Phys.org news

Phys.org / How sound and light act alike—and not—at the smallest scale

A world-famous light experiment from 1801 has now been carried out with sound for the first time. Research by physicists in Leiden has produced new insights that could be applied in 5G devices and the emerging field of quantum ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Oldest oceanic reptile ecosystem from the Age of Dinosaurs found on Arctic island

More than 30,000 teeth, bones and other fossils from a 249 million-year-old community of extinct marine reptiles, amphibians, bony fish and sharks have been discovered on the remote Arctic island of Spitsbergen. These record ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Mystery of how much squid short-finned pilot whales eat resolved

How much squid do short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) off the coast of Hawai'i need to consume each day to survive and are there sufficient squid to sustain the population? Knowing these basic facts is ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Hitler's DNA reveals possible genetic disorder tied to sexual and social behavior

Adolf Hitler most likely suffered from the genetic condition Kallmann Syndrome that can manifest itself in undescended testicles and a micropenis, researchers and documentary makers said Thursday, following DNA testing of ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Scientists uncover surprising link between koala and Ice Age 'marsupial lion'

A sleepy koala may seem worlds apart from a giant Ice Age predator, but scientists have uncovered the first molecular evidence linking the two.

Nov 13, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / How fishes of the deep sea have evolved into different shapes

Fish species living in the deep sea feature a surprisingly large range of body shapes that evolved in different ways and at different rates depending on where the fishes live in the ocean, new research shows.

Nov 13, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Machine learning teaches membranes to sort by chemical affinity

Ultrafiltration membranes used in pharmaceutical manufacturing and other industrial processes have long relied on separating molecules by size. Now, Cornell researchers have created porous materials that filter molecules ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Physicists unveil system to solve long-standing barrier to new generation of supercomputers

The dream of creating game-changing quantum computers—supermachines that encode information in single atoms rather than conventional bits—has been hampered by the formidable challenge known as quantum error correction.

Nov 13, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Putting less meat and more legumes in school menus reduces environmental impact by up to 50%

The transition to healthy diets with a low environmental impact is crucial to achieving sustainable food systems and reducing health problems. In this context, dietary guidelines for schools can encourage eating behaviors ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Algorithms reveal how propane becomes propylene for everyday products

Countless everyday products, from plastic squeeze bottles to outdoor furniture, are derived by first turning propane into propylene.

Nov 13, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Wild birds are driving the current US bird flu outbreak

Since late 2021, a panzootic, or "a pandemic in animals," of highly pathogenic bird flu variant H5N1 has devastated wild birds, agriculture, and mammals. Unlike previous outbreaks, aggressive culling of domestic birds has ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Heavy atomic nuclei are not as symmetric as previously thought, physicists find

Many heavy atomic nuclei are shaped more or less like squashed rugby balls than fully inflated ones, according to a theoretical study by RIKEN nuclear physicists published in The European Physical Journal A. This unexpected ...

Nov 13, 2025 in Physics