Phys.org news

Phys.org / Astronomers examine nuclear star cluster of nearby galaxy Messier 74

By analyzing the data from the PHANGS-MUSE survey, an international team of astronomers has inspected a nuclear star cluster of the nearby large spiral galaxy Messier 74. The new study presented Dec. 3 on the arXiv pre-print ...

Dec 11, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Ear piercings marked one of the earliest Maya rites of passage, research shows

In a recent study, Ph.D. candidate Yasmine Flynn-Arajdal studied iconographic representations of children in the Classic (ca. 250–950 AD) and Post-classic (ca. 950–1539 AD) imagery, as well as in ethnohistoric and ethnographic ...

Dec 11, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Tiny optical modulator could enable giant future quantum computers

Researchers have made a major advance in quantum computing with a new device that is nearly 100 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair.

Dec 11, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / The monster hiding in plain sight: JWST reveals cosmic shapeshifter in the early universe

In a glimpse of the early universe, astronomers have observed a galaxy as it appeared just 800 million years after the Big Bang—a cosmic Jekyll and Hyde that looks like any other galaxy when viewed in visible and even ultraviolet ...

Dec 11, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Chinese intertidal shellfish farming: An unexpected fuel station for millions of migrating shorebirds

China's tidal flats feed people and mollusk-eating migrating shorebirds such as red knots, great knots and Eurasian oystercatchers. Under good management, these flats used for aquaculture markedly reduce human disturbance ...

Dec 11, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Polar bears may be adapting to survive warmer climates, says study

New research reveals a link between rising temperatures and changes in polar bear DNA, which may be helping them adapt and survive in increasingly challenging environments.

Dec 11, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Chip-scale magnetometer uses light for high-precision magnetic sensing

Researchers have developed a precision magnetometer based on a special material that changes optical properties in response to a magnetic field. The device, which is integrated onto a chip, could benefit space missions, navigation ...

Dec 11, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Graphene membranes offer efficient, low-cost option for industrial CO₂ capture

Carbon capture is becoming essential for industries that still depend on fossil fuels, including the cement and steel industries. Natural-gas power plants, coal plants, and cement factories all release large amounts of CO₂, ...

Dec 11, 2025 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Small galaxies may buck the black hole trend, Chandra finds

Most smaller galaxies may not have supermassive black holes in their centers, according to a recent study using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. This contrasts with the common idea that nearly every galaxy has one of these ...

Dec 11, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Astronomers challenge 50-year-old quasar law

Compelling evidence that the structure of matter surrounding supermassive black holes has changed over cosmic time has been uncovered by an international team of astronomers.

Dec 11, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / How to build a genome: Scientists release troubleshooting manual for synthetic life

Leading synthetic biologists have shared hard-won lessons from their decade-long quest to build the world's first synthetic eukaryotic genome in a Nature Biotechnology paper. Their insights could accelerate development of ...

Dec 11, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Migratory birds' stunning precision in flight revealed by new data loggers

Red-backed shrikes fly thousands of kilometers to reach Africa—and they do so with astonishing precision. Aided by new technology, researchers at Lund University in Sweden have been able to track the birds' journeys in ...

Dec 11, 2025 in Biology