Phys.org news

Phys.org / A new explanation for the mystery death of Botticelli's Birth of Venus model, Simonetta Vespucci

A paper on new research into the cause of death of Simonetta Vespucci, model for the world-renowned Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli, has been published by researchers at Queen Mary University of London, Universita Campus ...

Jun 16, 2026
Phys.org / Rare B meson decays tighten search for hidden particles and dark matter links

A University of Melbourne researcher has placed the strongest constraints yet on certain rare decays of subatomic particles, narrowing the window for where new "hidden" particles could be lurking.

Jun 16, 2026
Phys.org / One of the world's most important plate boundaries is older than previously thought

A chain of remote islands and underwater volcanoes between Alaska and Kamchatka has revealed a much older chapter in Earth's tectonic history than previously known. Along the Aleutian Arc, the Pacific Plate dives beneath ...

Jun 16, 2026
Phys.org / Cockatoos learn when touchscreen rewards 'die,' then apply rule to new contexts

For humans, death is surrounded by culture, emotion, ritual and language. But the question can be framed in a much more basic way: What would an animal have to understand in order to recognize that someone has died?

Jun 16, 2026
Phys.org / Honeybees adjust their dances based on information reliability, study reveals

A new study demonstrates that honeybees can evaluate the reliability of their own communication, actively adjusting the vigor of their "waggle dance" based on the truthfulness of the information they provide. By manipulating ...

Jun 16, 2026
Phys.org / Female chickadees seek cognitively skilled males for extra‑pair matings, study shows

Female chickadees living in monogamous mating systems will proactively seek out males that have better cognitive skills than their nest mate, according to new findings.

Jun 16, 2026
Phys.org / Silicon-compatible nanocomposite garnet enables better, simpler optical isolators

A research team from Tohoku University and Kyocera Corp. has developed a new magneto-optical material—a nanocomposite magnetic garnet film—that can be deposited directly onto silicon substrates while delivering a magneto-optical ...

Jun 16, 2026
Phys.org / Intensive nickel mining has transformed microbial biodiversity of Thio Lagoon in New Caledonia

A study carried out by scientists from Ifremer, IRD, the universities of Western Brittany (UBO) and Bordeaux, CNRS, and the University of Tartu (Estonia) reveals the impact of nickel mining on the coastal ecosystems of New ...

Jun 16, 2026
Phys.org / Distant ocean temperatures found to influence snowfall in Antarctica

Snowfall deep inside East Antarctica has increased in recent decades, and distant ocean temperature changes may be partly responsible. Using long-term climate data and observations from Dome Fuji station, researchers found ...

Jun 16, 2026
Phys.org / Observation of living cells solves mystery of bacterial cell division

Using an innovative combination of biochemical experiments and ultra-high-resolution microscopy, a research team at Kiel University has solved the long-standing mystery of how the bacterium B. subtilis regulates its cell ...

Jun 16, 2026
Phys.org / New method enables accurate sequencing of short peptides hidden in food and human body

Our food and our bodies are full of tiny protein fragments called peptides. These small chains of amino acids act as biological messengers, influencing processes ranging from sensory perception to physiological functions.

Jun 16, 2026
Phys.org / Chandra tracks M87 black hole's evolving jet in finest X-ray detail yet

An international team of astronomers led by Camille Poitras, a Ph.D. student in the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Laval University, has produced the most detailed X-ray view ever obtained of the jet launched by the ...

Jun 16, 2026