Phys.org news

Phys.org / New quantum chip architecture could use built-in vibrations to link distant qubits

A new concept from Warwick researchers could help solve one of the biggest challenges to building large-scale quantum computers: enabling communication between vast numbers of quantum bits (qubits) over long distances across ...

7 hours ago
Phys.org / Virtual reality fish platform offers insights into the impact of artificial light on aquatic life

A virtual reality (VR) platform has given researchers new insights into how artificial light at night alters the way coral reef fish respond to predators. The study brings together, for the first time, the metabolic expertise ...

18 hours ago
Phys.org / Saber-toothed cats' spinal tumors suggest inbred species struggled to survive

The fossilized spines of saber-toothed cats in the La Brea Tar Pits reveal evidence of an unexpectedly high prevalence of rare spinal nerve tumors, suggesting that the species became inbred just before extinction. These tumors, ...

Jul 27, 2026
Phys.org / A quantum heat engine that simultaneously provides work and refrigeration

The laws of thermodynamics state that heat naturally flows from hotter systems or regions to colder systems or regions until a state of thermal equilibrium is reached. This simple principle underpins the operation of numerous ...

Jul 26, 2026
Phys.org / Gamma-ray pulsations reveal extreme 3.2-millisecond pulsar 3,900 light-years away

By analyzing the data from NASA's Fermi gamma-ray space telescope, Chinese astronomers have investigated a recently identified millisecond pulsar known as PSR J0435+3233. As a result, they found that the pulsar exhibits gamma-ray ...

Jul 26, 2026
Phys.org / Angola's oldest burials, including its only known ancient cremation, uncovered at a 15th-century site doomed by a dam

As the construction of a hydroelectric dam loomed, archaeologists raced to uncover Angola's earliest dated burials and its only known cremation at a 15th-century settlement before it vanished beneath the water.

Jul 26, 2026
Phys.org / Twisted laser light distinguishes mirror-image molecules by their fragment counts

Many molecules exist in two mirror-image forms—like left and right hands—that look identical but can behave very differently, especially in biological systems and pharmaceuticals. Distinguishing between these enantiomers ...

Jul 26, 2026
Phys.org / Trace molecules emerge as chemical 'keystones' that steer life's communities

In nature, the rarest ingredient can be the one that holds everything together. In a new article published in Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Dr. Erika C. Freeman of the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries ...

Jul 26, 2026
Phys.org / Ancient bones from smaller Maya communities reveal heavy reliance on maize and local subsistence patterns

Historians and archaeologists know that maize was a central food source and cultural symbol across the ancient Maya world, but much of what is known has come from studies focused on large Maya cities and elite burials.

Jul 25, 2026
Phys.org / Rare blue optical transient points to possible new class of cosmic explosion

Chinese astronomers report the detection of a peculiar optical transient event that occurred in the center of a dwarf galaxy. The newly discovered event, designated AT2019ijn, is a fast-rising, slow-decaying blue optical ...

Jul 25, 2026
Phys.org / Cameras attached to whale sharks capture krill chases never witnessed before

Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus)—the world's biggest fish—are one of the most charismatic marine species. They connect with the hearts of anyone lucky enough to encounter them, making people deeply curious about their lives ...

Jul 25, 2026
Phys.org / Unwritten social rules, not government oversight, help keep forest land sustainable

Swidden agriculture—often called "slash-and-burn"—has been practiced on every inhabited continent throughout human history, and for decades it has been blamed for the destruction of the world's rainforests. However, a new ...

Jul 25, 2026