Phys.org news
Phys.org / China's space probe reaches asteroid after 1-billion-kilometer chase for first sample return
China's Tianwen-2 space probe, which is set to bring back samples from an asteroid for research, has reached its target after traveling 1 billion kilometers (620 million miles) over more than a year, the Chinese space agency ...
Phys.org / Older than the sun: Astronomers find new clues to the origin of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS
Astronomers have used the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (ESO's VLT) to study the composition of 3I/ATLAS, the brightest interstellar object ever seen, in detail. By measuring specific chemical fingerprints—the ...
Phys.org / New approach boosts microplastic removal from wastewater
RMIT University researchers have tested a more effective way to capture microplastics from wastewater, using a combination of microbubbles and nanobubbles to achieve removal rates of more than 90%.
Phys.org / Discrepancies in AI lunar crater catalogs discovered
A new Southwest Research Institute-led study compared eight AI-generated lunar crater catalogs, discovering that many of their published performance metrics drop sharply when the databases are evaluated using the same scientific ...
Phys.org / Scientists observe water's behavior in a single molecular layer
New research has revealed that water behaves differently when confined to spaces just one molecule thick. For the first time, scientists have directly measured the vibrational signatures of truly two-dimensional water. In ...
Phys.org / Astronomers characterize 'improbable' system shaped by brown dwarf
In the course of studying planets beyond our solar system (6,316 confirmed exoplanets and counting), scientists have discovered some very interesting systems. Consider TOI-201, a compact system populated by three bodies, ...
Phys.org / A last dance before death: Binary stars and the origins of interacting supernovae
When massive stars die, they unleash some of the most powerful explosions in the universe. Yet not all supernovae are created equal. Some continue to shine brightly for months or even years as their expanding debris crashes ...
Phys.org / Earth's deepest rocks help define upper limit for viscosity beyond which materials effectively become rigid
Viscosity is one of the most fundamental physical properties used to describe how materials flow. It governs the movement of liquids, molten rocks and even slowly deforming regions deep inside the Earth. While scientists ...
Phys.org / Did elephant energetics decide Hannibal's Alpine crossing route?
A new analysis sheds light on the most likely route for the Carthaginian general's famous crossing of the Alps. The study, led by the University of Oxford and iDiv/Friedrich Schiller University Jena, reveals that the Col ...
Phys.org / Four new groups of indigenous cacao varieties discovered in Peru
A new genetic analysis of hundreds of cacao trees representing traditional Amazonian varieties grown on farms across Peru has revealed four previously unidentified, genetically distinct groups. Lambert Motilal, with colleagues ...
Phys.org / Bees reveal emotion-like reactions, from 'lip licking' to head shaking, in new videos
New research proving bumblebees exhibit emotion-like behaviors—previously thought to exist only in mammalian species—has implications for how scientists understand the consciousness of insects.
Phys.org / South Australian algal bloom species the world's most toxic harmful microalga yet recorded
The marine microalgae responsible for the most devastating effects of the South Australian harmful algal bloom (HAB) has now been shown to be the most toxic species of its kind ever studied.
