Phys.org news

Phys.org / Scientists capture superconductivity's 'dancing pairs' for first time, revealing missing pieces in a decades-old theory

For the first time, scientists have directly imaged the quantum process underlying superconductivity, a phenomenon in which paired electrons cause electric current to flow without resistance at sufficiently low temperatures. ...

Apr 15, 2026
Phys.org / Unearthed mega-structure hints at communal rule in Romania 6,000 years ago

Archaeologists working at the ancient settlement of Stăuceni-"Holm" in northeastern Romania have uncovered a mega-structure measuring 350 square meters dating back about 6,000 years. This is one of the few examples of a massive ...

Apr 15, 2026
Phys.org / Ancient Maya droughts may have been fueled by Earth's own climate swings

Dramatic droughts linked to the decline of the Classic Maya civilization approximately 800 to 1000 CE may not have required any external trigger, according to a new climate modeling study. Instead, they could have emerged ...

Apr 15, 2026
Phys.org / A monster black hole appeared first, then its galaxy began to grow around it

Using observations gathered by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), an international team of astronomers have revealed that one supermassive black hole in the early universe must have formed before a galaxy developed around ...

Apr 15, 2026
Phys.org / Astronomers reveal always-changing multi-planet system

Astronomers at The University of New Mexico have published new research confirming three bodies orbiting the dynamic exoplanet system TOI-201. They include a super-Earth (TOI-201 d), a warm Jupiter (TOI-201 b), and a brown ...

Apr 15, 2026
Phys.org / Nature might have a universal rhythm

Animal communication can look wildly different—flashing lights, chirping calls, croaking songs and elaborate dances. But new research from Northwestern University suggests many of these signals share a surprising feature: ...

Apr 15, 2026
Phys.org / Blended satellite data reveal what drove methane's 2019–2024 rise worldwide

Because methane has around 80 times the warming potential of CO2 over a 20-year period, it has been a major focus for climate action groups. The Global Methane Pledge, launched at COP26 in November 2021, aims to cut human-caused ...

Apr 15, 2026
Phys.org / Museum drawer fossil reveals 200-million-year-old crocodile relative with a powerful bite

The fossil record has given us another new prehistoric species, named Eosphorosuchus lacrimosa (from the Greek personification of the morning star—the planet Venus), a member of the group called Crocodylomorpha, which includes ...

Apr 15, 2026
Phys.org / Sperm whale clicks follow similar rules to human speech

Sperm whales produce powerful clicks to communicate. To our ears, they sound nothing more than a series of repetitive, mechanical taps. But we could be a step closer to understanding some of their complex communication, as ...

Apr 15, 2026
Phys.org / JWST spots methane on a giant exoplanet, but its star may be distorting the signal

Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers from Johns Hopkins University (JHU) and elsewhere have observed a giant exoplanet known as HATS-75 b. Results of the new observations, published April 8 on the arXiv ...

Apr 15, 2026
Phys.org / First physical evidence of Peruvian Hairless Dogs at Wari site uncovered in Peru

A study published in the Journal of Anthropological Archaeology combined zooarchaeology with multi-isotopic analysis to reveal the diverse life histories of ancient dogs in the Wari Empire (ca. 600–1050 CE). Not only has ...

Apr 15, 2026
Phys.org / Quantum-inspired algorithm solves 268 million-site quasicrystal simulation in a heartbeat

Quantum technologies like quantum computers are built from quantum materials. These types of materials exhibit quantum properties when exposed to the right conditions. Curiously, engineers can also trigger quantum behavior ...

Apr 15, 2026