Phys.org news

Phys.org / Nanoscale gaps reveal new design rule for atom-thin chips and memory

Researchers at the College of Design and Engineering at the National University of Singapore have identified a key design principle for building reliable electronics from materials only one atomic layer thick, giving engineers ...

23 hours ago
Phys.org / Medaka males can mate 27 times daily, but sperm performance drops fast

Oryzias latipes, commonly known as medaka, is a small fish measuring about 2–3 cm (0.8–1.2 inches) in length that exhibits highly active spawning behavior during the breeding season. Previous research by an Osaka Metropolitan ...

Jul 15, 2026
Phys.org / Oxygenic photosynthesis works with one photosystem, overturning 50-year textbook rule

LMU researchers demonstrate that oxygenic photosynthesis can occur with only a single photosystem, overturning a fundamental principle of biology.

23 hours ago
Phys.org / A new stellar census strengthens the case for a 13.8-billion-year-old universe

Astronomers have used the ages of more than 155,000 stars in the Milky Way to independently estimate the age of the universe, and their findings may be good news for the standard cosmological model. The new research was reported ...

Jul 15, 2026
Phys.org / Scientists recover sub-Saharan Africa's oldest ancient animal DNA

Ancient DNA can be a powerful tool for helping us reconstruct the long-dead past. Most surviving genetic material comes from the bones and teeth of animals that lived in cold environments, where freezing temperatures help ...

Jul 15, 2026
Phys.org / New process turns mixed plastic waste directly into hydrogen fuel without sorting

Plastic has become a ubiquitous part of modern life—in water bottles, shopping bags and car dashboards. But once discarded, it is among the hardest materials on Earth to recycle. Most recycling processes require plastics ...

Jul 15, 2026
Phys.org / Faster quantum computers can learn from their own mistakes

Quantum computers promise to solve problems that would take even the fastest conventional supercomputers a vast amount of time, but the quantum information they store and process is extremely sensitive to even tiny disturbances ...

Jul 15, 2026
Phys.org / Asteroid with unexplained orbital shift turns out to be a 'dark comet'

Typically, astronomers identify comets by their distinct atmospheres, or comae, and their tails, which are created as the sun vaporizes a comet's ice. These features emit a glow when sunlight bounces off dust and water droplets. ...

Jul 15, 2026
Phys.org / GRS 0917+75 is a giant radio galaxy, observations find

European astronomers have conducted optical and radio observations of an enigmatic radio source designated GRS 0917+75. As a result, they found that GRS 0917+75 is a giant radio galaxy and determined its properties. The new ...

Jul 15, 2026
Phys.org / Model highlights patterns in how humans move across different locations

Every day, billions of people travel from their homes to work, schools, health care facilities, restaurants, public venues and other destinations. The complex patterns that shape how people move between these different locations ...

Jul 15, 2026
Phys.org / Physicists create first room-temperature quantum material

Quantum materials could transform technologies ranging from powerful computers and ultrasecure communications to advanced energy systems. But there has always been one major obstacle.

Jul 15, 2026
Phys.org / Naked mole-rat queens produce an odorous chemical that ensures that only they can reproduce

An international team led by Dr. Gary Lewin, group leader of the Molecular Physiology of Somatosensory Perception lab at the Max Delbrück Center in Berlin, has discovered that the queens of naked mole-rat colonies release ...

Jul 15, 2026