Phys.org news

Phys.org / Light-powered propulsion expands space exploration possibilities

Reaching the nearest star system, Alpha Centauri, would take hundreds of thousands of years using current rocket propulsion technology. Researchers in the J. Mike Walker '66 Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M ...

Apr 22, 2026
Phys.org / Beneath Arctic ice, a vast fossil fuel footprint is colliding with Indigenous lands and wildlife

Arctic fossil fuel development shows significant overlaps with Indigenous communities and ecologically sensitive areas, which might support calls from some scientists to keep Arctic fossil fuels in the ground, according to ...

Apr 22, 2026
Phys.org / Monkeys in Gibraltar self-medicate with soil to help them digest tourists' junk food

Monkeys in a tourism hotspot have learned that swallowing dirt can quell the upset stomachs caused by overconsumption of sweet and salty snacks fed to them by holidaymakers, a new University of Cambridge-led study suggests. ...

Apr 22, 2026
Phys.org / Laser-plasma 'mirror' unlocks a new path to extreme light intensities

An international team of physicists has achieved a significant advance in laser science, demonstrating for the first time a practical route to dramatically boosting the intensity of high-power laser light.

Apr 22, 2026
Phys.org / NASA's Curiosity rover uncovers metal‑rich hotspot tied to ancient Martian lake

A team of scientists using the ChemCam instrument on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has discovered the highest amounts of iron, manganese, and zinc ever found together in Gale Crater on Mars. Minerals with these metals were ...

Apr 22, 2026
Phys.org / Quantum simulations that bypass resolution limits offer insights into high-temperature superconductivity

A new method developed at LMU overcomes fundamental resolution limits and may provide insights into high-temperature superconductivity. Physicist Dr. Sebastian Paeckel has developed a method that can be used to calculate ...

Apr 22, 2026
Phys.org / Engineered soil bacterial protein kills colorectal cancer cells by targeting their mitochondria

Researchers at Umeå University have turned a protein from soil bacteria into a potential new weapon against colorectal cancer. Their study published in Cell Death Discovery shows how an engineered bacterial protein can trigger ...

Apr 22, 2026
Phys.org / How cells turn mechanical forces into biochemical signals

Cells constantly probe their environments, searching for physical cues that guide their behavior. And yet a cell's response to its environment is always biochemical, mediated by the chemistry of its internal protein machinery. ...

Apr 22, 2026
Phys.org / Turning vibrations into value—a new catalyst converts CO₂ into useful CO

Researchers at The University of Osaka have developed a catalyst that uses vibrational energy to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into carbon monoxide (CO), an important industrial feedstock. The work, published in the Journal ...

Apr 22, 2026
Phys.org / AI for molecular simulations may not need built-in physics to deliver strong results

Simulating how atoms and molecules move over time is a central challenge in computational chemistry and materials science. Classical machine learning approaches to molecular dynamics (MD) encode fundamental physical principles ...

Apr 22, 2026
Phys.org / ATLAS sets record limits on Higgs boson's self-interaction

One of the biggest open questions in particle physics today is how the Higgs boson interacts with itself. This "self-coupling" could help explain the evolution of the early universe and the mechanism that gives mass to elementary ...

Apr 22, 2026
Phys.org / Hidden nest cameras debunk long-standing myth about how cuckoos lay their eggs

An international team of ornithologists has overturned one of the oldest assumptions in natural history by directly documenting how common cuckoos lay their eggs in host nests located inside cavities. The findings, published ...

Apr 22, 2026