Phys.org news
Phys.org / Plate tectonics shaped the Cradle of Civilization by merging two ancient rivers, study suggests
The Euphrates River is the longest river in Western Asia and runs through the eastern side of the Fertile Crescent. Flowing over 1,700 miles from Turkey through Syria and Iraq, the river played a crucial role in sustaining ...
Phys.org / Strange winds on seven hot Jupiters reveal strongest signs yet of exoplanet magnetic activity
A team of astronomers has found the strongest evidence yet that some planets outside our solar system may be magnetic. Using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (ESO's VLT) and the Gemini North telescope, ...
Phys.org / Single cell transforms into cannibalistic 'supergiant,' swallowing its clones whole
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) have discovered a microscopic organism that can transform into a cannibalistic "supergiant" that drastically changes size, shape, and behavior, and abandons filter-feeding ...
Phys.org / Rare meteorite provides evidence of giant early planet
Four-and-a-half billion years ago, a massive world—possibly as big as the moon or even Mars—orbited our sun before crashing into another celestial body and shattering into rubble. Now, in a paper published in the journal ...
Phys.org / Molecular glasses solve long-standing Arrhenius paradox
Glasses are non-crystalline but solid states of matter in which molecules and atoms are not arranged into a regular crystal lattice, but rather in a disordered pattern. Glassy materials are widely used in various settings, ...
Phys.org / How a Richard Feynman formula could explain your dining habits in a new city
One of the dilemmas facing anyone in a new and unfamiliar city is where to dine out. You might consult guides, speak to locals, check reviews, and ultimately, try your luck. But if you're there for a while, at some point ...
Phys.org / Kamo'oalewa asteroid's lunar origin challenged ahead of Tianwen-2 arrival
China's Tianwen-2 sample-return mission is well on its way to its target, an asteroid called Kamo'oalewa. The spacecraft left Earth in May 2025 and should return in late 2027 with samples of a space rock that scientists had ...
Phys.org / Britain's oldest cave art may have been rediscovered in Bacon Hole cave
The oldest cave art in Britain may have been discovered, or more likely rediscovered, in a cave on the Gower Peninsula in South Wales, possibly dating back around 17,000 years.
Phys.org / Dormant black hole revives in under three years, brightening 10-fold in nearby galaxy
Astronomers monitoring a nearby active galaxy for six years have watched its supermassive black hole dramatically wake up, brightening by a factor of 10 across ultraviolet and X-ray wavelengths. The paper outlining the study ...
Phys.org / Flatworms reveal exploding immune cells that kill surrounding tissue
Stanford scientists have discovered a new type of immune cell that kills surrounding cells via explosion—a cellular detonation so fast and complete that the cell vanishes within minutes, leaving no trace behind. This discovery ...
Phys.org / Biohybrid microrobots repair spinal cord by combining stem cells with magnetoelectric nanoparticles
Spinal cord injuries can have devastating consequences for those affected. Nerve cells in the spinal cord rarely regenerate naturally, while scarring often prevents the regrowth of nerve fibers. Modern therapies attempt to ...
Phys.org / Mathematicians say 'don't believe hype' on AI capabilities
Dozens of mathematicians signed a declaration Tuesday calling for the discipline to resist beating the drum for artificial intelligence developers.
