Phys.org news

Phys.org / Backyard birdwatchers help scientists uncover what hawks really like to eat

Anyone who keeps a bird feeder has likely had the same uneasy thought after seeing a sudden blur of wings in the yard: What was that hawk doing here?

22 hours ago
Phys.org / Smartphone rapid test detects microbiologically contaminated water in less than a minute

Worldwide, billions of people rely on water sources whose hygienic quality is unclear or difficult to monitor. Conventional microbiological analysis methods take up to 24 hours, are costly, and require specialized laboratories ...

21 hours ago
Phys.org / Graphene 'nano-aquariums' capture atomic-resolution videos of gold atoms in solvents

A team led by scientists at the National Graphene Institute (NGI) at The University of Manchester has developed the first technique capable of capturing atomic‑resolution videos of individual gold atoms 'dancing' across a ...

21 hours ago
Phys.org / Male fish lose their learning edge in drug-polluted waters, research reveals

A common antidepressant detected in rivers and streams worldwide is disrupting how fish learn, and the impact is strikingly one-sided. New research led by Monash University shows the drug amitriptyline impairs spatial learning ...

23 hours ago
Phys.org / Cosmologists collaborate to sharpen measurements of the Hubble constant

Drawing together leading experts from across the field, an international collaboration of cosmologists has created a unified approach for measuring the value of the Hubble constant. Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, ...

Apr 2, 2026
Phys.org / Ytterbium atomic clock could open a new window on fundamental physics

For the first time, an international team of physicists has successfully harnessed a rare orbital transition in atoms of ytterbium to create a new type of atomic clock that is both highly precise and extremely sensitive to ...

Apr 2, 2026
Phys.org / New disk-shaped catalyst turns carbon dioxide into methanol at lower temperatures

Low-temperature CO2 hydrogenation might have sounded almost paradoxical until a recent study made it possible. Researchers have designed new catalysts that can transform the greenhouse gas into methanol at temperatures ranging ...

Apr 2, 2026
Phys.org / New evidence challenges assumptions of mass feasting at ancient Mongolian burial mounds

Khirigsuurs are Late Bronze Age monuments found across Mongolia and parts of southern Siberia. They are typically thought to be burial monuments or ritual spaces, consisting of a burial mound surrounded by satellite features ...

Apr 2, 2026
Phys.org / New miniature marsupial frog found in Peru carries eggs in a back pouch

Scientists have discovered a new species of miniature marsupial frog in the Peruvian Amazon that carries its young in a natural pouch on its back, a research institute reported Wednesday.

Apr 2, 2026
Phys.org / Watering smarter, not more: A modern-day robotic divining rod

Advanced technology can help farmers get to the root of a growing problem—overwatering in an era of increasing drought and water scarcity. A new UC Riverside system can map soil moisture tree by tree, so growers water only ...

Apr 2, 2026
Phys.org / Novel approach to quantum error correction portends a scalable future for quantum computing

A University of Sydney quantum physicist has developed a new approach to quantum error correction that could significantly reduce the number of physical qubits required to build large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers. ...

Apr 2, 2026
Phys.org / Software package makes gene regulation easier to study—and tweak

Understanding how genes are switched on and off in specific cell types remains one of biology's central challenges. While AI has made major progress in decoding the regulatory logic of DNA, applying these approaches across ...

Apr 2, 2026