Phys.org news

Phys.org / Famous oddball quasar isn't X-ray weak after all, astronomers say

For more than two decades, the quasar PHL 1811 has been considered the prototype of a rare class of "intrinsically X-ray weak" quasars, thought to produce unusually little X-ray radiation. But in 2024, the Einstein Probe ...

Aug 12, 2026
Phys.org / Hurricane Hunter data reveal early signs of strengthening tropical cyclones

Before tropical cyclones can significantly strengthen, they generally must first become vertically aligned, with their rotating centers stacked through the atmosphere. New research using nearly three decades of NOAA Hurricane ...

Aug 12, 2026
Phys.org / Unfamiliar with rattlesnakes, blackbirds still avoid striking them while defending nests

In a rare study of snakes as nest predators, scientists found nesting birds were loath to strike rattlesnakes even though they likely had no previous experience with vipers.

Aug 12, 2026
Phys.org / New evidence helps solve how earliest birds took flight

The first bird to inhabit Earth used its robust hind legs to make two or three powerful leaps while flapping its way to flight, according to a study by the University of Southampton published in Developmental Biology.

Aug 12, 2026
Phys.org / A dying star offers a rare glimpse of how the universe recycles its raw materials

Astronomers have captured an unprecedented image of a cosmic recycling project in progress—fragments of a dying star being busted up, stripped and absorbed into interstellar space.

Aug 12, 2026
Phys.org / Models of glacial collapse in Antarctica improve predictions of sea-level rise

With approximately one-third of the world's population living within a day's walk of a coastline, sea-level rise poses a serious global threat. Every centimeter of sea-level rise could displace 1.5 million people, and current ...

Aug 12, 2026
Phys.org / Severe weather now a key predictor of where bird species occur in North America

Scorching heat waves, severe cold snaps and other extreme weather events are limiting where species can exist—and affecting biodiversity estimates—for more than 500 North American bird species, according to a new, Yale–led ...

Aug 12, 2026
Phys.org / Quantum advantage reassessed: More realistic benchmarks for quantum algorithms

Quantum advantage refers to the point at which a quantum computer solves a clearly defined task faster or more efficiently than any classical computer—or makes it solvable in the first place. For many practical applications, ...

Aug 12, 2026
Phys.org / Mirage or miracle? JWST finds earliest known 'black hole star' at cosmic dawn

Little red dots have puzzled astronomers since their discovery in James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) data from the universe's deep past. Their "powering engines" might resemble a newly discovered phenomenon dubbed a "black ...

Aug 12, 2026
Phys.org / Stellar stream beyond Milky Way offers new tool to map dark matter

In the image above, a faint trail of stars can be seen stretching across the galaxy. These structures, known as globular cluster stellar streams, are coherent stellar structures that retain a record of their dynamical history ...

Aug 12, 2026
Phys.org / Europe's worst medieval flood highlights risk of successive extreme events

New research involving the University of Liverpool has provided comprehensive insights into the largest flood event in Europe over the past millennium—the flood traditionally known as "St. Mary Magdalene's Flood" of 1342.

Aug 12, 2026
Phys.org / Microbes turn CO₂ into protein and vitamin B9 at commercially viable prices

Researchers are developing biotechnological processes that enable microbes to produce proteins and vitamins for human consumption using basic chemical ingredients, such as carbon dioxide, hydrogen and oxygen—entirely bypassing ...

Aug 12, 2026