Phys.org news

Phys.org / Extinct rocket frog species identified from single 62-year-old museum specimen

Anyone walking through the Tarumã neighborhood in Curitiba (the capital of the state of Paraná, Brazil) today may find it difficult to imagine the area as it was in the past. Between the buildings, racetrack, and the city's ...

Nov 20, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / NASA's Roman could bring new waves of information on galaxy's stars

A team of researchers has confirmed stars ring loud and clear in a "key" that will harmonize well with the science goals and capabilities of NASA's upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.

Nov 20, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / From light to logic: First complete logic gate achieved in soft material using light alone

Researchers from McMaster University and the University of Pittsburgh have created the first functionally complete logic gate—a NAND gate (short for "NOT AND")—in a soft material using only beams of visible light. The ...

Nov 20, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Airborne sensors map ammonia plumes in California's Imperial Valley

A recent study led by scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and the nonprofit Aerospace Corporation shows how high-resolution maps of ground-level ammonia plumes can be generated with airborne ...

Nov 20, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Cleveland's famous sea monster gets a scientific update

About 360 million years ago, the shallow sea above present-day Cleveland was home to a fearsome apex predator: Dunkleosteus terrelli. This 14-foot armored fish ruled the Late Devonian seas with razor-sharp bone blades instead ...

Nov 20, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / AI traces prehistoric trade routes of Europe's prized 'green gemstone' trade

A multidisciplinary team of Spanish and Portuguese archaeologists and artificial intelligence experts has combined non-destructive archaeological measurement techniques, machine learning and explainable artificial intelligence ...

Nov 20, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Light-controlled embryos reveal power of mechanical forces in human development

Only two weeks after fertilization, the first sign of the formation of the three axes of the human body (head/tail, ventral/dorsal, and right/left) begins to appear. At this stage, known as gastrulation, a flat and featureless ...

Nov 20, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Comet sparks scientific fascination, online furor over 'alien' origins

A flying piece of cosmic rock or an alien threat? Comet 3I/ATLAS is hurtling through our solar system and captivating scientists and internet users alike, even prompting Kim Kardashian to ask NASA for answers.

Nov 20, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Hidden process behind 2025 Santorini earthquakes uncovered

A mysterious swarm of earthquakes that occurred near the Greek island of Santorini in early 2025 was caused by rebounding sheets of magma slicing through Earth's crust, according to a new study by an international team involving ...

Nov 20, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / How superstorm Gannon squeezed Earth's plasmasphere to one-fifth its size

A geomagnetic superstorm is an extreme space weather event that occurs when the sun releases massive amounts of energy and charged particles toward Earth. These storms are rare, occurring about once every 20–25 years. On ...

Nov 20, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Explainable AI and turbulence: A fresh look at an unsolved physics problem

While atmospheric turbulence is a familiar culprit of rough flights, the chaotic movement of turbulent flows remains an unsolved problem in physics. To gain insight into the system, a team of researchers used explainable ...

Nov 20, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Scientists 'resurrect' 1960s data to learn more about how continents break apart

Magnetic data collected in the late 1960s has been brought back to life by a research team including a Keele scientist, who have used it to learn more about how the continent of Africa is stretching and splitting apart.

Nov 20, 2025 in Earth