Phys.org news

Phys.org / Terahertz microscope reveals the motion of superconducting electrons

You can tell a lot about a material based on the type of light shining at it: Optical light illuminates a material's surface, while X-rays reveal its internal structures and infrared captures a material's radiating heat. ...

Feb 4, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Astronomers trace a runaway star to a former companion's supernova

Astronomers have strengthened long-standing predictions that massive runaway stars could have originated in binary pairs, and were dramatically ejected into space when their companion stars underwent supernova explosions. ...

Feb 4, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Poop as medicine? A Roman vial's chemistry backs up ancient medical texts

When some ancient Romans were feeling a little under the weather, they were treated with human feces. While this practice was mentioned in ancient Greco-Roman medical texts by figures such as Pliny the Elder, there was no ...

Feb 4, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / 'Red Potato' galaxy discovered by astronomers

Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), an international team of astronomers has discovered a new massive and quiescent red galaxy, which they dubbed "Red Potato." The discovery was reported in a research paper published ...

Feb 4, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Forest soils increasingly extract methane from the atmosphere, long-term study reveals

Forest soils have an important role in protecting our climate: They remove large quantities of methane—a powerful greenhouse gas—from our atmosphere. Researchers from the University of Göttingen and the Baden-Württemberg ...

Feb 4, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / AI model OpenScholar synthesizes scientific research and cites sources as accurately as human experts

Keeping up with the latest research is vital for scientists, but given that millions of scientific papers are published every year, that can prove difficult. Artificial intelligence systems show promise for quickly synthesizing ...

Feb 4, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Olives have been essential to life in Italy for at least 6,000 years—far longer than we thought

How far back does the rich history of Italian olives and oil stretch? My new research, published in the American Journal of Archaeology, synthesizing and reevaluating existing archaeological evidence, suggests olive trees ...

Feb 4, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / An unusual dust storm on Mars reveals how the red planet lost some of its water

The current image of Mars as an arid and hostile desert contrasts sharply with the history revealed by its surface. Channels, minerals altered by water, and other geological traces indicate that the red planet was, in its ...

Feb 4, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Graphene sealing enables first atomic images of monolayer transition metal diiodides

Two-dimensional (2D) materials promise revolutionary advances in electronics and photonics, but many of the most interesting candidates degrade within seconds of air exposure, making them nearly impossible to study or integrate ...

Feb 4, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Invisible actors in groundwater mapped for first time, revealing role in freshwater reservoir

Groundwater is considered the largest reservoir of liquid freshwater on Earth and a habitat for complex microbial communities that drive essential biogeochemical cycles. Until now, the role of viruses that infect microorganisms ...

Feb 4, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / CFC replacements behind vast quantities of global 'forever chemical' pollution, research reveals

Chemicals brought in to help protect our ozone layer have had the unintended consequences of spreading vast quantities of a potentially toxic "forever chemical" around the globe, a new study shows. Atmospheric scientists, ...

Feb 4, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Temperature of some cities could rise faster than expected under 2°C warming

New research led by the University of East Anglia (UEA) shows how many tropical cities are predicted to warm faster than expected under 2°C of global warming.

Feb 4, 2026 in Earth