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.

6 hours ago
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 ...

7 hours ago
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.

7 hours ago
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 ...

22 hours ago
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 ...

23 hours ago
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 ...

22 hours ago
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 ...

21 hours ago
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. ...

23 hours ago
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.

22 hours ago
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, ...

23 hours ago
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 ...

Sep 22, 2026
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.

Sep 22, 2026