Phys.org news

Phys.org / Ancient iceberg scratches reveal reverse Great Lakes snowbelt

Buffalo's legendary snowfall totals are largely the result of one unlucky geographic reality: the city sits east of the Great Lakes instead of west. Anyone who has lived through a winter in Buffalo, Cleveland or any snowbelt ...

May 13, 2026
Phys.org / Rice plants observed trapping and killing fall armyworm caterpillars

Rice plants and Venus flytraps share something in common that was not scientifically documented until recently. Using a faint smell to lure caterpillars into a trap, rice plants killed early-stage fall armyworm larvae by ...

May 13, 2026
Phys.org / Bee magnetism appears far more widespread than expected across 120 species

As married research professors at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Dustin Gilbert and Anne Murray often discuss their work once they get home each night. Their fields of study rarely crossover. That changed six years ...

May 13, 2026
Phys.org / Stardust trapped in Antarctic ice reveals tens of thousands of years of solar system's past

When you think of outer space, you're likely picturing stars, planets and moons. But much of space is filled with clouds of gas, plasma and stardust—known as interstellar clouds.

May 13, 2026
Phys.org / A twinkling pulsar reveals invisible structures in space

The twinkling stars in the night sky are not just beautiful to look at. Their flickering reveals something about the varying temperatures and densities in the layers of Earth's atmosphere, which refract the light as it travels ...

May 13, 2026
Phys.org / These computer voices sound human enough to mislead, but one layer of speech still breaks the illusion

We are surrounded by computer-generated voices these days, from navigation systems and voice assistants to automated announcements. But how human do these voices actually sound? A recent study by the Max Planck Institute ...

May 13, 2026
Phys.org / Dual spacecraft capture both hemispheres of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS at once

The Southwest Research Institute-led Ultraviolet Spectrograph (UVS) instruments aboard ESA's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) spacecraft and NASA's Europa Clipper made unique observations of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS ...

May 13, 2026
Dialog / Optical meta‑conveyors enable programmable nanomanipulation along arbitrary open paths

The task of gently transporting a microscopic particle from one point to another along a winding path, and then bringing it back using nothing more than a single, compact chip is a challenge we set out to address in our new ...

May 13, 2026
Phys.org / Quantum geometry provides theoretical limits on measurable properties of solids

Two RIKEN physicists have established new theoretical limits for experimentally measurable quantities by viewing solids through a lens of quantum geometry. Their results shed light both on the physics of solids and on quantum ...

May 13, 2026
Phys.org / Chemists discover and isolate a new boron–oxygen molecule

Oxygen is a cornerstone of chemistry, largely because it is so good at building the organic molecules that make up our world. Some oxygen-based compounds called peroxides are famous for being highly reactive—they act like ...

May 13, 2026
Phys.org / Astronomers directly detect how turbulence between stars distorts light

Astronomers led by the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA) have made the first direct detection of turbulence distorting light in the interstellar medium. The findings will help scientists achieve clearer ...

May 13, 2026
Phys.org / Rising seasonal sea-level swings are under-reported, but could have a major impact

Sea levels are rising not only on average, but also in their seasonal fluctuations. This is a lesser-known trend that could have major consequences for mudflats, salt marshes and other coastal ecosystems. Researchers from ...

May 13, 2026