Phys.org news

Phys.org / Sea anemones reveal antiviral defense that reverses human immune playbook

A new study has uncovered a previously unknown antiviral defense mechanism in sea anemones, revealing that animals may have evolved more than one way to fight viral infections. Researchers discovered that a protein resembling ...

Jun 26, 2026
Phys.org / Unknown 4,000-year-old stone circle in Belfast uncovered by archaeologists

Archaeologists have uncovered an unknown stone circle that dates back at least 4,000 years to the Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age and was most likely used for ritual activities.

Jun 26, 2026
Phys.org / Scientists find evidence of vast hidden magma systems inside Mars

Researchers from the University of Oxford have uncovered evidence that Mars once hosted enormous, Earth-like magmatic systems deep beneath its surface—despite the planet lacking the plate tectonics long thought necessary ...

Jun 26, 2026
Phys.org / Clean crystal surface lets single molecules hit ultimate quantum limit

Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light (MPL) have developed a technique for interrogating molecules on surfaces with spectroscopic precision, thereby reaching the ultimate quantum limit for the first ...

Jun 26, 2026
Phys.org / Pegasus launch to deploy LINK for months‑long orbit boost of aging Swift

A mission to raise the orbit of NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory is poised for launch no earlier than Tuesday, June 30, at 6:23 a.m. EDT (10:23 p.m. UTC+12), from Kwajalein Atoll, part of the Republic of the Marshall ...

Jun 26, 2026
Phys.org / Ancient ocean circulation reversed Atlantic and Pacific oxygen patterns 15 million years ago

The eastern tropical Pacific Ocean is known for its large low-oxygen zones that are increasing in size, putting marine life at risk. New research shows that 15 million years ago, the opposite was true.

Jun 26, 2026
Phys.org / Semiconductor quantum dots 'reawaken' predicted Rabi oscillations, boosting quantum control

Physicists at Paderborn University have, for the first time, experimentally demonstrated the so-called "return" of Rabi oscillations in semiconductor quantum dots. The phenomenon, which was first predicted theoretically in ...

Jun 26, 2026
Phys.org / Wastewater management reverses widespread freshwater deoxygenation in China

Freshwater ecosystems worldwide have been suffering from declining oxygen levels—a trend known as deoxygenation—that threatens biodiversity, fisheries and ecosystem stability. However, a new study published in Nature Geoscience ...

Jun 26, 2026
Phys.org / Novel crystal strategy delivers near-perfect zero thermal expansion from 11 K to 893 K

Almost every material expands when heated. Well-known examples include railroad tracks and concrete roadways, which feature visible expansion gaps to accommodate this effect. However, thermal expansion poses a far more acute ...

Jun 26, 2026
Phys.org / Tiny raptor, tiny range: GPS tracking reveals pygmy falcons use less than 1 km² to raise nestlings

A new study, published in the Journal of Raptor Research, reveals that Africa's smallest diurnal bird of prey, the pygmy falcon (Polihierax semitorquatus), operates within one of the smallest breeding home ranges ever recorded ...

Jun 26, 2026
Phys.org / Glass cells of atoms offer a new path to smarter, cheaper sensors

More accurate navigation systems and improved wireless communications may not come from traditional electronics, but rather from atoms. Researchers at Penn State and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) ...

Jun 26, 2026
Phys.org / European heatwave's unlikely accomplice: An ocean 'cold blob'

The heat wave battering Europe may have an unlikely partner in crime: a patch of cold ocean water south of Iceland and Greenland that can influence weather patterns over the continent.

Jun 26, 2026