Phys.org news
Phys.org / Scientists discover recent tectonic activity on the moon
Scientists have produced the first global map and analysis of small mare ridges (SMRs) on the moon, a characteristic geological feature of tectonic activity. Published in The Planetary Science Journal Dec. 24, 2025, the analysis ...
Phys.org / Warming winters are disrupting the hidden world of fungi—the result can shift mountain grasslands to scrub
When you look out across a snowy winter landscape, it might seem like nature is fast asleep. Yet, under the surface, tiny organisms are hard at work, consuming the previous year's dead plant material and other organic matter.
Phys.org / Nitrogen pollution is rising: What a new global map means for forest carbon
On a cool spring morning in a northern forest, the ground feels soft underfoot. Mist hangs between the trunks, and the air smells of wet leaves and old humus; the slow alchemy that keeps a forest alive. Beneath the surface, ...
Phys.org / A bacterium's built-in compass, explained: Single-cell magnetometry confirms Earth-field alignment
Some bacterial species possess an astonishing ability: They use Earth's magnetic field to orient themselves. To better understand this mechanism, the team led by Argovia-Professor Martino Poggio from the Swiss Nanoscience ...
Phys.org / World's smallest QR code, read via electron microscope, earns Guinness recognition
Just how small can a QR code be? Small enough that it can only be recognized with an electron microscope. A research team at TU Wien, working together with the data storage technology company Cerabyte, has now demonstrated ...
Phys.org / Physicists observe polaron formation for the first time
When an electron travels through a polar crystalline solid, its negative charge attracts the positively charged atomic cores, causing the surrounding crystal lattice to deform. The electron and lattice distortion then move ...
Phys.org / Prehistoric fossil poses puzzles in shark research
A newly examined prehistoric shark from the age of dinosaurs provides surprising insights into the early evolution of modern sharks. It cannot be confidently assigned to any shark order that exists today and thus calls into ...
Phys.org / A yeast enzyme helps human cells overcome mitochondrial defects
Nucleotide synthesis—the production of the basic components of DNA and RNA—is essential for cell growth and division. In most animal cells, this process depends closely on properly functioning mitochondria, the organelles ...
Phys.org / Gotland hunter-gatherer graves hint at how Stone Age families organized
A woman was buried with two children, but they were not her own. In another grave, two children were placed. They were not siblings and were more distantly related, perhaps cousins. In a new study published in the Proceedings ...
Phys.org / Rhythm during sex in bonobos provides new insights into the evolution of communication
An international research team, including VUB data scientist Yannick Jadoul, has shed new light on the rhythmic nature of sexual behavior in bonobos. By precisely analyzing the tempo of movements during sex, researchers aim ...
Phys.org / JWST spots most distant jellyfish galaxy to date
Astrophysicists from the University of Waterloo have observed a new jellyfish galaxy, the most distant one of its kind ever captured. Jellyfish galaxies are named for the long, tentacle-like streams that trail behind them. ...
Phys.org / New amplifier design promises less noise, more gain for quantum computers
The low-noise, high-gain properties needed for high-performance quantum computing can be realized in a microwave photonic circuit device called a Josephson traveling-wave parametric amplifier (JTWPA), RIKEN researchers have ...
