Phys.org news

Phys.org / Floquet Chern insulators based on nonlinear photonic crystals achieved

Over the past few years, engineers and material scientists have been trying to devise new optical systems in which light particles (i.e., photons) can move freely and in useful ways, irrespective of defects and imperfections. ...

Oct 2, 2025 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / AI-generated nanomaterial images fool even experts, study shows

Black-and-white images of pom-pom–like clusters, semi-translucent fields of tiny dark gray stars on a pale background, and countless other abstract patterns are a familiar sight in scientific papers describing the shapes ...

Oct 2, 2025 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Two highly scattered pulsars discovered with ASKAP

Astronomers report the discovery of two new highly scattered pulsars as part of the Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) Variables and Slow Transients (VAST) survey. The findings are detailed in a research paper published September ...

Oct 2, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / New approach to gravitational wave detection opens the milli-Hz frontier

Scientists have unveiled a new approach to detecting gravitational waves in the milli-Hertz frequency range, providing access to astrophysical and cosmological phenomena that are not detectable with current instruments.

Oct 2, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Elephants know when you're watching—how they recognize human visual attention

With their massive flapping ears and long trunks, it isn't hard to believe that elephants tend to rely on acoustic and olfactory cues for communication. They use gestures and visual displays to communicate as well, but we ...

Oct 2, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Could dark energy change over time? Supercomputer simulations challenge ΛCDM assumption

Since the early 20th century, scientists have gathered compelling evidence that the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate. This acceleration is attributed to what is known as dark energy—a fundamental property of ...

Oct 2, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Generative AI can outperform nature at designing proteins to edit the genome

Researchers at Integra Therapeutics, in collaboration with the Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) Department of Medicine and Life Sciences (MELIS) and the Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG), have designed and experimentally validated ...

Oct 2, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Microbes trapped in permafrost awake after thousands of years

In a new study, a team of geologists and biologists led by CU Boulder resurrected ancient microbes that had been trapped in ice—in some cases for around 40,000 years.

Oct 2, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Deep-sea mining poses further threat to 30 shark, ray and chimaera species

The habitat of 30 species of sharks, rays, and chimaeras, also called ghost sharks, overlap with areas where proposed deep-sea mining may occur, according to new research published in Current Biology and led by University ...

Oct 2, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Quantum key distribution method tested in urban infrastructure offers secure communications

In the era of instant data exchange and growing risks of cyberattacks, scientists are seeking secure methods of transmitting information. One promising solution is quantum cryptography—a quantum technology that uses single ...

Oct 2, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / 300,000-year-old genomes: History of the Schöningen horses deciphered

For the first time, a research team from the Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Paleoenvironment at the University of Tübingen and the Schöningen Research Center have reconstructed the genomes of an extinct horse ...

Oct 2, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Overlooked ubiquitin precursor promotes cellular stress resistance and longevity

Researchers from the University of Cologne and Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf have identified a new ubiquitin form dedicated to proteostasis and healthy aging. They show that CxUb (C-terminally extended ubiquitin), ...

Oct 2, 2025 in Biology