Phys.org news

Phys.org / Hubble captures rare collision in nearby planetary system

In an unprecedented celestial event, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope (HST) captured the dramatic aftermath of colliding space rocks within a nearby planetary system.

Dec 18, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Urban birds' beak shape rapidly changed during COVID-19 lockdowns, suggesting human-driven transformations

When the world slowed down during the COVID-19 pandemic, its effects extended beyond humans. A recent study found that it reshaped urban ecosystems to such an extent that certain city-dwelling birds even began to develop ...

Dec 18, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Scientists build a quantum computer that can repair itself using recycled atoms

Like their conventional counterparts, quantum computers can also break down. They can sometimes lose the atoms they manipulate to function, which can stop calculations dead in their tracks. But scientists at the US-based ...

Dec 18, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Hidden clay intensified 2011 Japan megaquake, study confirms

An international research expedition involving Cornell has uncovered new details as to why a 2011 earthquake northeast of Japan behaved so unusually as it lifted the seafloor and produced a tsunami that devastated coastal ...

Dec 18, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Silicon atom processor links 11 qubits with more than 99% fidelity

In order to scale quantum computers, more qubits must be added and interconnected. However, prior attempts to do this have resulted in a loss of connection quality, or fidelity. But, a new study published in Nature details ...

Dec 18, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Archimedean screw inspires new way to encode chirality into magnetic materials

In physics and materials science, the term "spin chirality" refers to an asymmetry in the arrangement of spins (i.e., the intrinsic angular momentum of particles) in magnetic materials. This asymmetry can give rise to unique ...

Dec 18, 2025 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Good listeners connect more easily with strangers, study finds

With many people now heavily relying on electronic devices to communicate with others, connecting on a deeper level with others, particularly face-to-face, can prove challenging. Recent nationwide surveys and psychological ...

Dec 18, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / New redback millisecond pulsar discovered with ASKAP

Using the Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) telescope, astronomers have discovered a new millisecond pulsar (MSPs) at a distance of some 7,000 light years away. The newfound pulsar, which received designation PSR J1728−4608, ...

Dec 18, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Ants may hold solution to human superbug, researchers discover

Has a crucial component to the development of human medicine been hiding under our feet? Auburn University Assistant Professor of Entomology Clint Penick and a team of graduate students may have found that ants are far ahead ...

Dec 18, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Research reinvents MXene synthesis at a fraction of the cost

MXenes (pronounced like the name "Maxine") are a class of two-dimensional materials, first identified just 14 years ago, with remarkable potential for energy storage, catalysts, ultrastrong lightweight composites, and a variety ...

Dec 18, 2025 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / SPHEREx telescope completes first full-sky infrared map in 102 colors

Launched in March, NASA's SPHEREx space telescope has completed its first infrared map of the entire sky in 102 colors.

Dec 18, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Life on lava: How microbes colonize new habitats

Life has a way of bouncing back, even after catastrophic events like forest fires or volcanic eruptions. While nature's resilience to natural disasters has long been recognized, not much is known about how organisms colonize ...

Dec 18, 2025 in Astronomy & Space