Phys.org news

Phys.org / Elastic rules may explain why nematic crystals look ordered and disordered at once

Electronic nematicity is a phase of some crystalline solids in which electrons' collective properties, such as charge or spin densities, organize themselves into ordered patterns, lowering the crystal's rotational symmetry. ...

May 5, 2026
Phys.org / Decades of deep sea mining research show threat to seafloor creatures

There's increasing interest in deep-sea mining, but the impacts that this will have on the animals that live in the depths isn't fully understood. A new review led by our scientists is giving us our first insight into how ...

May 5, 2026
Phys.org / Packed together, they melt differently: What happens when one iceberg enters another's icy wake

Earth's ice is melting. As icebergs break away from glaciers and melt away, the fresh meltwater mixes into its saltwater surroundings. However, icebergs do not exist in isolation. In Greenland, for example, jammed collections ...

May 5, 2026
Phys.org / New 'ecclesiastical' moth named after Pope Leo XIV

Distinguished by its striking colors and a name that carries the weight of a high ecclesiastical office, a new species of moth has been discovered in the rugged terrain of Greece. When researchers from the Tyrolean State ...

May 5, 2026
Phys.org / Relamination: A mechanism that has been shaping continents for billions of years

An international team led by researchers from the National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN-CSIC) has identified a key mechanism that has shaped Earth's continents over billions of years. This mechanism is the deep re-lamination ...

May 5, 2026
Phys.org / Rotated lithium niobate crystals unlock conductive interfaces in otherwise insulating material

An international research team involving the Institute for Photonic Quantum Systems (PhoQS) at Paderborn University has made significant progress in researching so-called quantum materials. Their extraordinary properties—electrical ...

May 5, 2026
Phys.org / Nutrient imbalance may drive coral disease more than heat stress

Scientists led by the University of Southampton have revealed that an imbalance of nutrients in seawater can cause coral disease—possibly to a greater extent than that from heat stress of warming oceans. New research conducted ...

May 5, 2026
Phys.org / Burned stone, child's bones, and lost jewelry hint at prehistoric mining camp high in the Pyrenees

In the past, scientists thought that prehistoric peoples only traveled briefly through high-altitude mountain areas, rather than staying to take advantage of their resources. But new evidence suggests that, starting about ...

May 5, 2026
Phys.org / Measuring the negative impacts of biological invasions on animal welfare

Increases in global trade and travel are causing animal and plant species to be more frequently introduced to regions of the world where they do not naturally occur. In these new regions, these species are often referred ...

May 5, 2026
Phys.org / Astronomers uncover over 1,000 radio galaxies with 'wings,' expanding a rare cosmic class

Astronomers recently carried out a comprehensive search for strange "winged" radio galaxies using data from the LOFAR Two-meter Sky Survey Data Release 2 (LoTSS DR2) and discovered over 1,000 new systems. The paper outlining ...

May 4, 2026
Phys.org / Plaster-making technique previously attributed to the Romans appears 8,000 years earlier in Motza

Excavations from 2015 to 2021 on the ancient site of Motza, just west of Jerusalem, revealed a sprawling settlement with some surprisingly advanced technology. The site dates back to 7100–6700 BCE during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic ...

May 4, 2026
Phys.org / Optically dark gamma-ray burst reveals an unusually wide jet

Using various telescopes, an international team of astronomers has performed multi-wavelength observations of a recently identified gamma-ray burst source designated GRB 250416C. Results of the observational campaign, published ...

May 4, 2026