Phys.org news

Phys.org / Nova V612 Scuti's light curve becomes audio, revealing how stellar shocks evolved

Researchers in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at Texas Tech University recently used audio to represent the spectacular explosion of a star in deep space while also delving into the data to better understand how the ...

Jun 29, 2026
Phys.org / Why people worldwide see some mental abilities as inborn and others as learned

When does a child begin to reason? When do they develop self-control? Are some mental abilities present from birth, while others are acquired through experience? Questions like these have fascinated philosophers, educators ...

Jun 29, 2026
Phys.org / Understudied enzyme helps S. aureus pathogen prosper, study finds

A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has offered insight into how Staphylococcus aureus, a major human pathogen, fine-tunes its internal machinery to survive stress and potentially ...

Jun 29, 2026
Phys.org / Gold-laced nanoparticles could eventually spot and treat endometriosis without surgery

Endometriosis is a painful, common condition affecting women worldwide, but treatment and diagnosis options are scarce. A new University of Mississippi-led study may have found an answer to both problems.

Jun 29, 2026
Phys.org / Structural blueprint for RNA therapeutics reveals why some siRNA molecules work better than others

RNA interference is a natural mechanism for living cells to control whether specific genes are being used. Crowned with the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, the discovery of RNA interference has since been harnessed ...

Jun 29, 2026
Phys.org / UV light patterns thermochromic crystals without damage, unlocking color-changing designs

Color-changing mood rings, forehead fever strips and car-shade indicators all change hues as they warm and cool, thanks to a phenomenon called thermochromism. On a smaller scale, thermochromism is used in nanotechnologies ...

Jun 29, 2026
Phys.org / Uncovering the trigger behind slow earthquakes

New research led by the University of New England's Dr. Timothy Chapman has uncovered the trigger behind slow earthquakes, providing valuable answers for those living in disaster-prone areas. The research has been published ...

Jun 29, 2026
Phys.org / Synthetic chemical framework can switch magnetic spin states at near ambient temperatures

There is growing demand for smart materials that can change their physical properties in response to various external stimuli such as light, heat, pressure, magnetic fields and electric fields. One such physical property ...

Jun 29, 2026
Phys.org / Nanopore technology identifies proteins molecule by molecule

Proteins are responsible for most functions in the human body. However, their analysis, which is essential for understanding diseases, developing drugs and discovering new biomarkers, remains highly complex. Using a technology ...

Jun 29, 2026
Phys.org / Switching spin states in manganese ions with light opens new path for molecular memory

Researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) have developed a new way to use molecules as tiny data storage devices with a new manganese-based material. Until now, this was possible only with iron-containing molecular ...

Jun 29, 2026
Phys.org / Tiny DNA 'hitchhikers' may be reshaping life in thawing Arctic soils

Amid the peatlands of northern Sweden, billions of microbes are quietly rewriting their genetic playbooks—and doing so far more often than scientists realized.

Jun 29, 2026
Phys.org / Reanalysis suggests 'Phoebe' is a variable star, not a primordial black hole

A new study debunks a recent claim that astronomers may have detected a lunar-mass primordial black hole. In a reanalysis of observations from the Dark Energy Camera (DECam), researchers found that the star nicknamed "Phoebe" ...

Jun 28, 2026