Phys.org news

Phys.org / Newly engineered giant superatoms show promise for reliable quantum state transfer

Quantum technologies are systems that leverage quantum mechanical effects to perform computations, share information or perform other functions. These systems rely on quantum states, which need to be reliably transferred ...

Dec 15, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Massive rock layer beneath Bermuda may explain island's unusual elevation

Bermuda may well be associated with exaggerated stories of missing ships and planes, but there is another mystery about this part of the Atlantic that has been puzzling scientists for decades: Why does the island appear to ...

Dec 15, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Astronomers find planetary and stellar companions to two ultracool dwarfs in Taurus

Astronomers from the University of Hawai'i (UH) at Manoa and elsewhere have observed the Taurus star-forming region, which resulted in the discovery of planetary-mass and stellar companions of two ultracool dwarf stars. The ...

Dec 15, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Italian bears living near villages have evolved to be smaller and less aggressive, finds study

A paper in Molecular Biology and Evolution, reports that Italian bears living in areas with many villages evolved and became smaller and less aggressive.

Dec 15, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Rare, deep-sea encounter: Scientists observe 'extraordinary' seven-arm octopus

Almost a half-mile below the surface of Monterey Bay, California, scientists have recorded rare footage of a seven-arm octopus— only the fourth time the same research team has spotted the species in about four decades.

Dec 15, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Scientists develop a smarter mRNA therapy that knows which cells to target

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have developed a first-of-its-kind mRNA system that switches on therapeutic genes preferentially inside targeted cells—an advance demonstrated in studies in mice ...

Dec 15, 2025 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Ancient genetic 'start' signal found in bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes

A newly discovered promoter element "start" points to a shared regulatory syntax for controlling transcription initiation in bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes.

Dec 15, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Synthetic key enzyme enables the conversion of CO₂ into formic acid

For a carbon-neutral bioeconomy, processes are needed that can efficiently capture CO2 and convert it into valuable products. Formic acid, or more specifically its salt, formate, is considered a promising candidate as it ...

Dec 15, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / From cages to fields: Lab mice lose their anxiety after a week outdoors

When postdoctoral researcher Matthew Zipple releases lab mice into a large, enclosed field just off Cornell's campus, something remarkable happens.

Dec 15, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / NASA's Roman telescope will observe thousands of newfound cosmic voids

Our universe is filled with galaxies, in all directions as far as our instruments can see. Some researchers estimate that there are as many as 2 trillion galaxies in the observable universe. At first glance, these galaxies ...

Dec 15, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Integrative quantum chemistry method unlocks secrets of advanced materials

A new computational approach developed at the University of Chicago promises to shed light on some of the world's most puzzling materials—from high-temperature superconductors to solar cell semiconductors—by uniting two ...

Dec 15, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / A hormone can access the brain by 'hitchhiking' on extracellular vesicles, researchers discover

Researchers at Touro University Nevada have discovered that tiny particles in the blood, called extracellular vesicles (EVs), are a major player in how a group of hormones are shuttled through the body. Physical exercise ...

Dec 15, 2025 in Nanotechnology