Phys.org news

Phys.org / Archaeologists discover unique mosaic patolli board at Guatemalan Maya city

In a study published in Latin American Antiquity, Dr. Julien Hiquet and Dr. Rémi Méreuze analyzed the remains of a unique mosaic-style patolli game board discovered in the Classic Period city of Naachtun, Guatemala.

Dec 25, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / New Guineans and Aboriginal Australians descend from two groups who arrived 60,000 years ago, research suggests

A collaboration between the University of Huddersfield's Archaeogenetics Research Group and the University of Southampton's Center for Maritime Archaeology, has clarified the first settlement of New Guinea and Australia by ...

Dec 25, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Supernova from the dawn of the universe captured by James Webb Space Telescope

An international team of astronomers has achieved a first in probing the early universe, using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), detecting a supernova—the explosive death of a massive star—at an unprecedented cosmic ...

Dec 25, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Study says African penguins starved en masse off South Africa

Endangered penguins living off South Africa's coast have likely starved en masse due to food shortages, a study said, with some populations dropping by 95% in just eight years.

Dec 25, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Ultracold atoms observed climbing a quantum staircase

For the first time, scientists have observed the iconic Shapiro steps, a staircase-like quantum effect, in ultracold atoms.

Dec 25, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / The gut bacteria that put the brakes on weight gain in mice

The gut microbiome is intimately linked to human health and weight. Differences in the gut microbiome—the bacteria and fungi in the gut—are associated with obesity and weight gain, raising the possibility that changing ...

Dec 25, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Fabricating single-photon light sources from carbon nanotubes

Tiny tubes of carbon that emit single photons from just one point along their length have been made in a deterministic manner by RIKEN researchers. Such carbon nanotubes could form the basis of future quantum technologies ...

Dec 25, 2025 in Nanotechnology
Dialog / How sustainability is driving innovation in functionalized graphene materials

Graphene is often described as a wonder material. It is strong, electrically conductive, thermally efficient, and remarkably versatile. Yet despite more than a decade of excitement, many graphene-based technologies still ...

Dec 25, 2025 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Resurrected tissue: Mechanism that enables regeneration after extensive damage solves a 50-year-old mystery

Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, our skin tissue—and in fact many types of epithelial tissue that lines and covers the body's organs—can respond to death and destruction with a burst of regeneration. This phenomenon, ...

Dec 24, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / New image sensor breaks optical limits

Imaging technology has transformed how we observe the universe—from mapping distant galaxies with radio telescope arrays to unlocking microscopic details inside living cells. Yet despite decades of innovation, a fundamental ...

Dec 24, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Glowing urine and shining bark: Scientists discover the secret visual language of deer

During mating season, when male white-tailed deer want to get noticed by the opposite sex and warn off rivals, they rub their antlers against trees and scrape the forest floor. Then they pee on these patches. But there is ...

Dec 24, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Observations catch galaxy cluster in the process of merging

Astronomers have used the Keck Observatory's DEIMOS multi-object spectrograph to observe a nearby galaxy cluster designated RXC J0032.1+1808. As a result, they found that the cluster undergoes a major merging event. The finding ...

Dec 24, 2025 in Astronomy & Space