Phys.org news

Phys.org / Study finds some microbes drastically change behavior outside the lab

A new study underscores the importance of studying microbes in their natural setting rather than relying solely on laboratory research. Researchers found that a set of corn root bacteria behaved completely differently when ...

Aug 17, 2026
Phys.org / Black hole star: Astronomers discover a brand-new type of astrophysical object

Astronomers at MIT and elsewhere have spotted an extremely bright red spot in the early universe. The object resembles an enormous star, roughly the size of our solar system. But it also is putting out 100 billion times more ...

Aug 16, 2026
Phys.org / Gene-edited beagles produce no detectable major dog allergen, early tests find

Humans love dogs, but petting them can leave some people sneezing and wheezing. About 15% of the world's population lives with a dog allergy, which can increase the risk of hay fever and asthma. The main culprit is Can f ...

Aug 16, 2026
Phys.org / Centuries-old physics test could help detect millicharged particles

Theoretical physicists have long predicted the existence of millicharged particles (mCPs), hypothetical particles that carry a very small electric charge. These particles are expected to interact very weakly with ordinary ...

Aug 16, 2026
Phys.org / Strain flips Hall signal in altermagnetic manganese telluride, suggesting a path to practical spintronics

Time-reversal symmetry is an exotic behavior found in systems whose internal physics looks different when running forward versus backward in time. For some time, physicists have searched for this behavior in systems with ...

Aug 16, 2026
Phys.org / Einstein Probe catches rare X-ray flash from an exploding star

Astronomers have linked an X-ray flash discovered by the Einstein Probe to a known type of supernova with unusual features that point to the birth of an ultra-dense, rapidly spinning magnetar. The paper outlining this finding ...

Aug 16, 2026
Phys.org / Giant crocodylians dominated the food chain in Miocene South America, fossil evidence suggests

South America was a frightening place during the Miocene. More than 10 million years ago, a vast lake covered much of the continent, home to giant turtles and crocodylians.

Aug 16, 2026
Phys.org / Japan aims for the moons of Mars

Japanese scientists are readying a mission to Mars' moons to retrieve samples that may unlock the origins of the solar system and life on Earth, although a rival Chinese mission aims to make it back first.

Aug 16, 2026
Phys.org / A small squeeze reveals new clues about an unusual kind of magnet

Researchers at Rice University have found that gently squeezing a crystal of iron sulfide can change two of its unusual properties at the same time: its tiny magnetic signal and the way electricity moves through it. The result ...

Aug 16, 2026
Phys.org / Active particles could make stable glasses stronger without catastrophic brittle failure

The strongest glasses have an Achilles' heel that causes them to fail catastrophically when pushed past their limit. They do not bend or stretch, as all damage concentrates into a single plane and the material fails in an ...

Aug 16, 2026
Phys.org / Shackled men in 2,600-year-old Greek mass graves were likely locals, archaeologists find

In 2016, archaeologists working at the Phaleron Burial Ground, part of the ancient Attica region, uncovered an astonishing sight: three mass graves dating to the 7th and 6th centuries BCE containing the skeletons of 79 adult ...

Aug 15, 2026
Phys.org / Tungsten may suffer more radiation damage in fusion reactors than expected

Fusion reactors, devices that generate energy by fusing light atomic nuclei at extremely high temperatures, could contribute to ongoing efforts aimed at producing electricity more sustainably. The extreme environment inside ...

Aug 15, 2026