Phys.org news
Phys.org / Buy, wear, return: Retail fraud and abuse explored in new study
New research reveals retailers are losing money through two kinds of problematic returns: deliberate fraud and opportunistic abuse of generous return policies.
Phys.org / Silicon solar cells could cut satellite power costs by up to 90%
Switching to modern silicon solar cells could cut the cost of powering satellites by as much as 90% based on beginning-of-life (BOL) performance, according to a review led by the University of Surrey. The switch to silicon ...
Phys.org / Quantum device simulates matter popping into existence
A research team led by faculty at the Duke Quantum Center (DQC) has observed string-breaking dynamics related to particle-antiparticle formation on a quantum simulator, among the first such observations in quantum physics.
Phys.org / Injectable nanoparticles make blind retinas respond to light in preclinical study
An international research team has developed microscopic particles that can make blind retinas respond to light. The particles act as tiny light receptors. Researchers inject them into the eye, where they settle close to ...
Phys.org / Physicists crack the math connecting ultraslow quantum magnetism to ultrafast black-hole physics
A team led by University at Buffalo physicists has found a mathematical solution that shows how a frustrated quantum magnet can transition from ultraslow behavior to ultrafast, highly entangled behavior resembling that of ...
Phys.org / Queasy plesiosaurs swam to shore to vomit, Jurassic fossils reveal
Plesiosaurs swam into river deltas to vomit up shells and other indigestible elements of their marine meals, suggests new research published by Cambridge University Press. The behavior resembles that of today's fur seals ...
Phys.org / The secret to a perfect crystal may be a precisely calibrated extra turn
Creating a perfect crystal sounds straightforward: Arrange identical building blocks into a repeating, orderly structure. At the microscopic scale, though, even subtle biases in how particles interact can push them in preferred ...
Phys.org / From swarming bacteria to tissue cells, living matter defies classic physical models of motion
A new study led by researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) reveals that living matter violates previously known physical principles of symmetry when cellular flows form and break down collective patterns. ...
Phys.org / Corals show 'vaccine-like' responses after pathogen exposure
To boost corals' resilience amid rising sea temperatures and the spread of disease, KAUST researchers have found that controlled, low-level exposure to dead pathogenic cells can help corals resist future infection.
Phys.org / AI companions may erode social skills among isolated users, framework suggests
As AI companions become more commonplace, new research from Singapore Management University (SMU) and Duke-NUS Medical School argues that the real question is no longer whether these technologies are beneficial or harmful, ...
Phys.org / Astronomers detect radio signals coming from an exoplanet for the first time
Exoplanets are exotic worlds orbiting distant stars far beyond our solar system. Ever since the first ones were discovered in the 1990s, astronomers have turned their attention to these distant worlds to understand more about ...
Phys.org / Is a nearby advanced alien civilization out there waiting to pounce on Earth? Unlikely, says new study
Science fiction suggests that life on other planets, if it exists, is likely far more advanced than life on Earth. A recent study suggests otherwise.