors are helping people with chronic conditions worldwide live better lives. However, their measurement accuracy has often been relatively low, limiting the range of possible applications. Researchers at the Technical ...

Dec 10, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Termite pellet microbes provide timeline for home infestation detection

Termite pellets can linger long after the insects that dropped them have disappeared. By testing for microbes in the excrement, researchers can distinguish old droppings from fresh, and whether a colony is actively chewing ...

Dec 10, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Detecting antibiotic resistance more reliably: AI tool reduces false positives

Researchers at University Medicine Oldenburg have developed an AI tool that delivers fewer false-positive results than conventional screening methods when testing bacteria for resistance to reserve antibiotics. The research ...

Dec 10, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Genomic study reveals hidden pathways driving Minnesota's zebra mussel spread

A team of scientists at the University of Minnesota has uncovered the routes by which zebra mussels spread through Minnesota lakes, pointing to some surprising bodies of water that were the likely origins for the period of ...

Dec 10, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / CERN upbeat as China halts particle accelerator mega-project

The chief of the CERN physics laboratory says China's decision to pause its major particle accelerator project presents an "opportunity" to ensure Europe's rival plan goes ahead.

Dec 9, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / A new traveling-wave Josephson amplifier with built-in reverse isolation

Traveling-wave parametric amplifiers (TWPAs) are electronic devices that boost weak microwave signals (i.e., electromagnetic waves with frequencies typically ranging between 1 and 100 GHz). Recently, many engineers have been ...

Dec 9, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Short-lived optical flare AT2022zod is an unusual tidal disruption event, astronomers find

An international team of astronomers has investigated a short-lived optical flare designated AT2022zod. As a result, they found evidence indicating that this flare is an unusual tidal disruption event. The findings were presented ...

Dec 9, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Adult female bark spiders produce superior and tougher silk than males do

Dragline silk or major ampullate (MA) silk, the part of a spider's web that forms the main frame and spokes, is one of the toughest materials known to science. That is, it can absorb massive amounts of energy from a sudden ...

Dec 9, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Humans rank between meerkats and beavers in monogamy 'league table'

Humans are far closer to meerkats and beavers for levels of exclusive mating than we are to most of our primate cousins, according to a new University of Cambridge study that includes a table ranking monogamy rates in various ...

Dec 9, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Black hole ejects matter at 20% light speed in sun-like magnetic event

An international team of astronomers, led by SRON, has observed a sudden outburst of matter near the supermassive black hole NGC 3783 at speeds reaching up to 20% of the speed of light. During a 10-day observation, mainly ...

Dec 9, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Antarctica's only native insect is already eating microplastics

A global research team led by researchers from the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment has found that Antarctica's only native insect is already ingesting microplastics, even ...

Dec 9, 2025 in Earth