Phys.org news

Phys.org / Dolphin mass strandings in Patagonia linked to killer whales

In 2021 and 2023, hundreds of dolphins were stranded in shallow waters in San Antonio Bay in northern Patagonia. Some died, but many were returned safely to the sea. But what remained a mystery until now was how they ended ...

Mar 11, 2026
Phys.org / Astronomers collect rare evidence of two planets colliding

Anastasios (Andy) Tzanidakis was combing through old telescope data from 2020 when he found an otherwise boring star acting very strangely. The star, named Gaia20ehk, was about 11,000 light-years from Earth near the constellation ...

Mar 11, 2026
Phys.org / Flash heating upcycles waste glass into SiC nanowires in seconds

Engineering silicon carbide (SiC) with tailored morphologies for electronics and structural reinforcement materials has always been a costly and time-consuming affair, but scientists can now do it in a flash. A new study ...

Mar 11, 2026
Phys.org / Centuries of net-negative emissions are required to secure a safe climate future, two studies suggest

Two new studies conclude that stabilizing long-term climate risks will require sustained net-negative carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions for centuries. Approaching the problem from distinct perspectives—legal and technological ...

Mar 11, 2026
Phys.org / Stacked quantum materials enable precise spin control without external magnetic fields

Spintronics—a technology that harnesses the electron's magnetic quantum states to carry information—could pave the way for a new generation of ultra-energy-efficient electronics. Yet a major challenge has been the ability ...

Mar 11, 2026
Phys.org / Compact vacuum ultraviolet laser may improve nanotechnology and power nuclear clocks

Physicists at the University of Colorado Boulder have demonstrated a new kind of vacuum ultraviolet laser that is 100 to 1,000 times more efficient than existing technologies of its kind. The researchers say the device could ...

Mar 11, 2026
Phys.org / Highlighting the hidden climate cost of the Israel–Gaza war

A new study estimates that the Israel–Gaza war has generated around 33 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), highlighting the often-overlooked environmental impact of armed conflict.

Mar 11, 2026
Phys.org / DNA origami vaccine rivals mRNA shots while being easier to store and manufacture

The COVID-19 pandemic brought messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines to the forefront of global health care. After their clinical trial stages, the first COVID-19 mRNA vaccine was administered on 8 December 2020 and mathematical models ...

Mar 11, 2026
Phys.org / Simulations suggest a breakthrough in understanding how turbulence develops

A new study revisits a century-old question about how turbulence starts. The findings could potentially influence not only aircraft engineering but even the design of mechanical heart valves, and treatment of heart disease. ...

Mar 11, 2026
Phys.org / Researchers use AI to develop RNA-based synthetic NAND switch in living cells

An interdisciplinary research team from two working groups at the Center for Synthetic Biology at TU Darmstadt has developed the first RNA-based genetic switch that precisely replicates the logical behavior of a NAND gate, ...

Mar 11, 2026
Phys.org / Twisted bilayer photonic crystals dynamically tune light's handedness

Researchers at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have created a chip-scale device that can dynamically control the "handedness" of light as it passes through—also known as its ...

Mar 11, 2026
Phys.org / Howler monkey ancestors began eating leaves 13 million years ago, changing course of primate history in South America

Thirteen million years ago, a group of medium-sized monkeys known for guarding their territory among the treetops with fearsome "howls" started doing something new. These monkeys, among the oldest known ancestors of the modern ...

Mar 11, 2026