https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Heavy polar molecules are some of the most sensitive tools physicists have for probing what lies beyond the Standard Model, the theory that describes the particles and forces we know about. But turning that sensitivity into precise, trustworthy measurements has long been held back by one stubborn problem: Stray electric and magnetic fields drown out the tiny signals researchers are actually looking for. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-molecular-clock-transitions-tune-noise.html General Physics Thu, 23 Jul 2026 10:00:07 EDT news703934328 Quantum information is notoriously fragile. Internet traffic is anything but. Yet Northwestern University scientists have demonstrated they can peacefully coexist inside the same fiber-optic cable. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-quantum-internet-lab-real-world.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 22 Jul 2026 18:40:01 EDT news703948921 A research team led by UCLA and the University of Rochester has demonstrated a promising evolution of an imaging system designed to capture details within "complex media," which scatter light, from depicting structures inside body tissue to seeing obstacles through heavy fog. The system uses physics-based machine learning to improve an existing imaging technique. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-physics-based-ai-boost-biomedical.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 22 Jul 2026 15:00:08 EDT news703945682 Scientists at the University of California, Riverside, have developed a new way to help gravitational-wave observatories see farther into the universe by solving one of their biggest challenges: tiny heat-induced distortions in the massive mirrors at the heart of the detectors. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-technique-enables-ligo-peer-distant.html Astronomy Tue, 21 Jul 2026 18:30:07 EDT news703868521 One of the deepest ambitions in modern physics is understanding how the fabric of space and time could emerge from fundamental quantum degrees of freedom to establish a quantum theory of gravity. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-quantum-error-emergent-gravity-probing.html General Physics Tue, 21 Jul 2026 11:10:02 EDT news703850636 The planet is getting hotter, and life will need to adapt to rising temperatures to survive. One way cells adapt to changing conditions is by synthesizing new proteins. That works well when the environment changes slowly, but if a crisis hits, like a sudden temperature increase, cells cannot wait for new proteins to be built. Instead, cells rely on chemical modifications that can rapidly turn proteins on or off, similar to how a light can be turned on or off without having to buy or throw away a bulb each time. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-reveals-rapid-protein-cells-survive.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 20 Jul 2026 17:00:03 EDT news703782001 The inevitable leakage of energy and information from a quantum system into its surrounding environment is the enemy of quantum technology. Now, researchers have demonstrated that it can be exploited to generate entanglement—the "resource" that quantum technologies use to perform tasks inaccessible to standard classical technologies. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-quantum-entanglement-leaky-qubits-route.html Quantum Physics Sun, 19 Jul 2026 14:20:01 EDT news703687891 Electrical interconnects may very well be the unsung heroes of modern microchips. These tiny wires—typically made of copper due to its high conductivity—string together the billions of transistors that drive our computers and electronic devices. But as the technology advances and additional transistors are piled on, the components must shrink to the nanoscale. And that's when copper begins to fail. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-thinner-wires-faster-electrons-quantum.html Nanomaterials Fri, 17 Jul 2026 11:40:01 EDT news703497286 For the first time, researchers have developed a way to create chilled molecules containing the radioactive element radium. The resulting laboratory concoctions, generated in part through steps similar to those used to make candy, are poised to help researchers solve one of the biggest mysteries of our universe: How did matter in the early universe come to dominate over its antimatter counterpart? https://phys.org/news/2026-07-cold-radioactive-molecules-prepped-readied.html General Physics Thu, 16 Jul 2026 14:00:14 EDT news703345902 Researchers have shown that it's possible to take clear, high-resolution X-ray images using very little radiation. With more development, the new approach could eventually make medical X-ray diagnostics less risky and more accessible. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-imaging-method-ray-dose-high.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 16 Jul 2026 10:00:09 EDT news703318227 The secret of how seals can hear in air and water has been revealed, thanks to pioneering research led by Natural History Museum scientists. