Phys.org news

Phys.org / Catch the Ursid meteor shower as it peaks just before Christmas

The last major meteor shower of the year, known as the Ursids, peaks soon, bringing glowing streaks to nighttime and early morning skies. Compared to other meteor showers, it's more subdued, but experts say it's still worth ...

18 hours ago in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / 'Speed scanner' can test thousands of plant gene switches at once

Agriculture, from the outset, has been made possible by humans tweaking the genes of plants to make them grow faster, produce more of what we want, and survive drought, pests, and infection. For millennia, we did it with ...

17 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / New machine-learning models capture the rapid evolution of antimicrobial resistance

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an increasingly dangerous problem affecting global health. In 2019 alone, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) accounted for more than 100,000 global deaths attributable to ...

17 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / 8th-century glass reveals earliest history of Venetian glassmaking

When we think of Venetian glass, our minds leap to the blazing furnaces of Murano, to delicate filigree and the vivid colors of the Renaissance. This iconic and universally recognized image tells only part of the story. For ...

19 hours ago in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Gaia finds hints of planets in baby star systems

Ever wondered how planetary systems like our own solar system form? Thanks to the European Space Agency's Gaia space telescope, we're getting a unique peek behind the cosmic curtain into these dusty environments.

18 hours ago in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Flat-band ultrastrong coupling between phonons and plasmons observed for first time

Researchers from CIC nanoGUNE, in collaboration with the Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC) and the Center for Materials Physics (CFM), have experimentally observed and theoretically verified flat-band ultrastrong ...

17 hours ago in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / A new natural sunscreen: Novel compound discovered in thermophilic cyanobacteria

Natural sunscreens shield the skin from harmful radiation, without triggering allergic reactions. In a recently published study, a group of researchers has discovered a novel compound, β-glucose-bound hydroxy mycosporine-sarcosine, ...

17 hours ago in Chemistry
Phys.org / Tiny viral 'switch' offers hope against drug-resistant bacteria

As antibiotic-resistant infections rise and are projected to cause up to 10 million deaths per year by 2050, scientists are looking to bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, as an alternative.

18 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Team shatters 3D nanofabrication limits with meta-optics

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) engineers and scientists, in collaboration with Stanford University, have demonstrated a breakthrough 3D nanofabrication approach that transforms two-photon lithography (TPL) ...

20 hours ago in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Interpretable neural networks help reveal the nature of dark matter

A research team from the Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory (XAO) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed an interpretable artificial intelligence (AI) framework named Convolutional Kolmogorov–Arnold Network (CKAN), ...

19 hours ago in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Elegant solution for measuring ultrashort laser pulses discovered

Ultrashort laser pulses—that are shorter than a millionth of a millionth of a second—have transformed fundamental science, engineering and medicine. Despite this, their ultrashort duration has made them elusive and difficult ...

19 hours ago in Physics
Phys.org / Super strain-resistant superconductors: Study narrows down the hidden symmetry

Superconductors are materials that can conduct electricity with zero resistance, usually only at very low temperatures. Most superconductors behave according to well-established rules, but strontium ruthenate, Sr₂RuO₄, ...

21 hours ago in Physics