Phys.org news

Phys.org / Los Angeles Basin map shows deep sediments that could amplify earthquake shaking

In computer simulations of the Big One—a large-magnitude earthquake that may occur along the San Andreas Fault in California—seismic waves ripple from the epicenter of a magnitude 7.8 earthquake near the Salton Sea into the ...

21 hours ago
Phys.org / Q&A: Can you trust online ratings in the age of 'review bombing'?

Before buying a product, booking a hotel or streaming a movie, many people check online reviews. But not every glowing recommendation or one-star takedown reflects a genuine customer experience.

20 hours ago
Phys.org / Growing bacteria line up single-file, then buckle in liquid crystals

When scientists study bacteria that are not in a Petri dish or a test tube but in environments that more closely mimic their actual microbial habitats, they often find delightfully unexpected behaviors. For Sujit Datta, a ...

22 hours ago
Phys.org / Food innovation in your kitchen: Giving peas, beans and lentils a surprisingly meat-like bite

Separating things and then putting them back together is a common principle in industrial food production. Agricultural raw materials are broken down into their individual constituents, such as proteins, starches and fats, ...

Sep 1, 2026
Phys.org / Declining star formation not caused by simple 'fuel crisis,' new measurements suggest

The universe has been having fewer and fewer stellar "babies." Over the past 4.5 billion years, the rate of star birth has crashed to less than half of what it once was. But here's the twist: the most essential "fuel" for ...

Sep 1, 2026
Phys.org / An anomalous return of the Odden ice tongue suggests unusual Arctic conditions

Data from many sources, including NASA, have shown a significant decrease in Arctic sea ice since 1979. However, the processes driving the melting and freezing of sea ice are complex, and fluctuations occur throughout the ...

Aug 31, 2026
Phys.org / Physicists finally put Feynman's path integral to the test

For nearly 80 years, physicists have relied on a thought experiment created by Richard Feynman to predict how quantum particles behave. For the first time, researchers in China have tested this trick directly in the lab.

Aug 31, 2026
Phys.org / UK and Ireland face greatest risk from rare tropical cyclones reaching Europe

Europe is no stranger to powerful windstorms, but some storms capable of causing serious damage have an unusual origin. Tropical cyclones can occasionally travel north from lower latitudes and reach Europe, where they can ...

Aug 31, 2026
Phys.org / JWST reveals likely Type II supernova from when universe was only 2 billion years old

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have identified one of the most distant exploding stars ever confirmed. The supernova, SN 2023aeaf, was found at a redshift of 3.195—so far away that its light has been traveling ...

Aug 31, 2026
Phys.org / JWST may solve a 20-year mystery behind a rule-breaking gamma-ray burst

Astronomers may have finally solved the mystery behind a nearly two-decade-old cosmic explosion that seemed to break the rules of physics. The energy output of a powerful gamma-ray burst, GRB 061201, discovered in 2006, did ...

Aug 31, 2026
Phys.org / A snake-headed vessel hints at a mysterious Roman cult

The ancient Romans were a deeply religious and superstitious people, worshiping dozens of cults—some official and others secretive. One of these was dedicated to Sabazios, a deity from Thrace and Phrygia (regions spanning ...

Aug 31, 2026
Phys.org / Not tiger, not wolf: Australian thylacine skull reveals a far different hunting style

A new study led by Flinders University has flipped the historical narrative about Australia's thylacine, finding the native apex predator known as the "Tasmanian tiger" was significantly different from the wolves and wild ...

Aug 31, 2026