Phys.org news

Phys.org / Deep mantle deformation is linked to subducted slabs, global map shows

Slow roiling convection currents deep within Earth's mantle, which are associated with the movements of tectonic plates, also deform the material of the mantle itself. Now, a new study in The Seismic Record confirms that ...

Apr 2, 2026
Phys.org / This tiny organism simply loves corners, using geometry to sense its world

A surprising observation in the lab has revealed a remarkable ability in Stentor coeruleus, a single-celled organism about one millimeter long. Sometimes nicknamed the "platypus" of microorganisms for its trumpet-like shape, ...

Apr 2, 2026
Phys.org / 'Serendipitous' discovery of Martian ripple marks reveals an ancient sandstorm

The search for life on Mars involves the efforts of scientists from many different disciplines. An important aspect of that search is to study Martian sedimentary rocks for information about the planet's environment when ...

Apr 2, 2026
Phys.org / Scientists study radiation limits for safer seafood shipping

Scientists at Florida International University have identified a promising way to safely ship fish long distances without losing vital vitamin D, using a method already widely applied to preserve other foods—gamma irradiation.

Apr 2, 2026
Phys.org / Compact flat-lens system can generate nondiffracting bottle beams

Most laser sources produce Gaussian beams that diverge as they propagate. This natural spreading limits their effectiveness in applications that require light to remain concentrated over long distances. To overcome this challenge, ...

Apr 2, 2026
Phys.org / Native Americans were making dice, gambling, exploring probability millennia before their Old World counterparts

A new study in American Antiquity presents evidence that the earliest known dice in human history were made and used by Native American hunter-gatherers on the western Great Plains more than 12,000 years ago at the end of ...

Apr 2, 2026
Phys.org / Backyard birdwatchers help scientists uncover what hawks really like to eat

Anyone who keeps a bird feeder has likely had the same uneasy thought after seeing a sudden blur of wings in the yard: What was that hawk doing here?

Apr 2, 2026
Phys.org / How noise limits today's quantum circuits

Imagine you're trying to build a very long, complicated chain of dominoes. The aim is that each domino hits the next one perfectly, all the way down the line, producing an amazing result at the end. A quantum circuit is like ...

Apr 2, 2026
Phys.org / Protostars 'sneeze' and produce rings of gas and magnetic flux as they grow

Researchers have uncovered new insights into the early development of baby stars. As published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, a research team from Kyushu University and Kagawa University reports that during the early ...

Apr 2, 2026
Phys.org / Engineered E. coli dependency may help contain microbes to defined areas

Take a typical fish out of the water and it won't live long. It gets the oxygen it needs from the water it swims in. In a similar way, scientists are exploring dependency as a method of controlling what microbes can do and ...

Apr 2, 2026
Phys.org / Rudeness may be rewarded—as a response to rudeness

If you don't have anything nice to say, perhaps it's OK to say it anyway—if responding to someone who has treated you or your team rudely, new Cornell research suggests. Civil responses to disrespectful behavior remain the ...

Apr 2, 2026
Phys.org / A global carbon credit program risks rewarding the wrong behavior

A United Nations-backed framework for protecting tropical forests could allow governments to collect income from carbon credits without advancing forest conservation. The weakness lies in how the program calculates baselines, ...

Apr 2, 2026