Phys.org news

Phys.org / Study challenges a site that's key to how humans got to the Americas

For decades, the strongest evidence for the earliest human settlement in the Americas came from a site in Chile called Monte Verde.

Apr 11, 2026
Phys.org / A nanoscale robotic cleaner can hunt, capture and remove bacteria

Tiny robots—around 50 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair—open up fascinating possibilities: they enable the controlled manipulation of objects far too small for human hands. This brings us closer to a long-standing ...

Apr 11, 2026
Phys.org / 'Poor man's Majoranas' can be used as quantum spin probes

A Majorana fermion is a particle that would be identical to its antiparticle. Such an object has not yet been found. However, certain solid materials exhibit analogous behavior as if Majorana fermions were present through ...

Apr 11, 2026
Phys.org / Artemis II's record-breaking journey around the moon ends with dramatic splashdown

Artemis II's astronauts closed out humanity's first lunar voyage in more than half a century with a Pacific splashdown on Friday, blazing new records near the moon with grace and joy.

Apr 11, 2026
Phys.org / After Artemis II, NASA looks to SpaceX, Blue Origin for moon landings

With Artemis II successfully completing its historic lunar mission on Friday, NASA is banking on billionaires Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk for the next step: landing astronauts on the moon.

Apr 11, 2026
Phys.org / Saturday Citations: Octopus behavior; children's nightmares; the fast effects of meditation

Happy Saturday! This week, researchers reported on the familiar phenomenon of speeding away from a slower-driving car only to have it catch up at the next traffic light—they've named it Voorhees law, after the well-known ...

Apr 11, 2026
Phys.org / Worsening ocean heat waves are 'supercharging' hurricane damage, study finds

Marine heat waves are supercharging damage caused by hurricanes and tropical cyclones across the globe, a new study found.

Apr 11, 2026
Phys.org / Flux pathway reveals why mussel-like liquid phase separation can happen in seconds

Have you ever wondered how mussels instantly glue themselves to rocks, allowing them to survive the crushing force of ocean waves? They complete this process in under 30 seconds. Yet, in a laboratory, replicating this process ...

Apr 11, 2026
Phys.org / Microbial hockey: Scientists discover how bacteria rotate tiny pucks

At the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Jérémie Palacci's research group is venturing into metallurgy—albeit with a twist. Instead of traditional tools, the scientists use E. coli bacteria, often associated ...

Apr 11, 2026
Phys.org / Yellowstone's magma plumbing mainly shaped by tectonic forces—not deep mantle plume

A lot of research goes into determining how to best predict the next eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano. Part of this involves pinning down how the magma migration system functions and evolves over time. The exact mechanism ...

Apr 10, 2026
Phys.org / Archaeological survey at Gnith reveals new details about pearl millet's westward expansion

A study published in Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa sheds new light on the westward spread of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) agriculture in prehistoric West Africa. A recent survey documented its earliest known ...

Apr 10, 2026
Phys.org / Yellowstone's magma source may be closer than thought, reshaping hazard models

Supereruptions are extremely large volcanic eruptions that eject more than 1,000 cubic kilometers of magma, rock and ash. They are among the most hazardous geological events on Earth and have profound impacts on the environment, ...

Apr 10, 2026