Phys.org news

Phys.org / How temperature changes light: New model could guide smarter LEDs, sensors and photonic devices

Technion researchers have developed, for the first time, a comprehensive physical model explaining how the properties of a radiating material, including absorption, emission, and quantum efficiency, affect the fundamental ...

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / A baby bird's wish list: Mild weather, attentive parents, not being the smallest sibling

Experiences in the first days and weeks of life can have a profound impact on humans—and birds. A new study led by Sage Madden, a graduate student in evolution and ecology at the University of California, Davis, shows how ...

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / TIME instrument unlocks faint signals from early galaxies across vast stretches of sky

Cornell astronomers are deploying a new instrument that grants them, for the first time, a better view of the universe's earliest galaxies, which can't be observed individually with traditional ground- or space-based telescopes.

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / Quantum circuit test finally exposes what has been warping performance

Quantum computers could someday solve pressing problems that are too convoluted for classical computers, such as modeling complex molecular interactions to streamline drug discovery and materials development.

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / 'Implosion carving' shrinks 3D photonic devices 2,000-fold for visible-light computing

Using a new technique that can create vacancies at any site across a material and then shrink it to about 1/2,000 of its original volume, MIT researchers have designed nanotechnology devices that could be used for optical ...

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / Ancient bacterial toolkit links human gut health to ocean carbon cycling

Our gut is colonized by legions of bacteria, which supply us with essential nutrients and support our health. Among them are Akkermansia bacteria, which might be helpful in the management of conditions like obesity and diabetes.

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / How a single radioactive cloud caused Fukushima particle contamination

A new study shows that a single radioactive cloud was responsible for a large share of the nuclear fallout during the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster on 11 March 2011. The work is published in the Journal of Hazardous ...

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / Old newspapers track porpoise populations across the Baltic Sea

Harbor porpoises were once found across a much wider area of the Baltic Sea than they are today, including regions where they are now rare or absent. This is shown in a new study that uses centuries-old Swedish newspapers ...

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / New tectonic plate boundary could be forming in Zambia, scientists say

Isotope analysis of gas from geothermal springs in Zambia could show that a new continental rift is forming, scientists say. Unexpectedly high helium isotope ratios indicate that a weakness in Earth's crust has broken through ...

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / AI surrogate accelerates nonlinear optics simulations by orders of magnitude

Simulating the nonlinear optical physics that underlies ultrafast laser systems is computationally demanding—a practical bottleneck in settings that require rapid feedback. A study by researchers at Stanford University, University ...

May 12, 2026
Dialog / Novel technique measures polymer degradation during cathodic overprotection

Oil and natural gas are vital constituents of our energy ecosystem that need to be transported across long distances. Although steel pipelines are the infrastructure used for this purpose, thereby serving as the lifeline ...

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / 'Calm' galaxy cluster hides a violent cosmic scene that took 4 billion years to settle

The galaxy cluster Abell 2029 is sometimes described as "the most relaxed cluster in the universe." This moniker does not arise from some sort of mellow vibe, but rather because of how calm and undisturbed the superheated ...

May 12, 2026