Phys.org news

Phys.org / Physicists turn to the universe's 'piano notes' to detect hidden particles

It's been said that a finely tuned ear knows the size and shape of a piano by merely listening to the instrument's notes. An international team of physicists has now devised an analogous approach to detect the universe's ...

Jul 24, 2026
Phys.org / Fossilized wood reveals 300 million years of Earth's history

Many people are familiar with fossilized wood as a decorative item from a museum shop. However, the fact that it can preserve the geological history of entire regions spanning millions of years is a new discovery. A research ...

Jul 24, 2026
Phys.org / Long-lived ytterbium states could sharpen quantum computing and atomic clocks

Researchers from the University of Amsterdam and the University of New South Wales have answered a question that has been around for decades: whether ions of the metal ytterbium can enter certain long-lived, nearly stable ...

Jul 24, 2026
Phys.org / Rocks from unexplored far side of the moon help rewrite lunar history

Ancient samples from the moon's far side are helping scientists uncover how asteroid impacts shaped the early solar system. The findings challenge decades of thinking about when those impacts occurred and offer new insights ...

Jul 24, 2026
Phys.org / Magnetic clues inside atomic nuclei help explain how elements form in stars

A scientific team led by Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, or FRIB, has identified the origin of a mysterious excess of low-energy gamma rays emitted by the nucleus zinc-70. They found that the excess is caused by magnetic ...

Jul 24, 2026
Phys.org / Algorithms create foundry-ready photonic circuits

Photonic microchips can process data at extremely high speeds and are embedded in a wide variety of today's technologies. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light (MPL) and Harvard University have ...

Jul 24, 2026
Phys.org / New methods for removing harmful nitrates from drinking water identified

Nitrate contamination of drinking water poses a major health concern, particularly in agricultural communities where fertilizers, livestock manure and septic systems can leach nitrates into groundwater. Many rural households ...

Jul 24, 2026
Phys.org / Can a robot tutor give too much help? Why timing matters

A learner stands in a room with a bottle, a cup and a book. The task is to figure out, step by step, where each object belongs in the room. Under the table? Or perhaps on the chair? A humanoid robot gives the instructions—but ...

Jul 24, 2026
Phys.org / World's first 'zinc oxide spin qubit' could advance scalable quantum devices

A research team led by SKKU professor Hosung Seo of the Department of Quantum Information Engineering and the SKKU Advanced Institute of Nanotechnology, working with the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the University ...

Jul 24, 2026
Phys.org / Cutting out the noise: How horseshoe bats adapt their echolocation behavior in colonies

Imagine searching for a gemstone in a dark cave: You use a flashlight, looking for a rainbow-colored glint in the darkness. Now, imagine 10 other people in the cave with you, using different-colored flashlights at the same ...

Jul 24, 2026
Phys.org / Io's volcanic output offers a 40‑day forecast of plasma density in Jupiter's magnetosphere

A careful statistical comparison of observations recorded by NASA's Juno mission and the Planetary Science Institute's Io Input Output observatory (IoIO) shows that IoIO observations reliably predict the density of Jupiter's ...

Jul 24, 2026
Phys.org / Gold-catalyzed chemical reaction advances next-generation anticancer prodrugs

Anticancer prodrugs have attracted significant attention from the medical and scientific communities in recent years because of their potential to improve treatment precision while reducing side effects. These drugs are engineered ...

Jul 24, 2026