Phys.org news
Phys.org / A lost galaxy called 'Loki' may be hiding inside the Milky Way
The Milky Way galaxy grew into its current form with the help of smaller galaxies over time, which it has "consumed" or merged with. Astronomers are able to pick out which stars in the Milky Way came from other galaxies by ...
Phys.org / How temperature swings impact the growth of young songbirds
Climate change threatens to cause increasingly extreme and variable temperature swings, affecting everything from urban infrastructure to global food supplies. In the animal kingdom, the hardest hit may be the youngest and ...
Phys.org / Evolution has reused the same genes for 120 million years, study shows
Scientists have shown that evolution has been using the same genetic "cheat sheet" for over 120 million years, suggesting that life on Earth may be more predictable than first imagined. The international team, led by scientists ...
Phys.org / Sudden quantum jolts may not break adiabatic behavior after all
In thermodynamics, an "adiabatic process" is a system change that transfers no heat in or out of the system. Any and all energy change in that system are therefore accomplished by doing work on the system, work being action ...
Phys.org / A physics explanation shows why US elections keep ending 50:50—and why more spending won't change that
A physics-inspired model calibrated on 40 years of US congressional data pinpoints a spending threshold of roughly 1.8 million USD at which campaigns stop influencing who wins and start fueling polarization instead.
Phys.org / In good spirits: Why haunted houses are perfect places to connect with others
A pounding heart, shaking limbs, chills and a churning stomach—it's no wonder that fear is an emotion we usually try to avoid. At least most of the time. We may not like having the wits scared out of us in a real-life crisis, ...
Phys.org / A longstanding quantum roadblock just fell, opening existing fiber networks to ultra-secure light signals
Researchers at the Niels Bohr Institute have broken a longstanding barrier by managing to send single photons—that can't be copied or split and thus are secure—in the network of optical fibers we already have. This opens ...
Phys.org / Twisting water reveals hidden order across four molecular layers at air-water interface
Researchers from the Department of Physical Chemistry at the Fritz Haber Institute and Freie Universität Berlin have revealed the arrangement of water molecules at the interface between liquid water and air. Their findings ...
Phys.org / DAMPE satellite reveals cosmic rays share spectral break near 15 teravolts
A century after their discovery, cosmic rays—particles of extreme energy originating from the far reaches of the universe—remain a mystery to scientists. The DAMPE (Dark Matter Particle Explorer) space telescope is tackling ...
Phys.org / Integrated land planning could ease food, energy and biodiversity conflicts worldwide
While the world is a big place, humans are making greater and greater demands on the same areas of land. "This means that, unless we use the same land to serve multiple needs and coordinate this effort through planning, it ...
Phys.org / Measurement of nuclear reactions at record-low energies opens new pathways for astrophysics research
An international research team has achieved an important milestone for astrophysics at GSI/FAIR in Darmstadt: In the CRYRING@ESR storage ring, scientists were able to measure nuclear reactions at extremely low energies for ...
Phys.org / Why Kamchatka's magnitude 8.8 earthquake brought a smaller tsunami—and where risk may remain
On July 29, 2025, a magnitude 8.8 earthquake occurred near the Kamchatka Peninsula. It was so powerful that it ranks as the sixth-largest earthquake ever recorded by modern instruments. Using this giant earthquake as a learning ...
