Phys.org news

Phys.org / Flux pathway reveals why mussel-like liquid phase separation can happen in seconds

Have you ever wondered how mussels instantly glue themselves to rocks, allowing them to survive the crushing force of ocean waves? They complete this process in under 30 seconds. Yet, in a laboratory, replicating this process ...

Apr 11, 2026
Phys.org / 'Poor man's Majoranas' can be used as quantum spin probes

A Majorana fermion is a particle that would be identical to its antiparticle. Such an object has not yet been found. However, certain solid materials exhibit analogous behavior as if Majorana fermions were present through ...

Apr 11, 2026
Phys.org / Saturday Citations: Octopus behavior; children's nightmares; the fast effects of meditation

Happy Saturday! This week, researchers reported on the familiar phenomenon of speeding away from a slower-driving car only to have it catch up at the next traffic light—they've named it Voorhees law, after the well-known ...

Apr 11, 2026
Phys.org / Microbial hockey: Scientists discover how bacteria rotate tiny pucks

At the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Jérémie Palacci's research group is venturing into metallurgy—albeit with a twist. Instead of traditional tools, the scientists use E. coli bacteria, often associated ...

Apr 11, 2026
Phys.org / Worsening ocean heat waves are 'supercharging' hurricane damage, study finds

Marine heat waves are supercharging damage caused by hurricanes and tropical cyclones across the globe, a new study found.

Apr 11, 2026
Phys.org / Search for dark matter intensifies as leading detector reaches milestone

Deep underground in a Canadian mine, a refrigerator nearly 1,000 times colder than outer space has just reached its target temperature—a milestone that brings scientists one step closer to potentially detecting dark matter, ...

Apr 10, 2026
Phys.org / Glaciers rapidly declining, with extreme losses in 2025

Earth's glaciers are continuing to shrink at alarming rates, with new international research revealing that 2025 was among the worst years on record for global ice loss. Published in the Climate Chronicles collection of Nature ...

Apr 10, 2026
Phys.org / Yellowstone's magma source may be closer than thought, reshaping hazard models

Supereruptions are extremely large volcanic eruptions that eject more than 1,000 cubic kilometers of magma, rock and ash. They are among the most hazardous geological events on Earth and have profound impacts on the environment, ...

Apr 10, 2026
Phys.org / Scientists turn 'mess' into breakthrough: Chaotic design unlocks next-generation optical devices

Researchers from the Monash University School of Physics and Astronomy have flipped a long-held assumption in optics, showing that deliberately introducing controlled disorder into ultra-thin optical devices can dramatically ...

Apr 10, 2026
Phys.org / Yellowstone's magma plumbing mainly shaped by tectonic forces—not deep mantle plume

A lot of research goes into determining how to best predict the next eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano. Part of this involves pinning down how the magma migration system functions and evolves over time. The exact mechanism ...

Apr 10, 2026
Phys.org / Archaeological survey at Gnith reveals new details about pearl millet's westward expansion

A study published in Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa sheds new light on the westward spread of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) agriculture in prehistoric West Africa. A recent survey documented its earliest known ...

Apr 10, 2026
Phys.org / Peculiar core-collapse supernova breaks the mold with a long, dim plateau

Astronomers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have employed the Lijiang 2.4-m telescope to perform optical photometric and spectroscopic observations of a core-collapse Type IIP supernova designated SN 2024abfl. ...

Apr 10, 2026