Phys.org news

Phys.org / Hidden fifth dimension could tune dark matter resonance, new theory proposes

The mysterious substance that binds galaxies together could naturally be "in tune" with a hidden fifth dimension, according to a new University of Sheffield theory aiming to shed light on one of science's biggest enigmas: ...

15 hours ago
Phys.org / Dead stars in our cosmic backyard: Astronomers spot four white dwarfs hiding under our noses

Researchers at the University of Warwick and the University of Colorado Boulder have directly observed, for the first time, four white dwarfs in binary star systems in our nearby region of space. These stellar binaries are ...

4 hours ago
Phys.org / Atoms tell different stories when light hits a molecule in trillionths of a second

Researchers have captured how a molecule redistributes energy after absorbing light, differentiating the roles of individual atoms in the process. They used X-ray flashes from the European XFEL to show that different atoms ...

12 hours ago
Phys.org / The US just approved a giant space mirror to test 'sunlight on demand.' Low Earth orbit is getting weird

A giant mirror to create "sunlight on demand" was just approved by the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC), despite opposition from astronomers and the public, and real safety concerns.

13 hours ago
Phys.org / Famous puzzle-solving chimps lost 20 years of life after harsh Berlin winters

A University of Auckland scientist has uncovered the fates of chimpanzees who starred in seminal psychological studies of the early 20th century.

10 hours ago
Phys.org / Melting icebergs can weaken a massive, far-off ocean current system

Melting and breaking icebergs in the far-off northeastern Pacific Ocean can weaken a massive current system in the Atlantic Ocean, according to a University of California, Davis study published in Nature Communications.

10 hours ago
Phys.org / The family tree of viruses just grew, and it paves the way for a new approach to agricultural research

Researchers have discovered that a group of viruses known to infect an agriculturally important plant pathogen has remained genetically stable for an astonishing four decades. The discovery of a disease-fighting virus that ...

9 hours ago
Phys.org / Distant exoplanets may be hiding water beyond Webb Telescope's reach, study finds

The planets that appear most common in the universe could have a lot of water—but it could be hiding where telescopes can't detect it, according to a new study led by scientists with the University of Chicago.

10 hours ago
Phys.org / Hubble discovers first of star cluster's missing black holes

The massive globular star cluster Omega Centauri has puzzled astronomers for decades. It should be filled with black holes left behind by exploding stars, yet evidence for them is scarce. Now, astronomers using archival data ...

11 hours ago
Phys.org / Scientists and citizens are more persuasive than government and industry in mobilizing action, study finds

In environmental, health and technology crises, Americans are more persuaded to take action by scientists and public consensus than by leaders in government and industry, according to a study in the Proceedings of the National ...

9 hours ago
Phys.org / Hidden in plain sight: Caribbean reef fish nestle in tube worms, revealing previously undocumented partnership

On Caribbean coral reefs, an unlikely partnership has gone largely unnoticed: Tiny fish regularly nestle within the feathery structures of tube worms. While these sensitive worms typically snap shut at the slightest disturbance, ...

11 hours ago
Phys.org / New imaging method reveals how electric fields reshape ferroelectric materials

New research is shedding light on longstanding debates over the behavior of ferroelectric materials when those materials are exposed to electric fields. The findings stem from the use of a novel technique that allows researchers ...

9 hours ago