Phys.org news

Phys.org / Do political social media ads influence the outcome of elections?

Social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram and X, are accessed daily by millions of people worldwide. In the weeks or months leading up to elections, many political parties use social media platforms as part of their ...

Mar 16, 2026
Phys.org / Globular cluster NGC 5824 is embedded in a dark matter halo, study suggests

Using data from the Magellan Clay telescope and the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT), astronomers have investigated a galactic globular cluster known as NGC 5824. Results of the new study, available in a paper published ...

Mar 16, 2026
Phys.org / Turning mosquitoes into flying vaccine carriers to protect against bat-borne viruses

Bats are reservoirs for several zoonotic viruses, such as Ebola and coronaviruses. These pathogens can spread to humans through direct contact with the flying mammals or their bodily fluids, or indirectly through contaminated ...

Mar 16, 2026
Phys.org / ChatGPT can provide original mathematical proofs, researchers show

VUB's Data Analytics Lab has published new results showing that it is possible to develop original mathematical proofs using commercial language models. In a paper posted to the arXiv preprint server, the researchers show ...

Mar 16, 2026
Phys.org / A galaxy next door is transforming, and astronomers can see it happening

The Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) is one of the Milky Way's closest galactic neighbors—a small, gas-rich galaxy visible to the naked eye from the southern hemisphere, and bound to our galaxy by gravity, alongside its companion, ...

Mar 16, 2026
Phys.org / Not just spin—electron orbitals can provide new method for controlling magnetism

Research is actively underway to develop a "dream memory" that can reduce heat generation in smartphones and laptops while delivering faster performance and lower power consumption. Korean researchers propose a new possibility ...

Mar 16, 2026
Phys.org / Location of reforestation projects has greater effect on climate than number of trees planted, study shows

In the fight against the climate crisis, countries are pinning great hope in reforestation projects. In a new study, ETH Zurich researchers show that the location in which reforestation is taking place is usually more important ...

Mar 16, 2026
Phys.org / Frog-cell 'neurobots' grow self-organized nervous systems and alter gene activity

Biobots, whose growing line of variants started with xenobots, are fascinating tiny self-powered living robots built exclusively using frog embryonic cells. Originally developed in the laboratories of Wyss Institute Associate ...

Mar 16, 2026
Phys.org / Hunted by Neanderthals, giant elephants traveled hundreds of kilometers across ice-age Europe

Neumark-Nord in northeastern Germany was a lake landscape in the last interglacial period. It is rich in archaeological finds discovered during lignite mining. The area in Saxony-Anhalt is one of the most important European ...

Mar 16, 2026
Phys.org / Ice satellite detects powerful geomagnetic storm with precision

It seems improbable that a satellite designed to monitor polar ice sheets and floating sea ice could accurately measure a disturbance in Earth's magnetic field. But that is just what ESA's CryoSat mission did earlier this ...

Mar 16, 2026
Phys.org / Amazonian chocolate: Combining cocoa clones with different post-harvest processes balances flavor and nutritional value

Chocolate produced in the Amazon is internationally recognized for its unique flavor. A study by researchers at São Paulo State University (UNESP) in Brazil has shown that it could be even more valuable. The analysis indicates ...

Mar 16, 2026
Phys.org / A clear roadmap for engineering combs of light

Optical frequency combs—laser sources that emit evenly spaced colors of light—are foundational, ubiquitous tools for precision measurement, found in optical clocks, gas-sensing spectrometers, and instruments that detect ...

Mar 16, 2026