Phys.org news

Phys.org / Chip-sized optical amplifier can intensify light 100-fold with minimal energy

Light does a lot of work in the modern world, enabling all types of information technology, from TVs to satellites to fiber-optic cables that carry the internet across oceans. Stanford physicists recently found a way to make ...

Jan 28, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Mineral dust accelerates Greenland ice sheet melt by promoting algae growth

Large-scale melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet is irreversible and happening at a rapid rate, and now a new international study is the first to understand why. A University of Waterloo scientist and a team of international ...

Jan 28, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Great white sharks grow a whole new kind of tooth for slicing bone as they age

A great white shark is a masterwork of evolutionary engineering. These beautiful predators glide effortlessly through the water, each slow, deliberate sweep of the powerful tail driving a body specialized for stealth, speed ...

Jan 28, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / New radio method uncovers hidden bursts from dwarf stars and hints of exoplanets

An international team including Cornell researcher Jake Turner has developed a novel analysis method capable of uncovering previously undetectable stellar and exoplanetary signals hidden within archival radio-astronomical ...

Jan 28, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Subtle rotations in ancient light: Decoding the universe's symmetry

A team of researchers studying the uncertainties associated with a phenomenon known as cosmic birefringence has developed a method to reduce uncertainties in its observational measurements, according to a new study published ...

Jan 28, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / New light-based platform sets the stage for future quantum supercomputers

A light has emerged at the end of the tunnel in the long pursuit of developing quantum computers, which are expected to radically reduce the time needed to perform some complex calculations from thousands of years down to ...

Jan 28, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Alfvén waves act as the power source behind Earth's auroral displays, research reveals

The dazzling lights of the aurora are created when high-energy particles from space collide with Earth's atmosphere. While scientists have long understood this process, one big mystery remained: What powers the electric fields ...

Jan 28, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Laser beam flips a ferromagnet's polarity without heating the material

Researchers at the University of Basel and the ETH in Zurich have succeeded in changing the polarity of a special ferromagnet using a laser beam. In the future, this method could be used to create adaptable electronic circuits ...

Jan 28, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Probing the jet base of M87's supermassive black hole

Some galaxies eject powerful streams of charged particles—jets—from their centers into space. The prominent jet of Messier 87 (M87) in the constellation Virgo is visible over distances of 3,000 light-years and can be ...

Jan 28, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / How iron-sulfur nanolayers are formed: X-ray methods enable real-time view

Researchers at the University of Hamburg, the University of Toulouse, and the DESY and ESRF research institutes have observed for the first time in real time how iron-sulfur nanostructures form in solutions. Using time-resolved ...

Jan 28, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Hearing tests uncover unexpected humpback sensitivity to high-frequency noise

University of Queensland hearing tests conducted across kilometers of ocean off the Australian coast show humpback whales react to higher frequency sounds than expected. Associate Professor Rebecca Dunlop from UQ's School ...

Jan 28, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / 443-million-year-old fossils reveal early vertebrate eyes

Scientists analyzing 443-million-year-old Scottish fossils have uncovered the early evidence that some of the first groups of vertebrates possessed surprisingly advanced eyes and traces of bone, reshaping our understanding ...

Jan 28, 2026 in Biology