Phys.org news
Phys.org / Young rift flanks suggest Venus remains tectonically active
Venus is an inhospitable place, with temperatures soaring to several hundred degrees Celsius (hundreds of degrees Fahrenheit) and no oceans like those on Earth. Planetary scientists long believed Venus was geologically dormant. ...
Phys.org / Mapping project helps protect coastal world heritage sites from climate threats
A major new digital mapping project could help safeguard some of the world's most important and well-known heritage sites from rising seas, flooding and coastal erosion. Researchers led by scientists from the University of ...
Phys.org / Sperm whales blow bubbles to achieve restful, vertical sleep
New research from the University of St Andrews and Université de Neuchâtel has uncovered the mechanism that allows sperm whales to sleep in a unique vertical position just under the ocean surface.
Phys.org / Modern forensics uncovers new clues about Inca sacrifice victims' last days
Human sacrifice was deeply ingrained in Inca civilization. Children and young people were selected for sacrifice to appease the gods and sacred mountain spirits. Being chosen was considered a great honor for both the victims ...
Phys.org / How an iceberg may have stopped emperor penguins from breeding on Coulman Island in 2025
The number of chicks in the Coulman Island emperor penguin colony decreased by about 69% in 2025 compared with 2024, according to research published in Communications Earth & Environment. The authors suggest that a large ...
Phys.org / A new 'golden age' of mathematics may be dawning, thanks to AI and human ingenuity
In May 2026, OpenAI released a new math result that sent shock waves throughout the world of mathematical research. A major unsolved problem called the "unit distance conjecture" had just been resolved by generative AI.
Phys.org / Could alien signals be hiding on a different radio channel?
Astronomers searching for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence may have been missing alien signals in part of the radio spectrum that has not recently been explored.
Phys.org / Engineers observe quantum heat waves at room temperature
Efficient heat management in solids is key to advancing the next generation of electronics. However, wave-like heat movement—known as phonon focusing—had been observed only at extremely low, or cryogenic, temperatures, limiting ...
Phys.org / Materials surrounding a fusion reaction can dramatically increase how often it occurs
Fusion at high temperatures powers the sun and, if harnessed, could provide a potential source of energy here on Earth. But controlling fusion reactions has other benefits. The process also generates subatomic particles called ...
Phys.org / Chocolate syrup-like fluid stores multiple interacting memories
Animals and electronic devices aren't the only things with memory. Materials can retain memories of past deformations in their microscopic structure. A common example is a crease in a sheet of paper that has been folded then ...
Phys.org / Machine learning narrows search for additional particles in the Higgs boson family
What if the Higgs boson found in 2012 is not alone but is the only sibling we have encountered so far? Scientists at CERN discovered the particle that year, and it was a major discovery because it explained how other particles ...
Phys.org / Not every meal has the same impact: Researchers reveal the hidden footprint of our food
Leiden environmental researchers have mapped the environmental footprint of different diets and revealed which population groups have the greatest impact through their food choices. Their findings show where efforts to make ...
