Phys.org news

Phys.org / Bolivia's tilcayo tiger cat becomes first new wildcat species in 100 years

Scientists have discovered a new species of wild cat for the first time in more than a century, a Bolivian researcher told AFP on Thursday.

Sep 18, 2026
Phys.org / Why high levels of the amino acid cysteine are toxic to cells

Cysteine is one of the main building blocks that cells use to make proteins. But this amino acid is a double-edged sword—too much cysteine is toxic to the cell. Cells therefore keep free cysteine levels to a minimum, converting ...

Sep 18, 2026
Phys.org / Closing the space gap: A more precise way to measure distance between quasar pairs

A new way to accurately measure the distance between quasar pairs—the blazing, black-hole-powered centers of distant galaxies that appear side by side in space—is showing promise through University of Alberta research.

Sep 18, 2026
Phys.org / Tiny atomic tweak makes plastic-eating enzymes more powerful

A new approach that changes just one atom in plastic-degrading enzymes could help make them more efficient while maintaining their stability, according to new research from The Australian National University published in ...

Sep 18, 2026
Phys.org / Are bots changing how people talk? Language in the age of AI

A Facebook post about your trip to Peru. An Amazon review of a new toaster oven. An email to the super about the inflatable reindeer blocking the hallway. You phrase and rephrase things all day without thinking that anyone—or ...

Sep 18, 2026
Phys.org / What kills Schrödinger's cat? Underground experiment rules out gravity model for quantum decoherence

Somewhere between the microscopic realm of elementary particles and the macroscopic world of human beings, something strange happens: The rules of quantum physics, which work so exquisitely for tiny atoms, seem to lose their ...

Sep 17, 2026
Phys.org / Real-time quantum jump in sound observed for first time

A Stanford team has documented the first direct observation of quantum jumps of sound in a mechanical resonator, completing an arc of scientific exploration that started more than 100 years ago.

Sep 17, 2026
Phys.org / Diamond quantum sensors can detect heart magnetism at room temperature without skin contact

Physicists at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) have developed a technology that uses quantum sensors to measure biomagnetic signals, such as heart activity. Researchers from the DIAQNOS (DIAmond-based Quantum Sensing ...

Sep 17, 2026
Phys.org / Deep-sea hydrothermal vents may be a hot spot for pregnant Antarctic krill

Antarctic krill are tiny shrimp-like creatures that were previously thought to mostly inhabit the upper layer of the Southern Ocean. Although they had occasionally been observed at deeper levels, they were never seen near ...

Sep 17, 2026
Phys.org / New benchmark puts quantum computers to the test and reveals their limitations

Quantum computers are no longer theoretical concepts. Today, they are being developed to tackle a range of complex problems, including exploring financial risk, modeling complex molecules and optimizing massive logistics ...

Sep 17, 2026
Phys.org / Laser scans reveal 23 hidden ship carvings on Bronze Age temple wall in Cyprus

About 40 years ago, researchers found ancient ship carvings on a temple wall in Cyprus, possibly all carved at once at the tail end of the Bronze Age, around the time of the infamous Bronze Age collapse. Then, decades later, ...

Sep 17, 2026
Phys.org / Deep-sea crustaceans caught hitching rides on giant sea spiders

Some types of marine life appear to have it easy. While exploring thousands of meters below the waves in the Chilean Margin in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, scientists observed tiny shrimp-like crustaceans known as amphipods ...

Sep 17, 2026