Phys.org news

Phys.org / Long-term study of nearby blazar reveals complex emission patterns

Using NASA's Swift and Fermi space telescopes, Indian astronomers have conducted a long-term multiwavelength study of a nearby blazar designated TXS 0518+211. Results of the study, published Nov. 26 on the arXiv pre-print ...

Dec 5, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / AI can dramatically speed up digitizing natural history collections

A new study from UNC-Chapel Hill researchers shows that advanced artificial intelligence tools, specifically large language models (LLMs), can accurately determine the locations where plant specimens were originally collected, ...

Dec 5, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / New Moby Dick-like termite species discovered

In the canopies of a South American rainforest, a tiny soldier termite has stunned a team of international scientists with its whale-like features.

Dec 5, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Decoding dark matter's imprint on black-hole gravitational waves

A new study by researchers at the University of Amsterdam shows how gravitational waves from black holes can be used to reveal the presence of dark matter and help determine its properties. The key is a new model, based on ...

Dec 5, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Extremely rare 'dinosaur mummy' makes its way to Minnesota for study

The fossil called "Medusa" could be a dinosaur mummy—the remains of an Edmontosaurus about 66 million years old that researchers believe contains a significant amount of skin and tendon tissue.

Dec 5, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Rydberg-atom detector conquers a new spectral frontier

A team from the Faculty of Physics and the Center for Quantum Optical Technologies at the Center of New Technologies, University of Warsaw has developed a new method for measuring elusive terahertz signals using a "quantum ...

Dec 5, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Free radicals caught in the act with slow spectroscopy

Why does plastic turn brittle and paint fade when exposed to the sun for long periods? Scientists have long known that such organic photodegradation occurs due to the sun's energy generating free radicals: molecules that ...

Dec 5, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Shaping quantum light unlocks new possibilities for future technologies

Researchers from the School of Physics at Wits University, working with collaborators from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, have demonstrated how quantum light can be engineered in space and time to create high-dimensional ...

Dec 5, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Copper-64 isotope made easier: Recoil chemistry could lower medical imaging costs

The copper isotope Cu-64 plays an important role in medicine: It is used in imaging processes and also shows potential for cancer therapy. However, it does not occur naturally and must be produced artificially—a complex ...

Dec 5, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Extreme engineering: Unlocking design secrets of deep-sea microbes

The microbe Pyrodictium abyssi is an archaeon—a member of what's known as the third domain of life—and an extremophile. It lives in deep-sea thermal vents, at temperatures above the boiling point of water, without light ...

Dec 5, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / The hexatic phase: Ultra-thin 2D materials in a state between solid and liquid observed for the first time

When ice melts into water, it happens quickly, with the transition from solid to liquid being immediate. However, very thin materials do not adhere to these rules. Instead, an unusual state between solid and liquid arises: ...

Dec 5, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Chameleon-like nanomaterial can adapt its color to mechanical strain

Inspired by the Japanese art of kirigami, a team of scientists from the University of Amsterdam have developed a material that can reflect different colors of light, depending on how it is stretched. The results were recently ...

Dec 5, 2025 in Nanotechnology