Phys.org news

Phys.org / With an eye toward exploration, researchers map moon's regolith thickness

New research by lunar scientists from Brown University provides critical new insights into the thickness of the moon's regolith, the layer of loose dust and rock that drapes the entire lunar surface.

23 hours ago
Phys.org / How tides and river water combine to amplify floods

Ocean tides push upstream along coastal rivers, in some cases reaching hundreds of kilometers (hundreds of miles) inland. These inland stretches are known as tidal rivers, and they're the scene of complex interactions between ...

23 hours ago
Phys.org / Frame-dragging observations validate Einstein yet again

More than a century after Albert Einstein first transformed our understanding of gravity, his general theory of relativity continues to withstand ever more demanding experimental tests. Now, an international team led by Ignazio ...

Jul 14, 2026
Phys.org / A new smart coating could improve the cleanup of nuclear wastewater

Scientists in China have developed a smart coating that could make it easier to remove tritium (a radioactive form of hydrogen) from nuclear power plant wastewater.

Jul 14, 2026
Phys.org / Why we may still be choosing our friends like it's the Stone Age

Choosing friends may involve more than clicking with others who share our interests or outlooks. According to new research, people may select friends based on traits that made them valuable survival partners in our evolutionary ...

Jul 14, 2026
Phys.org / Direct observation of spontaneous magnon coherence at room temperature

Researchers at RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau have achieved a key experimental breakthrough: For the first time, the spontaneous macroscopic coherence of magnons—the quantized excitations of magnetic materials—has ...

Jul 14, 2026
Phys.org / Two atmospheric patterns may explain why some heat waves in Europe persist

Many parts of Western Europe are currently wilting under a heat wave. These blistering spells can last for a week or more, and although they are common in most summers, it is difficult to predict how long they will last.

Jul 14, 2026
Phys.org / DNA origami turns secret messages into nano–Morse code that acts as multiplayer molecular encryption

Mathematics has always been at the core of securing information. From online banking to government communications, modern society relies on cryptography, in which complex mathematical algorithms transform readable information ...

Jul 14, 2026
Phys.org / Physicists confirm 20-year-old theory that could boost quantum technology

Future quantum computing will require correlations between distant modules—a feature known as distributed entanglement. Traditionally, such entanglement has relied on active control and repeated measurements. Now, physicists ...

Jul 14, 2026
Phys.org / Low-altitude flights reveal Amazon methane emissions far above climate model estimates

Methane (CH4) is a potent greenhouse gas whose concentration in the atmosphere has risen sharply in recent decades. Wetlands are the largest natural source of methane to the atmosphere, but large uncertainties remain about ...

Jul 14, 2026
Phys.org / World-first neutron lens brings sharp focus to structures inside materials and objects

Researchers at Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) have developed the world's first achromatic lens for neutron imaging. The lens overcomes a longstanding obstacle in the field: focusing neutrons of different wavelengths well enough ...

Jul 14, 2026
Phys.org / Ancient Roman farm women made wine, oil and profits. Historians dismissed them as 'housekeepers'

Female farm managers are hidden in plain sight in ancient Roman texts, mentioned in laws, literature and grave inscriptions across five centuries. Modern historians have generally assumed they were housekeepers, in charge ...

Jul 14, 2026