Phys.org news

Phys.org / Measuring chaos: Researchers quantify the quantum butterfly effect

For the first time, researchers in China have accurately quantified how chaos increases in a quantum many-body system as it evolves over time. Combining experiments and theory, a team led by Yu-Chen Li at the University of ...

Feb 18, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / A super stable laser on the moon could guide future lunar missions and improve our timekeeping

Scientists are proposing to build a laser in a crater on the moon to help future lunar missions land safely in the dark and find their way around. This ultra-stable light source could also help us keep time more accurately, ...

Feb 18, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Ultra-stable lasers that rely on crystalline mirrors could advance next-generation clocks and navigation

Lasers, devices that emit intense beams of coherent light in specific directions, are widely used in research settings and are central components of various technologies, including optical clocks (i.e., systems that can keep ...

Feb 18, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Araish spiral galaxy observations uncover a 26,700-light-year radio jet

An international team of astronomers has performed multi-wavelength observations of the nearby Araish galaxy to investigate the origin of its radio emission. As a result, they detected an extended radio jet of this galaxy. ...

Feb 18, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Colonists dredged away Sydney's natural oyster reefs. Now, scientists know how best to restore them

New research has identified optimal design for artificial habitats to support restoration of oyster reefs, based on a detailed understanding of natural oyster reef geometry. Published in the global journal Nature, the Sydney-based ...

Feb 18, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / How the humble silkworm could help us discover new anti-aging treatments

When scientists want to study aging and how to slow it down, they often turn to microscopic worms or lab mice among other models. The former are too different from humans, while the latter are expensive and take too long ...

Feb 18, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / The cooling system that lets bees beat the heat when hovering

To stay in the air when hovering over a flower, bumble bees continually flap their wings rapidly, a metabolic process that generates a massive amount of internal heat. Their flight muscles work so intensely that they can ...

Feb 18, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / First-ever shark recorded in Antarctic waters filmed at 490 meters in near‑freezing water

An ungainly barrel of a shark cruising languidly over a barren seabed far too deep for the sun's rays to illuminate was an unexpected sight.

Feb 18, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Indigenous Peoples and locals report a drastic decline in bird size across three continents

Birds currently inhabiting many territories across Africa, Latin America and Asia are, on average, considerably smaller than those that predominated in 1940. This is the conclusion of an international study led by the Institute ...

Feb 18, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Rare fossil at Montana museum records Tyrannosaurus attack

A fossil on display at Montana State University's Museum of the Rockies reveals how dinosaurs in the Tyrannosaurus genus may have subdued prey, and the specimen is the focus of a new collaborative research publication between ...

Feb 18, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / 'Boomerang' earthquake simulations suggest ricocheting ruptures may be more common than previously thought

An earthquake typically sets off ruptures that ripple out from its underground origins. But on rare occasions, seismologists have observed quakes that reverse course, further shaking up areas that they passed through only ...

Feb 18, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Machine learning algorithm fully reconstructs LHC particle collisions

The CMS Collaboration has shown, for the first time, that machine learning can be used to fully reconstruct particle collisions at the LHC. This new approach can reconstruct collisions more quickly and precisely than traditional ...

Feb 18, 2026 in Physics