Phys.org news

Phys.org / Detection of phosphine in a brown dwarf atmosphere raises more questions

Phosphorus is one of six key elements necessary for life on Earth. When combined with hydrogen, phosphorus forms the molecule phosphine (PH3), an explosive, highly toxic gas.

Oct 2, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / As California glaciers disappear, people will see ice-free peaks exposed for the first time in millennia

For as long as there have been people in what is now California, the granite peaks of the Sierra Nevada have held masses of ice, according to new research that shows the glaciers have probably existed since the last Ice Age ...

Oct 2, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Most powerful 'odd radio circle' to date discovered

The most distant and most powerful "odd radio circle" (ORC) known so far has been discovered by astronomers. These curious rings are a relatively newly identified astronomical phenomenon, having been detected for the first ...

Oct 2, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / When it comes to storing carbon, the Arctic presents a winter surprise

The ocean holds gigantic amounts of carbon, much more than all land-based plants and soil. Scientists previously studied these carbon stocks in spring and summer. Now, in two published studies, they have looked at what happens ...

Oct 2, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Finding buried treasures with physics: 'Fingerprint matrix' method uncovers what lies beneath the sand

Can we reveal objects that are hidden in environments completely opaque to the human eye? With conventional imaging techniques, the answer is no: a dense cloud or layer of material blocks light so completely that a simple ...

Oct 2, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Ice mixed with amino acids stores methane in minutes

If you have ever cooked on a gas stove or seen a flame flicker to life with the turn of a knob, you have seen natural gas in action. Supplying that energy at scale, however, is far more complicated. Today, natural gas is ...

Oct 2, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Interstellar comet swinging past Mars as a fleet of spacecraft looks on

A comet from another star system will swing by Mars on Friday as a fleet of spacecraft trains its sights on the interstellar visitor.

Oct 2, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / AI techniques excel at solving complex equations in physics, especially inverse problems

Differential equations are fundamental tools in physics: they are used to describe phenomena ranging from fluid dynamics to general relativity. But when these equations become stiff (i.e. they involve very different scales ...

Oct 2, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Even where laws are in place to protect them, wolves fully fear the human 'super predator'

Fear of the fabled "big bad wolf" has dominated the public perception of wolves for millennia and strongly influences current debates concerning human-wildlife conflict. Humans both fear wolves and, perhaps more importantly, ...

Oct 2, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Silver-nanoring coating points to 'self-regulating' smart windows—without power or tinting

A new Danish research breakthrough could make buildings far more energy-efficient in the future. Researchers from Aarhus University's Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO) have developed a light-responsive hybrid material ...

Oct 2, 2025 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Study shows the world is far more ablaze now with damaging fires than in the 1980s

Earth's nastiest and costliest wildfires are blazing four times more often now than they did in the 1980s because of human-caused climate change and people moving closer to wildlands, a new study found.

Oct 2, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Sodium dispersion enables fluorine recovery from fluoropolymers at room temperature

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a synthetic fluorine-based polymer with a wide range of applications, including non-stick cookware production and electrical and optical fiber cable coating, owing to its high durability, ...

Oct 2, 2025 in Chemistry