Phys.org news
Phys.org / Mythical mountain god inspires name for China's first freshwater cave snail
A team of scientists has announced the discovery of Erhaia dijiang, a species of eyeless freshwater cave snail.
Phys.org / New method could sharpen diamond quantum sensors for tracking activity in single cells
A diamond-based quantum sensor inserted into a living cell can provide previously unseen levels of detail about how life works and how diseases form. "Think of it as an EKG for a single cell—a way to capture everything happening ...
Phys.org / Seaweed-derived coating keeps strawberries fresher than a fridge
University of British Columbia researchers have developed an edible, seaweed-derived coating that can keep strawberries fresh for at least four days at room temperature, outperforming uncoated berries stored in the refrigerator.
Phys.org / Mapping monsters: Data release unveils all-sky views of supermassive black holes
Data released by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) marks a landmark expansion in the study of accreting supermassive black holes (SMBHs). As part of the fifth generation of the survey (SDSS-V), the Black Hole Mapper (BHM) ...
Phys.org / Asteroid Nysa's rare three-lobed structure challenges formation models
Named for the mythical valley where the god Dionysus was raised in secret by nymphs, the asteroid 44 Nysa inhabits the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Through observations by the Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers ...
Phys.org / DNA study uncovers deeper losses across Hawaiian honeycreeper family tree
Smithsonian researchers have identified the genetic relationships among all Hawaiian honeycreeper species known to have existed—and subsequently faced major losses—since the arrival of Europeans to the islands.
Phys.org / Two materials, one photonic chip: Unlocking a new way to generate light frequencies
Modern photonic chips can pack sophisticated optical functions onto devices smaller than a fingernail. They are increasingly used to generate, manipulate and measure light for applications ranging from communications to sensing. ...
Phys.org / Astronomers catch massive star's death from the first explosive moment
In March 2026, the Einstein Probe detected a brief flash of soft X-rays emitted from a galaxy about 500 million light-years away. The flash, dubbed EP260321a, immediately triggered a worldwide observing campaign. Within an ...
Phys.org / Pushing the boundaries of ultracold neutral plasmas
Using a combination of laser cooling techniques and strong magnetic fields, researchers at Colorado State University have for the first time created an ultracold neutral plasma with electrons cooled to temperatures measured ...
Phys.org / How the 'fecal revolution' changed Earth's ecosystems
An international study led by Flinders University has found a fertile area of inspiration to explain an important step in evolution—and it's a whole lot of poop. The new study describes the "fecal revolution" to explain a ...
Phys.org / Scientists build 'cell villages' to map the genetics of brain cell fitness
How readily a cell divides and how well it survives are fundamental to life, shaping everything from organ size to the body's ability to withstand disease. That combination, known as cell fitness, isn't the same for everyone. ...
Phys.org / Unexpected bond-breaking order reveals a new path to bioluminescence
The dancing lights of fireflies and the eerie blue sparkle in crashing waves get their glow when a molecular square of carbon and oxygen atoms breaks. New research from Stanford University has shown that mechanical force ...
