Phys.org news
Phys.org / A new 'golden age' of mathematics may be dawning, thanks to AI and human ingenuity
In May 2026, OpenAI released a new math result that sent shock waves throughout the world of mathematical research. A major unsolved problem called the "unit distance conjecture" had just been resolved by generative AI.
Phys.org / Materials surrounding a fusion reaction can dramatically increase how often it occurs
Fusion at high temperatures powers the sun and, if harnessed, could provide a potential source of energy here on Earth. But controlling fusion reactions has other benefits. The process also generates subatomic particles called ...
Phys.org / Quantum Newton's cradle set to level up computing
Sending quantum information through a chain of qubits, like energy through a Newton's cradle, could be the key to faster operations and take quantum computing to the next level.
Phys.org / Exploring the lost golden age of language diversity before expanding empires drove a global decline
Today, people speak or sign around 7,500 languages. Yet this figure provides only a snapshot of a constantly changing history. How many languages existed before written records? Did agriculture reduce linguistic diversity ...
Phys.org / Striped or checkered? Magnetic field influences competing electronic patterns in a graphene-like quantum material
In most everyday materials, such as copper, silver and silicon, the behavior of electrons is relatively predictable. In quantum materials, however, electrons can interact in complex ways, giving rise to collective electronic ...
Phys.org / Training microbes to prepare soils for the impacts of climate change
Scientists at the University of Lincoln have discovered a promising new way to help protect crops from one of climate change's growing threats to global food production—increasing soil salinity.
Phys.org / Human impacts rewrite the rules of island biodiversity around the globe
A new study reveals that human activities have fundamentally reshaped biodiversity patterns on islands across the globe, with important implications for how scientists understand ecology, evolution and conservation.
Phys.org / Not every meal has the same impact: Researchers reveal the hidden footprint of our food
Leiden environmental researchers have mapped the environmental footprint of different diets and revealed which population groups have the greatest impact through their food choices. Their findings show where efforts to make ...
Phys.org / Plant diversity boosts natural pest control in farms, while forests and grasslands follow different rules
Plant diversity has long been regarded as key to stable and resilient ecosystems. However, until now, little has been understood about why it has different effects in agricultural areas than in grasslands or forests. An international ...
Phys.org / Colorado basins supplying 70% of Lake Powell's water face major midcentury shortages
If the Colorado River Basin is the lifeblood of the American Southwest, keeping the region's agricultural, ecological and economic systems thriving, Colorado's West Slope River basins could be considered the heart. Together, ...
Phys.org / Shaking atoms to bring black-hole quantum chaos into the lab
Physicists have discovered a surprisingly simple way to reproduce one of the most fascinating models in modern physics—linked to black holes, quantum chaos and exotic electronic materials—using ultracold atoms trapped in ...
Phys.org / Spent coffee grounds reveal a route to biodiesel and other bio-based products
Coffee grounds that usually end up being thrown away can have a second life as a raw material for producing biofuels and other high-value-added products. A study by the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) has evaluated how ...
