Phys.org news

Phys.org / Satellite data reveal Southern Ocean vertical currents diving 3,000 feet below surface

Ocean currents are not just horizontal motions that flow from side to side. There are also vertical currents that act like deep-sea elevators, pushing heat and carbon down into the deep, while bringing up vital nutrients ...

Jun 9, 2026
Phys.org / Maya altar and offerings at abandoned Belize sites highlight enduring ritual activities

Archaeologists excavating Maya sites at Kaxil Uinik and Ayiin Winik in Belize have discovered the first reported Late Postclassic altar in the region, along with additional evidence that Postclassic Maya people continued ...

Jun 9, 2026
Phys.org / Oldest Maya Long Count calendar date may reveal how royalty turned time into power

Archaeologists working at the ancient Maya site of El Palmar in Campeche, Mexico, have discovered what may be the earliest known Long Count calendar date in the Maya lowlands. It is carved into a stone monument and is interpreted ...

Jun 9, 2026
Phys.org / Quantum memory surpasses classical limits for storing unknown quantum operations

Quantum memories, systems that store and retrieve information leveraging quantum mechanical effects, can outperform classical storage systems on some existing tasks. Yet these promising memories could also complete operations ...

Jun 9, 2026
Phys.org / Can AI help coastal cities prepare for rising seas and extreme events?

Our novel artificial intelligence model can predict extreme storm surges with high accuracy, including under future climate conditions. Because the AI model runs much faster, it can help researchers and practitioners better ...

Jun 9, 2026
Phys.org / Iberian DNA remained largely unchanged for six centuries before Roman influence, study finds

A study led by a UAB research team of Biological Anthropology has analyzed the genome of 54 newborns with the aim of tracking the genetic history of their culture since it developed in the Early Iron Age until the start of ...

Jun 9, 2026
Phys.org / Precision measurement under impact—when the balance itself becomes the object of measurement

How do you take measurements using one of the most sensitive scales in the world? Researchers at TU Wien have demonstrated how the measurement process affects not only the object being measured but also the scale itself, ...

Jun 9, 2026
Phys.org / Scientists discover a 3.5-billion-year-old asteroid impact on the moon

The first few billion years of Earth's history saw the rise of life, the atmosphere and the oceans. Still, that time is shrouded in mystery: Not many rocks remain that preserve a record of those early iterations of our modern ...

Jun 9, 2026
Phys.org / Hardy ice plant's optical innovation inspires reflective design possibilities

Nature is filled with remarkable visual phenomena created by microscopic surface structures that interact with light in fascinating ways. The iridescent wings of butterflies, the shimmering feathers of birds and the glossy ...

Jun 9, 2026
Phys.org / Nature's 'master painters': Study reveals how damselflies break optical barriers to create saturated colors

Scientists at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) have uncovered for the first time the "ingenious" biological strategies that allow blue-tailed damselflies to produce strikingly vivid, angle-independent colors. The ...

Jun 9, 2026
Phys.org / How animals use leveling behaviors to put alphas in their place

Inequality is not unique to human groups and societies. Individuals with relatively little power possess a variety of behavioral strategies to counterbalance or regulate power differences. In humans, these strategies include ...

Jun 9, 2026
Phys.org / Breaking tunnel vision, imaging AI lifts fluorescence image restoration accuracy and speed

Recent years have witnessed great advances in applying deep learning to improve fluorescence microscopy imaging. However, enhancing the fidelity of image restoration networks and improving their robustness under fluorescence ...

Jun 9, 2026