Phys.org news

Phys.org / Hiding in plain sight: Discovery of cryptic species could double the number of vertebrates

There may be twice as many vertebrates on the planet as previous estimates claimed, according to a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. That's not because of any errors ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / New 'scimitar-crested' Spinosaurus species discovered in the central Sahara

A paper published in Science describes the discovery of Spinosaurus mirabilis, a new spinosaurid species found in Niger. A 20-person team led by Paul Sereno, Ph.D., Professor of Organismal Biology and Anatomy at the University ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Triplet superconductivity—physicists may have found the missing link for quantum computers

Many physicists are searching for a triplet superconductor. Indeed, we could all do with one, although we may not know it yet—or understand why. Triplet superconductors could be the key to achieving the most energy-efficient ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Helping beekeepers fight mites through more effective treatments

Researchers from the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the University of California, Davis, are helping beekeepers protect their colonies from destructive varroa mites. In a new study, the researchers investigate ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Archived tree cores reveal why boreal forests are getting starved for nitrogen

Despite decades of industrial deposition, nitrogen availability in the boreal forest is steadily declining. In a new study published in Nature, researchers from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences using decades ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / A key out-of-Africa site just got older: Dating methods push 'Ubeidiya site back at least 1.9 million years

A new study provides a clearer timeline for one of the most significant prehistoric sites worldwide for the study of human evolution. By integrating three advanced dating techniques, researchers have determined that the site ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / How fast is the universe expanding? Supernova could provide the answer

That the universe is expanding has been known for almost a hundred years now, but how fast? The exact rate of that expansion remains hotly debated, even challenging the standard model of cosmology. A research team at the ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / New chip-scale microcomb uses lithium niobate to generate evenly spaced light

Applied physicists in the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have discovered a new way to generate ultra-precise, evenly spaced "combs" of laser light on a photonic chip, a breakthrough ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Nanodevice produces continuous electricity from evaporation

A nanodevice developed at EPFL produces an autonomous, stable current from evaporating saltwater by using heat and light to control the movement of ions and electrons. Previously, researchers in the Laboratory of Nanoscience ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Nature-inspired method forms ZnO quantum dots in solid crystals at room temperature

In nature, tiny crystals known as nanocrystals are formed slowly over many years. Rocks and minerals react with air, water, and carbon dioxide in a process called chemical weathering. These reactions happen gently, at room ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Why some objects in space look like snowmen: Gravitational collapse may shed light on contact binaries

Astronomers have long debated why so many icy objects in the outer solar system look like snowmen. Michigan State University researchers now have evidence of the surprisingly simple process that could be responsible for their ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Storms reveal rare 2,000-year-old footprints on Scottish beach

Storms that recently ravaged Britain's coastline have revealed 2,000-year-old footprints on an Angus beach—one of only a handful of locations in the U.K. where markings of this kind have ever been discovered. The imprints ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Other Sciences