Phys.org news

Phys.org / X-ray scans uncover Nazi symbols hidden beneath postwar painting

Erich Mercker (1891–1973), a painter from Munich, was quite successful in his day. Between 1933 and 1945, he painted works containing Nazi symbolism, including "Die Stätte des 9. November," which depicts the Feldherrnhalle ...

Jun 8, 2026
Phys.org / Superheated magma may explain why similar volcanoes erupt in very different ways

Scientists have shed light on a thermal process in magma that may help explain why similar volcanic systems can produce very different eruptive behaviors.

Jun 8, 2026
Phys.org / DNA design unlocks nanometer-scale catalyst control for cleaner hydrogen production

The fixed idea that DNA is only a molecule that stores genetic information is being challenged. KAIST researchers have developed a technology that controls the chemical environment around catalysts at the nanometer scale ...

Jun 8, 2026
Dialog / A 170 km journey by a freshwater stingray challenges long-held conservation assumptions

Most sharks and rays inhabit the oceans, but a small proportion thrive in freshwater. Approximately 4% to 5% of all shark and ray species live in tropical and subtropical rivers around the world. Two main ecological strategies ...

Jun 8, 2026
Phys.org / Ocean collapse triggered ancient wildfires, research suggests

Research led by the University of Alabama found that widespread wildfires during one of Earth's ancient environmental crises did not trigger an ocean collapse but were a consequence of it.

Jun 8, 2026
Phys.org / Van der Waals forces can play unexpected role in thin film properties

Researchers have demonstrated the ability to use van der Waals forces to tune the physical and electronic properties of ferroelectric thin films. The work opens the door to new techniques for engineering materials for use ...

Jun 8, 2026
Phys.org / New cryogenic silicon carbide hardware addresses quantum computing bottleneck

Researchers from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and the Centre for Advanced Semiconductors and Integrated Circuits (CASIC) have achieved ...

Jun 8, 2026
Phys.org / Bacteria can learn and form memories without a brain

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have shown that bacteria can learn from past experiences, store memories across generations and adapt their behavior to changing environments, all without a brain or nervous system. ...

Jun 8, 2026
Phys.org / How wax moth larvae can help reduce animal testing in research

Researchers at the Helmholtz Institute for One Health (HIOH) have demonstrated that larvae of the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella, are suitable as an alternative infection model for investigating the pathogenicity of ...

Jun 8, 2026
Phys.org / NASA satellites reveal major ocean nutrient stress

A new study combining NASA satellite observations, ocean surveys and genetic testing of marine microorganisms found evidence that warming ocean waters may be limiting nutrient availability across much of the global ocean. ...

Jun 8, 2026
Phys.org / Twisted stacking lets 2D conductor keep single-layer performance in bulk form

Two-dimensional (2D) materials, which are significantly thinner than a single sheet of paper, have long drawn attention for their exceptional performance. However, they have faced a critical limitation: Their performance ...

Jun 8, 2026
Phys.org / Magnon momentum microscopy: A new window into nanoscale spin-wave physics

An international team led by the Max Born Institute has developed a new type of momentum microscopy to image magnons—the quanta of collectively excited spins—directly in two-dimensional reciprocal space using soft X-rays. ...

Jun 8, 2026