Phys.org news

Phys.org / A new route for plasma-based particle accelerators

Plasma, the fourth state of matter, consists of a gas in which electrons are no longer bound to atoms, which allows electricity to flow freely. When beams of particles moving close to the speed of light travel through plasma, ...

Apr 22, 2026
Phys.org / For 74,000 years, one ancient killer quietly dictated where early humans could survive across Africa

Increasing evidence suggests that our species emerged through interactions between populations living in different parts of Africa, rather than from a single birthplace. Until now, however, most explanations for how those ...

Apr 22, 2026
Phys.org / When humidity changes, so do the colors of sweat bees

Nature is a riot of color. In the animal kingdom, many species, from insects to cephalopods, use their permanent color or change it for communication, camouflage, and thermoregulation. While this type of reversible shift ...

Apr 22, 2026
Phys.org / Cold fronts in nearby galaxy group may redistribute metals, Chandra and GMRT data reveal

Astronomers from South Africa and India have analyzed archival data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory and Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) regarding a nearby small galaxy group known as IC 1262. Results of the new ...

Apr 22, 2026
Phys.org / Classical physics can explain quantum weirdness, study shows

When you throw a ball in the air, the equations of classical physics will tell you exactly what path the ball will take as it falls, and when and where it will land. But if you were to squeeze that same ball down to the size ...

Apr 22, 2026
Phys.org / Why does life prefer one 'hand' over the other? New study points to electron spin

A team of scientists has identified a new physical mechanism that could help explain one of the most persistent mysteries in science: why life consistently uses one "handed" version of its molecules and not the other. In ...

Apr 22, 2026
Phys.org / A philosopher's serpent: New grass-green pitviper discovered in China's Giant Panda National Park

Draped in a uniform coat of vibrant grass-green and possessing eyes that shimmer like amber, a newly discovered pitviper is the latest hidden jewel to be found in the misty mountains of western Sichuan, China.

Apr 22, 2026
Phys.org / New technology helps flat-faced dogs breathe easy

Australian scientists have developed an injectable therapy that helps clear blocked airways in flat-faced dogs. Melbourne-based biotechnology company Snoretox and RMIT University have shown early success using the first therapy ...

Apr 22, 2026
Phys.org / They promised climate action for years, but what these meat and dairy giants were really selling was something else

The meat and dairy industry accounts for 57% of total global food production emissions and at least 16.5% of all global greenhouse gas emissions. But the vast majority of environmental claims from the animal agricultural ...

Apr 22, 2026
Phys.org / Chicken gene-editing advance opens path to drug-producing eggs

Chicken eggs are already used to harvest helpful proteins called antibodies to protect humans from viruses such as influenza. Now, a breakthrough at the University of Missouri could one day lead to chickens that produce other ...

Apr 22, 2026
Dialog / Do decoherence, gravity, dark matter and dark energy all originate from quantum corrections?

Only about 5% of the universe is composed of normal matter that we can directly observe, while the remaining 95% is widely believed to consist of dark matter and dark energy. Paradoxically, however, the nature of these dark ...

Apr 22, 2026
Phys.org / NASA unveils Roman telescope to map universe, find 10,000s of exoplanets

NASA unveiled a new telescope on Tuesday to scan vast swaths of the universe for planets outside our solar system and probe the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy.

Apr 22, 2026