Phys.org news

Phys.org / Slowing down muon decay with short laser pulses

Muons are unstable subatomic particles that spontaneously and rapidly transform into other particles via a process known as electroweak decay. Altering the speed with which muons decay into other particles was so far deemed ...

Jan 15, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / How concrete jungles could be changing dandelion seed dispersal in Japan

Dandelions are incredible plants with a highly efficient seed-dispersal system, meaning even a gentle breeze can carry seeds and their parachutes great distances. But in several places in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, they have ...

Jan 15, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Perovskite display technology demonstrates record efficiency and industry-level operational lifetime

A research team has developed a hierarchical-shell perovskite nanocrystal technology that simultaneously overcomes the long-standing instability of metal-halide perovskite emitters while achieving record-breaking quantum ...

Jan 15, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / New microscopy technique preserves the cell's natural conditions

Researchers at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT-Italian Institute of Technology) have developed an innovative microscopy technique capable of improving the observation of living cells. The study, published in Optics Letters, ...

Jan 15, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Do-it-yourself ammonia production: Renewable-powered system uses calcium to reduce emissions and scale for farmers

The last time you scrubbed a streaky window or polished a porcelain appliance, you probably used a chemical called ammonia.

Jan 15, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Hidden magma oceans could shield rocky exoplanets from harmful radiation

Deep beneath the surface of distant exoplanets known as super-Earths, oceans of molten rock may be doing something extraordinary: powering magnetic fields strong enough to shield entire planets from dangerous cosmic radiation ...

Jan 15, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / New spectroscopic method reveals ion's complex nuclear structure

Different atoms and ions possess characteristic energy levels. Like a fingerprint, they are unique for each species. Among them, the atomic ion 173Yb+ has attracted growing interest because of its particularly rich energy ...

Jan 15, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Efficient cooling method could enable chip-based quantum computers

Quantum computers could rapidly solve complex problems that would take the most powerful classical supercomputers decades to unravel. But they'll need to be large and stable enough to efficiently perform operations. To meet ...

Jan 15, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / 'Reborn' black hole awakens after 100 million years of silence

One of the most vivid portraits of "reborn" black hole activity—likened to the eruption of a "cosmic volcano" spreading almost 1 million light-years across space—has been captured in a gigantic radio galaxy.

Jan 15, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / How small mammals shrink their brains to survive the cold

An international team of researchers, with the involvement of the UAB, has conducted a study that explains the evolutionary origins of the Dehnel phenomenon, a unique seasonal adaptation in small mammals that involves the ...

Jan 15, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Turning crystal flaws into quantum highways: A new route towards scalable solid-state qubits

Building large-scale quantum technologies requires reliable ways to connect individual quantum bits (qubits) without destroying their fragile quantum states. In a new theoretical study, published in npj Computational Materials, ...

Jan 15, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Comprehensive map reveals how E3 ligases organize protein cleanup in human cells

Maintaining cellular order is a major logistical challenge: Individual mammalian cells contain billions of protein molecules, which must be synthesized, deployed, and removed with precision. In the ubiquitin-proteasome system ...

Jan 15, 2026 in Biology