Phys.org news

Phys.org / SPHEREx spots menagerie of brown dwarfs with atmospheric water and methane

NASA's SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the universe, Epoch of Reionization, and ices Explorer) space telescope is shedding light on brown dwarfs, celestial objects that blur the line between stars and exoplanets. ...

Oct 9, 2026
Phys.org / Plant-bacteria partnership reveals how roots access iron locked in soil

A new study led by Paul Schulze-Lefert from the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne, in collaboration with Ricardo F.H. Giehl at the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research in Gatersleben, ...

Oct 9, 2026
Phys.org / Fluorescent imaging tracks metabolism of cells in real time

Cornell researchers have designed a new, faster form of two-photon fluorescence imaging for observing cell metabolism in real time, a method that could enable quicker screening of new therapeutic treatments. The findings ...

Oct 9, 2026
Phys.org / Physics model reveals fundamental trade-off between prediction and energy efficiency in intelligent systems

Artificial intelligence is increasingly becoming part of our everyday lives, from digital assistants to robots that respond to their surroundings. Each of these capabilities is based on physical computational processes that ...

Oct 9, 2026
Phys.org / Light reads electron spins inside porous crystals, opening path to quantum chemical sensors

University of Glasgow researchers are part of an international collaboration that could lead to a new generation of quantum sensors. The team, which included researchers from the University of Tokyo, University of Glasgow, ...

Oct 9, 2026
Phys.org / Tiny marine microbe sheds new light on how little genetic machinery a cell needs to survive

Scientists have discovered a previously unknown microorganism that has the smallest genome ever found and may be able to replicate and express its own genetic information.

Oct 9, 2026
Dialog / Ultrafast core-level spectroscopy reveals elusive precursors of exciton condensation in quantum materials

Many fascinating phases in quantum materials emerge when electrons, atoms and other microscopic components begin to act collectively. But these phases do not necessarily appear out of nowhere when a material crosses a transition ...

Oct 9, 2026
Phys.org / Adjustable nanosensors turn water pressure into fluorescent signals, with stiffness shaping sensitivity

A novel nanovesicle-based platform developed at Institute of Science Tokyo can measure hydrostatic pressure by converting pressure-induced molecular changes into fluorescence signals.

Oct 9, 2026
Phys.org / Fish may look fine in urban waters but their genes tell a different story

Blue damselfish, with their striking blue hue, are easy to spot, even along Okinawa's heavily urbanized coastlines. But while abundant, their gene activity reveals a hidden cost to living in human-impacted environments.

Oct 9, 2026
Phys.org / Aspens 'remember' past drought in their leaves, 3-year experiment finds

Drought is written into trees, appearing as narrow bands in their annual growth rings. But aspen may go farther, creating "functional memories" of previous dry years reflected in the chemistry of their leaves, according to ...

Oct 9, 2026
Phys.org / Some climate tipping points are being studied far more than others

Parts of Earth's climate system can change abruptly once warming pushes them beyond critical thresholds. The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, the Amazon rainforest, coral reefs and major ocean currents are all among the ...

Oct 9, 2026
Phys.org / Quantum chip holds multiple photons at once, opening path to scalable memory

For highly fragile quantum information systems, the ability to store quantum information is vital—but also challenging. Quantum information is transported in particles of light called photons, which often must be temporarily ...

Oct 9, 2026