Phys.org news

Phys.org / Radiation vest tested on NASA moonshot can cut astronauts' exposure in solar storms, study suggests

A new study suggests a protective vest tested on a manikin during NASA's first Artemis moonshot could drastically cut the radiation exposure of lunar astronauts during severe solar storms.

23 hours ago
Phys.org / Chemical fingerprints reveal hidden binary pasts of massive stars

More than 70% of massive stars are born in close binary systems, where gravitational tugs and mass transfer between companions dramatically alter their evolution. Yet once the interaction ends—whether through mass transfer, ...

23 hours ago
Phys.org / Californians are twice as likely as Louisianans to be childfree—but demographics tell more of the story

Across the United States, the number of people who do not have and do not want to have children is growing. While they are twice as likely to live in California as Louisiana, individual demographic characteristics are the ...

23 hours ago
Phys.org / Rangers and scientists map vulnerable reefs in the remote Groote Archipelago

For thousands of years, the Anindilyakwa people have lived in deep connection with the waters surrounding Groote Eylandt, a remote island in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

23 hours ago
Phys.org / Three supermassive black holes discovered in a single galaxy for the first time

An international team of astronomers led by the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics has identified three actively accreting supermassive black holes in the galaxy J0148-4214. Matter is falling into the black ...

Aug 12, 2026
Phys.org / River shipping emits nearly one-quarter of global shipping CO₂, analysis finds

River and canal ships generate roughly a quarter of the world's shipping carbon dioxide emissions, according to new research published in Nature Climate Change. And that's despite the fact that these bodies of water make ...

Aug 12, 2026
Phys.org / Recyclable glue bonds underwater in seconds and holds for years

Most glues need a dry surface to stick properly. Bonding materials underwater is challenging because water forms a thin film on any surface, so instead of an adhesive touching a material directly, it touches a layer of water, ...

Aug 12, 2026
Phys.org / Long-sought Zhang-Rice singlet visualized directly in cuprate superconductor

Superconductors are materials that conduct electricity with zero electrical resistance below specific temperatures. Most of these materials become superconducting at very low temperatures, but some also exhibit superconductivity ...

Aug 12, 2026
Phys.org / Famous oddball quasar isn't X-ray weak after all, astronomers say

For more than two decades, the quasar PHL 1811 has been considered the prototype of a rare class of "intrinsically X-ray weak" quasars, thought to produce unusually little X-ray radiation. But in 2024, the Einstein Probe ...

Aug 12, 2026
Phys.org / Unfamiliar with rattlesnakes, blackbirds still avoid striking them while defending nests

In a rare study of snakes as nest predators, scientists found nesting birds were loath to strike rattlesnakes even though they likely had no previous experience with vipers.

Aug 12, 2026
Phys.org / Mirage or miracle? JWST finds earliest known 'black hole star' at cosmic dawn

Little red dots have puzzled astronomers since their discovery in James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) data from the universe's deep past. Their "powering engines" might resemble a newly discovered phenomenon dubbed a "black ...

Aug 12, 2026
Phys.org / Spontaneous magnons synchronize with external signals at room temperature

Signals ride on waves of one kind or another: light, sound, radio. But new carriers are needed to relay information in next-generation devices. Disturbances or waves in magnetic materials called magnons could be an efficient ...

Aug 12, 2026