Phys.org news

Phys.org / Gut cells may measure hunger by how watery their insides become

Researchers led by Sa Kan Yoo at the RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research (BDR) in Japan have discovered that the natural turnover of gut cells in fruit flies depends on how much food the flies get, rather than on ...

Aug 8, 2026
Phys.org / Nocturnal 'coffee frog' discovered in Costa Rica

A tiny greenish, nocturnal frog that thrives in coffee plantations has been discovered in Costa Rica's central Pacific region, where it also faces risks from agrochemicals used in farming.

Aug 8, 2026
Phys.org / Silver nanocatalysts switch reaction sites between power generation and hydrogen production

For the first time, researchers have discovered that the same silver (Ag) nanocatalyst operates at different reaction sites depending on whether a solid oxide cell is generating electricity or producing hydrogen. This finding ...

Aug 8, 2026
Phys.org / XENONnT detector narrows the hunt for dark matter

Using a detector filled with nearly 9 metric tons of liquid xenon, researchers have delivered some of the most sensitive dark matter results ever recorded. In the latest analysis from the XENON collaboration, working at the ...

Aug 7, 2026
Phys.org / Galactic spins carry fingerprints of the primordial universe

The origin of spin in spiral and elliptical galaxies has posed a long-standing puzzle for astronomers. One idea, known as tidal torque theory, proposes that galaxies' spins are an imprinted record of the early universe, imparted ...

Aug 7, 2026
Phys.org / Crossing into a mirror world: Particles turn to wisps of fog, and the magnetic monopole paradox dissolves

In Goethe's ballad "Erlkönig," immortalized in Schubert's fevered 1815 setting, a dying boy riding through the night sees a spectral king beckoning from the darkness. His father calms him: "Mein Sohn, es ist ein Nebelstreif"—my ...

Aug 7, 2026
Phys.org / Physicists watch a material's electrons assemble, and reassemble, into coexisting phases

A tall glass of ice water isn't just a thirst quencher; it's also an everyday example of coexisting phases. Water can exist simultaneously in both liquid and solid phases. As it turns out, this phase duality can also exist ...

Aug 7, 2026
Phys.org / Tiny floating magnet detects ultrafaint magnetic fields at room temperature

Measuring faint magnetic fields is useful in a number of areas, including mapping brain activity, monitoring hearts and probing fundamental physics. Typically, picking up such weak signals requires expensive or bulky equipment, ...

Aug 7, 2026
Phys.org / Boron layers could set a superconductivity record, theoretical study predicts

Scientists in China predict that stacking two microscopic layers of boron could set a new record for superconductivity. Superconductors are materials that conduct electricity with zero resistance. Traditional types need temperatures ...

Aug 7, 2026
Phys.org / An ultramassive white dwarf half Earth's size may hold a rare oxygen-neon core

Astronomers have found evidence that one of the most massive white dwarfs known has an oxygen-neon core instead of the more common carbon-oxygen core. The finding is important because the composition of a white dwarf's core ...

Aug 7, 2026
Phys.org / One million years without sex fails to erase stick insects' unused biological system

Scientists have made a surprising finding about how an asexually reproducing stick insect has evolved. Research led by Dr. Darren Parker, lecturer in evolutionary biology at Bangor University, studied the genes of several ...

Aug 7, 2026
Phys.org / Phages unlock essential vitamin B12 by bursting open gut bacteria

All living organisms need vitamin B12 to form red blood cells and DNA, as well as to build and support brain and nerve cells. But it's hard to come by: Humans don't make it. Animals don't make it. Plants don't make it. In ...

Aug 7, 2026