Phys.org news

Phys.org / Space dust reveals Arctic ice conditions before satellite imaging

Arctic sea ice has declined by more than 42% since 1979, when regular satellite monitoring began. As the ice grows thinner and recedes, more water is exposed to sunlight. Ice reflects sunlight but dark water absorbs it, advancing ...

Nov 6, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Simply turning up the heat could transform chemical manufacturing

Scientists have developed a simple, low-cost method to drive key chemical reactions, which could make large-scale drug manufacturing faster, more accessible and affordable.

Nov 6, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Sounds modify visual perception: New links between hearing and vision in the rodent brain

Sounds can alter the way the brain interprets what it sees. This is the key finding of a new study by SISSA researchers in Trieste, published in PLOS Computational Biology. The research shows that, when sounds are paired ...

Nov 6, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Can birds imitate R2-D2? Yes, and some are surprisingly good at it

When you think of birds imitating sounds, parrots and starlings might come to mind. They're famous for copying human speech, car alarms, and even ringtone melodies. But what happens when you challenge them with something ...

Nov 6, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / From the depths to discovery: Tiny limpet reveals big secrets of the deep sea

In the inky depths of the Central Pacific Ocean, nearly 2,400 meters below the surface, scientists have discovered a new species of deep-sea limpet clinging to a sunken log.

Nov 6, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Bright blue aurora formation: Hyperspectral camera captures first precise altitude distribution

The Institute for Fusion Science installed the Hyperspectral Camera for Auroral Imaging (HySCAI) in Kiruna, Sweden, in May 2023 and commenced full-scale observations in September of the same year. A research group has now ...

Nov 6, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Three nonlinear optical materials achieve sub-200-nm cutoff edges for advanced photonics

Nonlinear optical (NLO) materials play a vital role in modern photonic technology, driving advancements in applications such as laser frequency conversion, ultrafast optical switching, and quantum information processing. ...

Nov 6, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Northern lights may be visible in parts of the US due to solar storms

Solar storms may bring colorful auroras to several northern U.S. states Thursday night.

Nov 6, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Not-so-model behavior: Popular software tools may give faulty forecasts

Some of the models used to forecast everything from financial trends to animal populations in an ecosystem are incorrect, according to an Idaho State University statistician.

Nov 6, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Landscape clues suggest Indigenous Peoples have thrived in southwestern Amazon for more than 1,000 years

In September 2021, a multidisciplinary expedition explored one of the least-known regions of the Bolivian Amazon: the Great Tectonic Lakes of Exaltación in the department of Beni.

Nov 6, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Deep-sea mining waste threatens life and foodwebs in the ocean's dim 'twilight zone,' first study of its kind finds

A new study led by researchers at the University of Hawaii (UH) at Mānoa published in Nature Communications is the first of its kind to show that waste discharged from deep-sea mining operations in the Pacific's biodiverse ...

Nov 6, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Electrified atomic vapor system enables new nanomaterial mixtures

Vapor-phase synthesis, a technique used to create very pure and scalable nanomaterials and coatings, has great promise for the electronic, optical, aerospace, energy and environment, and semiconductor industries.

Nov 6, 2025 in Nanotechnology