Phys.org news
Phys.org / Engineers observe quantum heat waves at room temperature
Efficient heat management in solids is key to advancing the next generation of electronics. However, wave-like heat movement—known as phonon focusing—had been observed only at extremely low, or cryogenic, temperatures, limiting ...
Phys.org / Chocolate syrup-like fluid stores multiple interacting memories
Animals and electronic devices aren't the only things with memory. Materials can retain memories of past deformations in their microscopic structure. A common example is a crease in a sheet of paper that has been folded then ...
Phys.org / Moon baboon: New insight into the mind of ancient Egyptians
New research from the University of St Andrews has shed light on baboons, moonlight and their link to an ancient Egyptian deity.
Phys.org / Machine learning narrows search for additional particles in the Higgs boson family
What if the Higgs boson found in 2012 is not alone but is the only sibling we have encountered so far? Scientists at CERN discovered the particle that year, and it was a major discovery because it explained how other particles ...
Phys.org / Could alien signals be hiding on a different radio channel?
Astronomers searching for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence may have been missing alien signals in part of the radio spectrum that has not recently been explored.
Phys.org / When mothers make the winners: How alpha female lineages dominate hyena clans
In mammals, males are usually stronger and more competitive than females. Males also show greater inequality in reproductive success—the number of offspring they produce—than females. In spotted hyenas, the opposite is true: ...
Phys.org / A new 'golden age' of mathematics may be dawning, thanks to AI and human ingenuity
In May 2026, OpenAI released a new math result that sent shock waves throughout the world of mathematical research. A major unsolved problem called the "unit distance conjecture" had just been resolved by generative AI.
Phys.org / Materials surrounding a fusion reaction can dramatically increase how often it occurs
Fusion at high temperatures powers the sun and, if harnessed, could provide a potential source of energy here on Earth. But controlling fusion reactions has other benefits. The process also generates subatomic particles called ...
Phys.org / Environmental bacteria ferry genes that boost antibiotic resistance over 10,000-fold
A patient with a severe infection is prescribed a potent antibiotic. Hopes for improvement are high, but just after treatment is given, resistance to the drug increases thousands of times. How could this happen?
Phys.org / Exploring the lost golden age of language diversity before expanding empires drove a global decline
Today, people speak or sign around 7,500 languages. Yet this figure provides only a snapshot of a constantly changing history. How many languages existed before written records? Did agriculture reduce linguistic diversity ...
Phys.org / Mars auroras reveal miniature version of Earth's magnetic engine
NASA MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) mission scientists have uncovered a key puzzle piece in understanding certain types of auroras on Mars, finding that they form in a similar way to Earth–based auroras.
Phys.org / How an iceberg may have stopped emperor penguins from breeding on Coulman Island in 2025
The number of chicks in the Coulman Island emperor penguin colony decreased by about 69% in 2025 compared with 2024, according to research published in Communications Earth & Environment. The authors suggest that a large ...