Phys.org news

Phys.org / Ancient graves and DNA uncover family bonds that went beyond genetics

You probably have a member of your family that you're not related to by blood—a step-parent, an adopted cousin, your mom's best friend who you grew up calling your aunt. They're indisputably part of your family, but a DNA ...

Apr 14, 2026
Phys.org / Simple rules guide how proteins assemble and evolve, study finds

Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev have identified simple rules that explain how complex protein structures assemble correctly and remain functional over time, despite having many theoretically possible configurations. ...

Apr 14, 2026
Phys.org / Smart cable sharing gives quantum computers a big boost

A major obstacle in the development of powerful quantum computers is the growing number of cables required to control a computer as the number of qubits increases. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden ...

Apr 14, 2026
Phys.org / Young stars dim quickly in their X-ray output, potentially benefiting orbiting planets

Scientists have found that young stellar cousins of our sun are calming down and dimming more quickly in their X-ray output than previously thought, according to a new study using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. A paper ...

Apr 14, 2026
Phys.org / Mirror-positioning method could make quantum gravity tests possible

In quantum physics, objects can exist in multiple states at the same time—a phenomenon known as quantum superposition, where a particle does not have a single definite value of position or momentum until it is measured. A ...

Apr 14, 2026
Phys.org / The once-theoretical skyrmion could unlock supercomputing memory

When looking to the future of information technology, researchers have pinpointed a once-theoretical particle-like structure: the skyrmion. Magnetic skyrmions are very stable structures found on micromagnetic materials that ...

Apr 14, 2026
Phys.org / Information from starquakes provides theoretical evidence for 'fossilized' magnetism in stars

For the first time, new theoretical models, published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, connect the magnetism at the surface of long-dead stellar remnants (white dwarfs) with recent evidence of magnetism at the cores of their ...

Apr 14, 2026
Phys.org / Quantum simulations tackle photon polarization flip, but today's hardware falls short

For the last 80 years, the theory of quantum electrodynamics (QED), which describes all electromagnetic interactions, has been a cornerstone of the standard model, withstanding the scrutiny of countless experiments and agreeing ...

Apr 14, 2026
Phys.org / Picky methane-consuming microorganisms prefer carbon monoxide, opening the door to more greenhouse gas release

Research by microbiologists Reinier Egas and Cornelia Welte of Radboud University shows that many methane-consuming microorganisms actually prefer carbon monoxide over methane. When carbon monoxide is present, they consume ...

Apr 14, 2026
Phys.org / Next-generation atomic clock successfully tested at sea

Adelaide University researchers have successfully tested a new type of portable atomic clock at sea for the first time, using technology that could help power the next generation of navigation, communications and scientific ...

Apr 14, 2026
Phys.org / AI spots hidden behavior patterns in self-organizing bacteria

Life moves in mysterious ways—and perhaps especially so for organisms that undergo dramatic shifts in levels of self-organization, such as Myxococcus xanthus. A custom-built artificial intelligence system developed by Rice ...

Apr 14, 2026
Phys.org / Catching distant gamma-ray explosions with precisely aligned X-ray optics

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) rank among the most powerful explosions in the universe, releasing immense energy in intense flashes of gamma rays. The most distant GRBs originate from the era when the first stars and galaxies formed. ...

Apr 14, 2026