Phys.org news

Phys.org / How climate change may amplify the impact of earthquakes in the Arctic

Permafrost refers to permanently frozen ground. The rock is held together by ice, much like cement binds concrete. However, when the ice thaws, the ground becomes weak and unstable. During an earthquake, this can trigger ...

22 hours ago
Phys.org / Why 'you're smart' can backfire: Young children may cheat more after ability praise

Parents and teachers might think telling kids "they're smart" is a helpful way to build self-confidence and support positive development.

22 hours ago
Phys.org / Slender crystal's blue-to-yellow glow could make invisible forces visible

Applying pressure to luminescent organic crystals usually brings molecules closer together and weakens their fluorescence. Materials that instead brighten and undergo a large color change are rare, and clear design principles ...

22 hours ago
Phys.org / Reversible electric control unlocks persistent chiral phonon states

Atoms in a material are rarely still. They jiggle back and forth in collective lattice vibrations known as phonons. Their motion can also carry a rotational element: In 2023, scientists at PSI experimentally proved the existence ...

23 hours ago
Phys.org / Neutrophil vesicles help Candida albicans evade immune-cell engulfment

The immune system is a highly sophisticated defense network designed to protect against pathogens. A research team from the Universities of Würzburg and Jena and the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection ...

23 hours ago
Phys.org / Rare pulsar unleashes 114 giant pulses in a single hour

Astronomers have detected extreme, never-before-seen behavior from a rare kind of pulsar and stumbled on a surprising link to one of astronomy's biggest current mysteries. Using 174 hours of radio observations, researchers ...

Sep 7, 2026
Phys.org / Three quantum phases in chromium-based material hint at a spin-triplet superconductor

Superconductors are materials that conduct electricity without electrical resistance when cooled below a specific critical temperature. These materials have proved promising for the development of various technologies, including ...

Sep 7, 2026
Phys.org / What happens when you flush? Study reveals how toilet aerosols reach the breathing zone

Researchers from Flinders University have found that flushing toilets can release aerosols and bioaerosols into the surrounding air, with some studies detecting particles at heights corresponding to adults' breathing zones.

Sep 7, 2026
Phys.org / Excavations at Prado Vargas now span 140 square meters of a Neanderthal layer

The 2026 field season at Prado Vargas Cave, located in the village of Cornejo in the northern province of Burgos, Spain, within the Ojo Guareña karst complex, has expanded the excavation of Neanderthal sublevel 4D by 32 square ...

Sep 7, 2026
Phys.org / Can atmospheric methane removal limit peak warming?

In a new report, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) concludes that global warming is expected to exceed 1.5°C within the next few years. This makes two questions increasingly important: how high will temperatures ...

Sep 7, 2026
Phys.org / How 'hyperselection' is making modern life efficient, pleasant—and boring

It's difficult to imagine a song like Queen's 1975 "Bohemian Rhapsody" topping the charts today. Almost six minutes long, it moves through several radically different musical sections and famously ignores the conventional ...

Sep 7, 2026
Phys.org / New model measures economic risks solar storms pose to US power grid

In 1967, a solar storm nearly triggered World War III by jamming early-warning radar systems in the United States, causing U.S. leaders to think the Soviet Union was responsible. Though society averted catastrophe thanks ...

Sep 7, 2026