Phys.org news

Phys.org / NASA researchers probe tangled magnetospheres of merging neutron stars

New simulations performed on a NASA supercomputer are providing scientists with the most comprehensive look yet into the maelstrom of interacting magnetic structures around city-sized neutron stars in the moments before they ...

Jan 29, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Mapping 'figure 8' Fermi surfaces to pinpoint future chiral conductors

One of the biggest problems facing modern microelectronics is that computer chips can no longer be made arbitrarily smaller and more efficient. Materials used to date, such as copper, are reaching their limits because their ...

Jan 29, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Freestanding 3D MXene structures push the limits of microscale devices

In a breakthrough that could power next-generation electronics, sensors, and energy storage devices, CMU engineers have developed a fabrication technique that arranges MXene nanosheets, each a million times thinner than a ...

Jan 29, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / How fire-loving fungi learned to eat charcoal

Wildfire causes most living things to flee or die, but some fungi thrive afterward, even feasting on charred remains. New University of California, Riverside research finds the secret to post-fire flourishing hidden in their ...

Jan 29, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Novel quantum refrigerator benefits from problematic noise

For quantum computers to function, they must be kept at extremely low temperatures. However, today's cooling systems also generate noise that interferes with the fragile quantum information they are meant to protect. Now, ...

Jan 29, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / AI models retrace evolution of genetic control elements in the brain

Artificial intelligence allows tracing the evolution of genetic control elements in the developing mammalian cerebellum. An international research team led by biologists from Heidelberg University as well as the Vlaams Instituut ...

Jan 29, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Programmable terahertz vortices enable dual electric and magnetic skyrmion modes

Researchers have created an optical device that can generate both electric and magnetic vortex-ring-like light patterns. These structured light vortices, known as skyrmions, are highly stable and resistant to disturbances, ...

Jan 29, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Kangaroo and wallaby evolution tied to Australia's past climate shifts

A QUT-led study has found how increasing aridity and habitat variation and the subsequent emergence of grasslands shaped the evolution of modern kangaroos and wallabies. The study, published in Molecular Phylogenetics and ...

Jan 29, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Bacterial 'brains' operate on the brink of order and disorder

The sensory proteins that control the motion of bacteria constantly fluctuate. AMOLF researchers, together with international collaborators from ETH Zurich and University of Utah, found out that these proteins can jointly ...

Jan 29, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Scientists develop high-performance Hg-based crystal for mid-far infrared birefringence

Mid- and far-infrared birefringent crystals are key functional materials for polarization control, laser technologies, and infrared photonics. However, existing materials generally suffer from limited infrared transparency, ...

Jan 29, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Caribbean heat waves intensify over five decades, study finds

A new study led by climatologists at the University at Albany has found that extreme heat waves across the Caribbean are becoming significantly more frequent, longer and severe. This study examined extreme summer heat waves ...

Jan 29, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Unusual RNA caps reveal previously unknown mechanism of genetic transcription

Scientists at IOCB Prague are uncovering new details of gene transcription. They have identified a previously unknown molecular mechanism by which the transcription of genetic information from deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) ...

Jan 29, 2026 in Biology