Phys.org news
Phys.org / Two atmospheric patterns may explain why some heat waves in Europe persist
Many parts of Western Europe are currently wilting under a heat wave. These blistering spells can last for a week or more, and although they are common in most summers, it is difficult to predict how long they will last.
Phys.org / DNA origami turns secret messages into nano–Morse code that acts as multiplayer molecular encryption
Mathematics has always been at the core of securing information. From online banking to government communications, modern society relies on cryptography, in which complex mathematical algorithms transform readable information ...
Phys.org / New technique for building ultra-thin material stacks promises quantum breakthrough
Scientists have unveiled a new fabrication technique for the ultra-clean manufacturing of 2D heterostructures—materials just a few atoms thick—that could be used in quantum technology and electronics. Experts from Southampton ...
Phys.org / Low-altitude flights reveal Amazon methane emissions far above climate model estimates
Methane (CH4) is a potent greenhouse gas whose concentration in the atmosphere has risen sharply in recent decades. Wetlands are the largest natural source of methane to the atmosphere, but large uncertainties remain about ...
Phys.org / With an eye toward exploration, researchers map moon's regolith thickness
New research by lunar scientists from Brown University provides critical new insights into the thickness of the moon's regolith, the layer of loose dust and rock that drapes the entire lunar surface.
Phys.org / World-first neutron lens brings sharp focus to structures inside materials and objects
Researchers at Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) have developed the world's first achromatic lens for neutron imaging. The lens overcomes a longstanding obstacle in the field: focusing neutrons of different wavelengths well enough ...
Phys.org / How tides and river water combine to amplify floods
Ocean tides push upstream along coastal rivers, in some cases reaching hundreds of kilometers (hundreds of miles) inland. These inland stretches are known as tidal rivers, and they're the scene of complex interactions between ...
Phys.org / Hidden muscle machinery reveals 50 new gene subfamilies across vertebrates
Within every muscle of every living species with a backbone, a protein called myosin tugs on a partner protein to generate a muscle contraction. This function, discovered in mammals a century ago, has been presumed by scientists ...
Phys.org / Ancient Roman farm women made wine, oil and profits. Historians dismissed them as 'housekeepers'
Female farm managers are hidden in plain sight in ancient Roman texts, mentioned in laws, literature and grave inscriptions across five centuries. Modern historians have generally assumed they were housekeepers, in charge ...
Phys.org / Physicists confirm 20-year-old theory that could boost quantum technology
Future quantum computing will require correlations between distant modules—a feature known as distributed entanglement. Traditionally, such entanglement has relied on active control and repeated measurements. Now, physicists ...
Phys.org / Roman telescope will spot distant black holes that shred stars
How do black holes at the centers of galaxies form and grow over time? To answer this question, scientists need to detect and study supermassive black holes at great distances that existed much earlier in the universe's history. ...
Phys.org / New atomic trap boosts quantum performance by using surface forces
Researchers at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin have developed a new method for trapping and controlling atoms near an ultrathin glass fiber. This has significantly improved the atoms' ability to store quantum information—an ...