Phys.org news
Phys.org / New radio-burst method helps locate universe's missing ordinary matter
Stars and galaxies make up much of the universe's ordinary, observable matter. But for decades, scientists have wrestled with a cosmic conflict: There should be much more.
Phys.org / Tapeworm hijacks worker ants, giving them queen-like metabolism and longer lives
A tapeworm fundamentally changes the lives of ants: Workers of the species Temnothorax nylanderi infected with the tapeworm Anomotaenia brevis live several times longer than their uninfected nestmates. They are also less ...
Phys.org / When a SpaceX rocket crashes into the moon, scientists will be watching
On Aug. 5, 2026, an abandoned piece of space junk is predicted to crash into the moon near a spot called Einstein Crater. Astronomers will be watching because the collision and aftermath may be visible from Earth.
Phys.org / Astronomers catch a recurring black hole eruption in real time
For the third time in 35 years, the black hole at the center of the galaxy IC 3599 has erupted, and this time, astronomers were watching it closely. IC 3599, a galaxy roughly 280 million light-years away, has flared this ...
Phys.org / Low cloud-cover has helped mute warming for the last 47 years, but models predict this will change
A recent study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, combines historical satellite observations with atmospheric reanalysis data to construct a multidecade record of low-cloud cover in the hope of improving current ...
Phys.org / AI agent helps prepare synchrotron X-ray experimental measurements, paving the way for autonomous operation
Artificial intelligence (AI) models are now used daily by many people worldwide, both for professional and personal purposes. Over the past decades, scientists specialized in various disciplines have also started using these ...
Phys.org / Frozen fiber couples light and sound 1,000 times more strongly than standard glass fibers
Researchers have developed a new type of optical fiber by freezing a glass capillary filled with liquid. It guides light and sound waves simultaneously and enables highly efficient coupling between them. The high coupling ...
Phys.org / Jellyfish nebula may be the scene of two stars going supernova
The star that formed the Jellyfish nebula may have had a partner star that exploded 100,000 years earlier, according to international researchers, who say that this may be the first known discovery of a binary star system ...
Phys.org / Two-color lasers aim electron currents through semiconductor with no electric field
Researchers at the University of Michigan have created a device that enables them to control the flow of electrons through a semiconductor using only laser light—no electrical power source required. The device was built to ...
Phys.org / New technique enables LIGO to peer farther into the distant universe
Scientists at the University of California, Riverside, have developed a new way to help gravitational-wave observatories see farther into the universe by solving one of their biggest challenges: tiny heat-induced distortions ...
Phys.org / Simulations show distinct ground motion signatures of supershear earthquakes
Sustained supershear earthquake ruptures produce distinct ground-motion characteristics compared with subshear earthquakes, according to a study published in the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, with potential ...
Phys.org / Atomic channels can separate rare earth elements from each other without using toxic chemicals
Rare earth elements like lanthanum, neodymium and dysprosium are used to build the electric motor in your car, the LED lights in your house and the MRI machine at your doctor's office. But first, they have to be mined and ...