Phys.org news

Phys.org / Diverse particles form identical geometric patterns when confined, model reveals

Particles as different as soap bubbles and ball bearings can be made to arrange themselves in exactly the same way, according to a new study that could unlock the creation of brand new materials—including those with promising ...

Nov 12, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Gene editing produces plants that are indigestible to pests

Insects that feed on starch can find veritable feasts in corn, pea, and bean crops or warehouses. It is no coincidence that the ancestors of these commercial plants developed α-amylase inhibitor proteins, which make the ...

Nov 12, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Unique shape of star's explosion revealed just a day after detection

Swift observations with the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (ESO's VLT) have revealed the explosive death of a star just as the blast was breaking through the star's surface. For the first time, astronomers ...

Nov 12, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Ultrafast electron diffraction captures atomic layers twisting in response to light

A pulse of light sets the tempo in the material. Atoms in a crystalline sheet just a few atoms thick begin to move—not randomly, but in a coordinated rhythm, twisting and untwisting in sync like dancers following a beat.

Nov 12, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Hidden Arctic leaks: Natural seepage of oil and gas uncovered off Northeast Greenland

A large research study by an international team of scientists led by Christoph Böttner from Aarhus University shows clear evidence of extensive natural hydrocarbon seepage along the Northeast Greenland margin—one of the ...

Nov 12, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Ultrafast light-driven electron slide discovered

When an intense laser pulse hits a stationary electron, it performs a trembling motion at the frequency of the light field. However, this motion dies down after the pulse, and the electron comes to rest again at its original ...

Nov 12, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Water causes rock to shift on the Matterhorn

When water penetrates rock crevices in permafrost, it transports heat deep underground, where it causes the frozen rock to thaw. Researchers at the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF) have explored which processes ...

Nov 12, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Evidence of ancient underground water reveals Mars may have stayed habitable longer than believed

Scientists from New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) have uncovered new evidence that water once flowed beneath the surface of Mars, revealing that the planet may have remained habitable for life much longer than previously ...

Nov 12, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Cow cells defy aging, opening the door to affordable lab-grown beef

A new study shows, for the first time, that cow cells can naturally become immortal—continuing to divide indefinitely without genetic modification or any abnormal transformation. This overturns long-held assumptions that ...

Nov 12, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / AI helps identify genomic 'time capsule' that distinguishes species

In a recent study, scientists from the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) have utilized cutting-edge artificial intelligence methods to identify a region of the X chromosome that has maintained ...

Nov 12, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Surprising numbers of childfree people emerge in developing countries, defying expectations

A new analysis suggests that some developing countries have unexpectedly large numbers of childfree people; that is, people who have not had children and do not want to in the future. Zachary Neal and Jennifer Neal of Michigan ...

Nov 12, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / First confirmed coronal mass ejection spotted on a star beyond the sun

Astronomers using the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton space observatory and the LOFAR telescope have definitively spotted an explosive burst of material thrown out into space by another star—a burst powerful enough to ...

Nov 12, 2025 in Astronomy & Space