Phys.org news

Phys.org / Referee decisions in soccer frequently overturned following VAR-assisted review: No external influences found

In an analysis of a video-assisted, pitch-side review of soccer (UK football) referee calls in the English Premier League, referees overturned their original call 95% of the time. However, these decisions had no statistical ...

Apr 15, 2026
Phys.org / CO₂ emissions from cultivated peat soils may be lower than assumed

Organic soils cover less than 9% of Norway's land area, and about 65,000 hectares are currently used as agricultural land. Emissions from these areas are presently estimated at more than 2 million tons of CO₂ equivalents ...

Apr 15, 2026
Dialog / Not so dark with Alena Tensor: Math framework could explain dark matter without invisible particles

Alena Tensor is a relatively new mathematical approach that allows for arbitrary curving and straightening of analyzed spacetimes. As it turns out, generalizing this model to all known fields and fully describing matter, ...

Apr 14, 2026
Phys.org / Torsion balances set strongest direct limits yet on ultralight dark matter

Dark matter is believed to make up a large fraction of the matter in the universe, yet its true nature remains unknown. Most past experiments have focused on heavier dark matter candidates, while much lighter dark matter, ...

Apr 14, 2026
Phys.org / This nasal spray rewinds the aging brain, restoring memory and reversing inflammation in preclinical models

Picture this: your brain is a high-performance engine. Over decades, it doesn't just wear down, it also starts to run hot. Tiny "fires" of inflammation smolder deep within the brain's memory center, creating a persistent ...

Apr 14, 2026
Phys.org / Ethiopia's Afar Rift provides glimpse into life and death 100,000 years ago

The study of ancient cultures around Ethiopia during the Middle Stone Age (MSA) time period is important for understanding how some of the first Homo sapiens lived and eventually left Africa. Unfortunately, there are not ...

Apr 14, 2026
Phys.org / Bonobos' peaceful reputation cracks after a rival group attack leaves an infant dead

Bonobos are often described as gentle apes, generally calm primates that are seen as peacemakers in the animal kingdom. But this reputation may be coming under attack as a new study published in Scientific Reports reveals ...

Apr 14, 2026
Phys.org / Copper blasted into a million-degree plasma strips away 22 electrons in a flash before atoms recover

When laser flashes hit matter, electrons are knocked off their orbits around the atomic nuclei. This can generate extremely hot plasmas composed of charged particles—ions and electrons. Researchers at HZDR have now observed ...

Apr 14, 2026
Phys.org / Chandra explores interstellar medium of a bright low-mass X-ray binary

Using NASA's Chandra X-ray space telescope, astronomers have performed high-resolution X-ray spectroscopic observations of a bright low-mass X-ray binary known as GX 340+0. Results of the observational campaign, published ...

Apr 14, 2026
Phys.org / Droplet impacts reveal surprising physics in shear-thickening fluids

From ketchup to quicksand, non-Newtonian fluids have long fascinated and puzzled scientists. Unlike ordinary fluids, their flow properties change depending on how much force is applied, but the precise mechanics governing ...

Apr 14, 2026
Phys.org / Super magma reservoirs discovered beneath Tuscany

How can magma buried 5, 10, or even 15 km underground be detected without any surface indicators? The answer lies in ambient noise tomography, a technique that analyzes natural ground vibrations with high precision. A team ...

Apr 14, 2026
Phys.org / Birds that put more energy into parenthood age faster and die younger, research shows

In a new study, appearing in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, scientists selectively bred Japanese quails into two groups: laying either relatively large or small eggs. As the quails don't do much ...

Apr 14, 2026