Phys.org news

Phys.org / Two-color X-ray pulses capture the same nanoparticle at two moments in time

One big dream of ultrafast science has been to watch changes in nanoparticles or biomolecules on their natural timescale. Experimentally, this can be realized by taking two snapshots of the same object only femtoseconds apart. ...

Sep 7, 2026
Phys.org / Ancient charcoal reveals evidence of wildfires near the South Pole

A journey back in time to the Late Cretaceous: A swampy rainforest with conifers and tree ferns stretches as far as the eye can see, dinosaurs roam through the misty wetlands, and the climate is mild and warm. The average ...

Sep 7, 2026
Phys.org / Dark plasma regions reveal overlooked source of reactive atomic oxygen

Scientists from Tokyo Metropolitan University have found a way to make plasma more effective for its wide-ranging uses, from antimicrobial applications to surface conditioning in the semiconductor industry. They mapped the ...

Sep 7, 2026
Phys.org / Neutrophil vesicles help Candida albicans evade immune-cell engulfment

The immune system is a highly sophisticated defense network designed to protect against pathogens. A research team from the Universities of Würzburg and Jena and the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection ...

Sep 7, 2026
Phys.org / Decades-old museum specimens reveal 10 extraordinary new worms

Scientists have discovered that one of the most unusual creatures in the animal kingdom is far more diverse and evolutionarily complex than previously known. An international team led by the University of Göttingen has reconstructed ...

Sep 7, 2026
Phys.org / Tiny polymer particles keep water jets stable for longer

Tiny, soft polymer particles—known as microgels—can help to stabilize extremely thin liquid jets. How this works is the finding of a study led by researchers at TU Darmstadt, which has been published in Nature Communications. ...

Sep 7, 2026
Phys.org / Six unusual structures identified at Earth's core-mantle boundary with the help of deep learning

Since scientists can't drill 2,900 km (1,800 miles) to the boundary between Earth's core and deep mantle, they must use information relayed by seismic waves recorded during earthquakes to study this region. In a new study ...

Sep 6, 2026
Phys.org / 'Quiet' pulsar suddenly reveals three glitches in 15 years of observations

Using more than 15 years of observations from the Parkes radio telescope, astronomers detected three rotational glitches in the pulsar PSR J1637−4642—a young neutron star that had shown no signs of glitches since its discovery. ...

Sep 6, 2026
Phys.org / Extreme pressure turns blue pigment into record-long single-atom copper chains

As the electronics in our technology keep shrinking, traditional silicon-based chips are approaching their fundamental physical limits. Yet the wires connecting them might be able to shrink beyond conventional dimensions, ...

Sep 6, 2026
Phys.org / The extinct American 'cheetah' was not a cheetah after all

With their slender bodies and long front legs, Miracinonyx trumani—often nicknamed the "American cheetah"—was long thought to be a North American analog of the African big cat. But in a new study published in the journal ...

Sep 6, 2026
Phys.org / How bird movements are helping researchers track a global virus

While the highly virulent avian influenza strain has only recently been discovered on Australian shores, researchers at Deakin University have been working behind the scenes for years, anticipating what an outbreak might ...

Sep 6, 2026
Phys.org / Some disagreement makes groups more trustworthy, mathematical framework finds

When humans are making decisions, they are known not to rely solely on their own considerations and the evidence available to them. Past behavioral science and psychology studies have shown that people are often also influenced ...

Sep 5, 2026