Phys.org news

Phys.org / Observing key material properties atom by atom for the first time

Many material properties depend on how electrons are arranged inside a material. Their distribution determines, for example, whether a material conducts electricity or displays magnetic behavior. Understanding how electrons ...

Aug 6, 2026
Phys.org / Researchers demonstrate first fully solution-processed solid-state polariton laser

Researchers have demonstrated a solid-state organic laser microcavity fabricated entirely by solution processing. The device operates in the strong light–matter coupling regime, where light and matter form hybrid states called ...

Aug 6, 2026
Phys.org / Charting the galaxy: Milky Way Mapper survey releases latest all-sky spectra

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey V (SDSS-V) has announced its 20th public data release (DR20), delivering a dramatic expansion of the Milky Way Mapper (MWM) scientific survey—the most detailed spectroscopic map yet assembled ...

Aug 6, 2026
Phys.org / First complete songbird genome exposes missing genes and chromosome architecture

The zebra finch is one of the best-studied songbirds and a model for understanding the biology and neuroscience of vocal learning. Now, researchers have produced the first complete genome assembly of the species, revealing ...

Aug 6, 2026
Phys.org / Mitochondria act as sensors for essential iron molecule, study reveals

Heme, a bioactive form of iron, has numerous essential functions in the cell. As a key component of hemoglobin, it enables oxygen transport in the blood. In addition, it performs important functions in other proteins in processes ...

Aug 6, 2026
Phys.org / Decoding the North American bison's genome to better inform conservation efforts

A new study by ancient DNA researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, used paleogenomics to create a genetic roadmap to help guide the restoration of another iconic species once on the brink of extinction: the ...

Aug 6, 2026
Phys.org / An elegant modification doubles the range of low-noise 'white lasers' in a single fiber

Supercontinuum light sources—often called "white lasers" because they emit a broad, continuous rainbow of colors—are essential tools for everything from advanced medical imaging to environmental gas detection. However, researchers ...

Aug 6, 2026
Phys.org / AI for homework—parents more willing to pay subscriptions for their children as peer pressure rises

Many parents have mixed feelings about the unrestricted use of artificial intelligence (AI) for schoolwork. They are concerned about the potential impact on their child's ability to learn but also don't want them to be left ...

Aug 6, 2026
Phys.org / Never-before-seen woven structure that forms naturally inside a crystal discovered

For the first time, scientists have observed a three-dimensional woven structure forming naturally inside a crystal, revealing a previously unknown way in which matter can organize itself.

Aug 6, 2026
Phys.org / Super-Earths may be solid deep inside their mantles

Deep inside super-Earths—rocky planets with masses between 1 and 10 times that of Earth—high pressure can cause familiar minerals to take forms rarely seen on Earth. Understanding more about the temperature and pressure conditions ...

Aug 6, 2026
Phys.org / Trillion-mile gas streamer may explain tilt of triple-star system's outer planet-forming ring

A team of astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has captured a massive stream of gas—one trillion miles, or 0.2 light-years, long—feeding the young triple-star system GW Orionis. These ...

Aug 6, 2026
Phys.org / Two decades of blazar observations, and the mysteries keep piling up

Narrow jets of luminous matter may be emitted toward Earth from the nuclei of active galaxies billions of light-years away. The galaxy then appears as a point source and is called a blazar. A Polish-German team of scientists ...

Aug 6, 2026