Phys.org news

Phys.org / Chip-scale 'acoustic atom' controls sound waves to imitate atomic energy levels and advance computing

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. What goes up must come down. Physical laws like these govern all of the natural world—except for the tiny internal components of today's microprocessors, which operate ...

Jun 3, 2026
Phys.org / We can predict space weather—what if we could also stop it?

The weather on Earth can get pretty messy sometimes. But in space, it can be wild, and the effects can be far-reaching. Solar flares, giant explosions on the sun, can send out streams of energy that block radio communications ...

Jun 3, 2026
Phys.org / Arctic river deltas face rising climate pressure while holding vast frozen carbon reserves

Many rivers flow into the Arctic Ocean north of the Arctic Circle—including the Lena in Siberia and the Mackenzie River in Canada. The deltas of these large and small rivers store large amounts of carbon, which is bound there ...

Jun 3, 2026
Phys.org / A new capability to detect chemical weapons involves two existing methods

In the aftermath of suspected chemical attacks, investigators from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) step in to collect chemical, environmental, and biomedical samples. Thorough forensic laboratory ...

Jun 3, 2026
Phys.org / Dynamic nanogates let longer molecules pass faster through flexible pores

A research team led by Professor Shuichi Hiraoka at the University of Tokyo and Professor Masanori Tachikawa at Yokohama City University has quantitatively analyzed how molecules pass through dynamic nanoscale pores using ...

Jun 3, 2026
Phys.org / Egypt fossils show modern ocean fish rose rapidly after dinosaur extinction

The extinction that ended the Age of Dinosaurs is best known for clearing the way for the Age of Mammals on land. Scientists have long suspected that the same catastrophe also transformed life in the seas, opening ecological ...

Jun 3, 2026
Dialog / Research could pave the way for more resilient winter cereals in warmer climates

The arrival of winter marks not only a change in weather, temperature, and day length, but also a change in our activity and behavior. The social outdoor events and trips to the beach over summer soon become a distant memory, ...

Jun 3, 2026
Phys.org / Real-time fish interaction enlarges young guppy brains, while screen time falls short

Young guppies who were able to see and interact with live fish developed larger brains than guppies who only saw other fish on a screen. This is shown in a new study from Stockholm University, published in Biology Letters. ...

Jun 3, 2026
Phys.org / Thundering footsteps warn caterpillars of lethal ladybeetle attacks

Diminutive warty birch caterpillars (Falcaria bilineata), less than 1.5mm long, ardently defend their leaf tip homes from invading caterpillars by scraping and pounding the leaf to warn off potential invaders. But how might ...

Jun 3, 2026
Phys.org / Half-ton early bovines roamed 4-million-year-old grasslands in Europe

The first large-sized bovines grew to up to half a ton 4 million years ago in the European Early Pliocene, an early step toward our modern diversity of large-bodied buffalo and cattle, according to a study published June ...

Jun 3, 2026
Phys.org / Common plastics soak up ballistic impacts thanks to a cross-linking molecule

With help from a novel cross-linking molecule, MIT chemists have shown they can substantially improve the ballistic impact resistance of common polymers, including polystyrene and a type of rubber used to make shoe soles.

Jun 3, 2026
Phys.org / Water-wave tweezers steer tiny 'surfers' without touching them

Summer brings with it the sight of surfers moving seamlessly across wave crests, with ocean waters carrying them along coastlines. A team of scientists has now created a similar phenomenon—with small objects rather than surfers—that ...

Jun 3, 2026