Phys.org news

Phys.org / Attosecond X-ray method maps early electron motions that trigger chemical reactions

All chemistry starts with a push from electrons. In the early moments of a chemical reaction, it's the movement of electrons that initiates the breaking of old chemical bonds and forging of new ones, transforming one molecule ...

23 hours ago
Phys.org / 'Spooky' particles transit DC suburbs, a step toward a quantum network

In early 2025, special signals wended their way through a fiber-optic highway strung above the streets and sidewalks of the Maryland suburbs. The arrival of those signals at their destination marks a significant step toward ...

23 hours ago
Phys.org / Damaging coastal storm conditions have become twice as frequent at a New Jersey Beach since 1979

Storm conditions capable of causing major coastal erosion at New Jersey's North Beach on Sandy Hook are occurring about twice as often as they did in 1979, according to Rutgers researchers. The finding offers new evidence ...

22 hours ago
Phys.org / Little-known protein helps the body restrain scar-forming signals

U.K. and U.S. scientists have uncovered an important piece of the puzzle in the signaling pathway that causes damaging scar tissue to build up in the body, raising hopes for future treatments. A team from the University of ...

23 hours ago
Phys.org / Diffuse inter-filament gas is likely a key fuel source for massive star formation

Researchers from Kyushu University have discovered that diffuse gas surrounding dense filaments in a nearby stellar nursery plays a much larger role in star formation than previously recognized. By tracking the movement of ...

23 hours ago
Phys.org / Electrostatic nanocorral offers new control over charged excitons and quantum light

Researchers created an electrically tunable quantum nanoscale corral that traps charged excitons and enables precise electrical control of tiny light sources, including their brightness, color and quantum states, the team, ...

22 hours ago
Phys.org / Nanowires restore key functions in aging T cells

For decades, scientists have accepted that the immune system naturally weakens with age. Georgia Tech biomedical engineer and Carl Ring Family Professor Ankur Singh wasn't convinced. Then the COVID-19 pandemic made the stakes ...

22 hours ago
Phys.org / Well-worn wins: Wild capuchin monkeys prefer stones with a proven track record of cracking nuts

A new study provides experimental evidence that wild capuchin monkeys use more than just physical cues when selecting stone tools; they also rely on visible signs that a stone has previously been used for this purpose.

Aug 5, 2026
Phys.org / Artificial cells reveal how living ones take shape

Using simple artificial cells, a research group led by Makito Miyazaki of the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS) in Japan has uncovered fundamental physical principles that govern how living cells change ...

23 hours ago
Phys.org / Neanderthal growth hormone receptor increases muscle mass in people today, study shows

Neanderthals were generally more strongly built than most people living today. Their bones show signs of large muscles, and they had characteristic features such as prominent brow ridges and relatively short tooth roots.

Aug 5, 2026
Phys.org / Astronomers catch massive star's death from the first explosive moment

In March 2026, the Einstein Probe detected a brief flash of soft X-rays emitted from a galaxy about 500 million light-years away. The flash, dubbed EP260321a, immediately triggered a worldwide observing campaign. Within an ...

Aug 5, 2026
Phys.org / Two origins of life: Free-living cells may have emerged twice as bacteria and archaea diverged

How and where did the first forms of life arise? These are the main questions driving research at the Institute of Molecular Evolution at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU). In a new publication in Science Advances, ...

Aug 5, 2026