Phys.org news

Phys.org / ATLAS observes new Bc meson excited state

Protons and neutrons—the building blocks of matter—belong to a huge class of particles called hadrons. Hadrons are composite particles made of quarks that are bound together by the strong force. They are classified into two ...

May 26, 2026
Phys.org / Ice may release more iron than climate models predict

Most people think of ice as frozen and lifeless, but research at Umeå University shows the opposite. A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences demonstrates that ice actively speeds up the ...

May 26, 2026
Phys.org / Timing in early brain growth may explain why closely related mammals build strikingly different cortexes

The outer regions of the brain, the cortex, have specific layers of different cells—neurons—that are similarly ordered among all mammals, from tiny mouse brains to huge elephant brains. However, the proportions of different ...

May 26, 2026
Phys.org / DNA reveals hidden UV defense network that dissipates energy in femtoseconds

New details of how DNA protects itself from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation show a hidden network of ultrafast molecular reactions that help prevent damage before it can trigger mutations that might lead to cancer, according ...

May 26, 2026
Phys.org / Collective vibrations unlock fast ion flow in superionic crystals

In the race to develop safer, faster-charging solid-state batteries and more efficient thermoelectric conversion technologies, engineers and scientists have long faced a fundamental challenge: how to ensure ions move through ...

May 26, 2026
Phys.org / Microcrystals in bioluminescent fish scatter light like a prism

Approximately 75% of marine organisms are bioluminescent, with specialized light-emitting organs called photophores. They use the light they produce for various purposes, like attracting mates, luring prey, or confusing predators.

May 26, 2026
Phys.org / Tiny on-chip circuit could power next-generation quantum and AI technologies

Researchers from Monash University have developed a breakthrough nanoscale circuit that can generate, direct, and read light-based information, all on a single chip.

May 26, 2026
Phys.org / Tiny sesame sea slug species discovered in the waters of northern Taiwan

Translucent, speckled, and barely the size of a grain of rice, a new species of sea slug has been identified in the coastal waters of Keelung, Taiwan. Because of its minute size and distinctive black and yellow markings, ...

May 26, 2026
Phys.org / Rattlesnakes among most vulnerable to fungal disease and parasitic lung infection

Snakes are threatened with extinction in many places around the globe. Disease, often caused by parasites or fungi, is thought to be one of the key factors alongside habitat destruction. Prominent among fungal diseases is ...

May 26, 2026
Phys.org / The Southwest's drought is shrinking wildlife's suitable habitat, with predators hit hardest

As people in the United States are coping with historic drought conditions, the country's wildlife is also facing problems because of the extreme aridity. Herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores in the southwestern U.S. have ...

May 25, 2026
Phys.org / Hydrogen puts quantum wormhole conjecture to the test

A new Physical Review Letters study places constraints on the ER = EPR conjecture, showing that under the authors' assumptions, the conjecture would imply possible alterations to the hyperfine structure and effective charge ...

May 25, 2026
Phys.org / 'Butterfly' molecule spotted at last, completing a 20-year quantum zoo hunt

For two decades, physicists have predicted the existence of a remarkable family of exotic molecules: giant atoms bound to ordinary atoms, with an electron so distant from its nucleus that it sculpts the pair into bizarre ...

May 25, 2026