Phys.org news

Phys.org / A pioneering study on the feasibility of asteroid mining

Much remains to be known about the chemical composition of small asteroids. Their potential to harbor valuable metals, materials from the early solar system, and the possibility of obtaining a geochemical record of their ...

Dec 10, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / New iron telluride thin film achieves superconductivity for quantum computer chips

If quantum computing is going to become an every-day reality, we need better superconducting thin films, the hardware that enables storage and processing of quantum information. Too often, these thin films have impurities ...

Dec 10, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Earliest botanical art hints at prehistoric mathematical thinking

A new study published in the Journal of World Prehistory reveals that some of humanity's earliest artistic representations of botanical figures were far more than decorative; they were mathematical.

Dec 10, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Quantum machine learning nears practicality as partial error correction reduces hardware demands

Imagine a future where quantum computers supercharge machine learning—training models in seconds, extracting insights from massive datasets and powering next-gen AI. That future might be closer than you think, thanks to ...

Dec 10, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Iberian peninsula is rotating clockwise, according to new geodynamic data

Asier Madarieta, a researcher in the EHU's HGI (Water Environmental Processes) group, has analyzed how the Earth's crust is being compressed and deformed in the field where Eurasia and Africa meet in the Western Mediterranean. ...

Dec 10, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Fossils reveal sea cows have engineered Arabian Gulf's seagrass ecosystems for over 20 million years

Today, the Arabian Gulf is home to manatee-like marine mammals called dugongs that shape the seafloor as they graze on seagrasses. A newly described fossil site in Qatar reveals that ancient sea cows engineered aquatic ecosystems ...

Dec 10, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Ultra-thin nanomembrane device forms soft, seamless interface with living tissue

Researchers have developed a new class of ultra-thin, flexible bioelectronic material that can seamlessly interface with living tissues. They introduced a novel device called THIN (transformable and imperceptible hydrogel-elastomer ...

Dec 10, 2025 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Meet Damhán Alla—the newly christened, spider-like feature on Jupiter's moon Europa

Irish planetary scientists have christened a spider-like feature on Jupiter's icy moon Europa as "Damhán Alla," which translates to "spider" or "wall demon."

Dec 10, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Black hole eats star: Student helps chart gamma-ray burst that lasted for days

A team of astronomers including George Washington University physics Ph.D. student Eliza Neights recorded an extraordinary cosmic outburst this July which likely heralds a new kind of stellar explosion. With a flood of data ...

Dec 10, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Study suggests Earth's inner core may have onion-like layered structure

An international research team may have found an explanation for seismic anomalies, the noticeable deviations in the behavior of earthquake waves, in Earth's inner core.

Dec 10, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Slow changes in radio scintillation can nudge pulsar timing by billionths of a second

For 10 months, a SETI Institute-led team watched pulsar PSR J0332+5434 (also called B0329+54) to study how its radio signal "twinkles" as it passes through gas between the star and Earth. The team used the Allen Telescope ...

Dec 10, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Spending less can deliver more climate-friendly nutrition

Eating healthily can save money and also cause less greenhouse gas emissions than most people's current food choices, according to a new global study that examined food costs, nutrition, and climate impact around the world.

Dec 10, 2025 in Earth