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-filter-blood-tissue-underwater-reveals.html Plants & Animals Wed, 15 Jul 2026 10:10:03 EDT news703328977 The age-old question asks, "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" While philosophers and scientists alike have pondered this question for centuries, the more relevant question for today's recreation and wildlife managers is: Does it matter what makes the sound? https://phys.org/news/2026-07-human-noise-alaska-predators-night.html Ecology Tue, 14 Jul 2026 14:40:05 EDT news703246996 This summer, Subaru Telescope will welcome a new near-infrared spectrograph, NINJA, for its first on-sky engineering observations. NINJA is a new spectrograph designed for time-critical observations of rapidly evolving cosmic events, such as the electromagnetic counterparts of gravitational-wave sources. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-critical-events-ninja-sky.html Astronomy Tue, 14 Jul 2026 09:20:03 EDT news703232941 When residents of two coastal communities along the Sea of Japan reported observing dolphins in nearby waters, it caught the attention of some scientists. The marine environment has been changing rapidly in the Sea of Japan, which is partially enclosed by the Japanese archipelago and the Eurasian continent and connected to the ocean through shallow straits. Though dolphin sightings and bycatch records have been reported along the coast, basic ecological information on small odontocetes, such as dolphins and porpoises, has remained limited. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-underwater-microphones-dolphins-sea-japan.html Ecology Tue, 14 Jul 2026 08:00:03 EDT news703229749 Cornstarch can thicken soup or serve as a base for a DIY shampoo, but there's more to the humble pantry staple. Given the right conditions, it seems to defy the laws of physics. Mixing cornstarch with water creates "oobleck"—a shape-shifting substance classified as a non-Newtonian fluid that changes states when subjected to a force. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-oobleck-droplets-reveal-ways-cornstarch.html Soft Matter Mon, 13 Jul 2026 09:00:07 EDT news703149113 The mysterious substance that binds galaxies together could naturally be "in tune" with a hidden fifth dimension, according to a new University of Sheffield theory aiming to shed light on one of science's biggest enigmas: dark matter. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-hidden-dimension-tune-dark-resonance.html General Physics Mon, 13 Jul 2026 08:30:02 EDT news703149689 Recent improvements in our understanding of how the principles of thermodynamics apply in the quantum realm could give a boost to quantum technology, and a clearer picture of quantum thermodynamics could in turn enhance our understanding of classical thermodynamics. Now, Aalto University researchers have demonstrated the first cyclic quantum heat engine inside a superconducting circuit. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-world-superconducting-quantum-path-larger.html Quantum Physics Mon, 13 Jul 2026 05:00:01 EDT news702907773 Virtual fences could make managing grazing livestock on farms more flexible and more efficient while improving animal welfare. A new study by the University of Göttingen shows that virtual fences trigger behavior in cattle similar to that caused by conventional electric fences, in terms of how they move around the field. This finding puts commonly expressed concerns about animal welfare into perspective. The results were published in the journal Animal. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-line-virtual-trigger-cattle-behavior.html Biotechnology Sat, 11 Jul 2026 19:00:01 EDT news702647544 When people think about geological faults, they usually think about earthquakes. Yet faults do not move only during earthquakes. Sometimes they slip silently, without generating noticeable shaking, releasing stress over hours or days through slow fault movements that remain largely hidden from conventional monitoring systems. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-ai-reveals-hidden-san-andreas.html Earth Sciences Thu, 09 Jul 2026 19:00:05 EDT news702833771 A single monitoring network developed by McGill, Natural Resources Canada, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and Dalhousie University researchers can simultaneously track earthquakes, water behavior, human activity and whales, providing a comprehensive picture of what's happening in, under and far from the water. The research is published in the journal Seismica. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-marine-network-environmental-shipping.html Plants & Animals Thu, 09 Jul 2026 16:00:08 EDT news702823697 In a new study, published in the Journal of the Astronautical Sciences, Warwick researchers led an international effort to uncover some of the faintest debris in geosynchronous orbit ever observed, finding fragments as small as 5 centimeters (2 inches) and obtaining valuable data to characterize their behavior. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-astronomers-deep-tiny-dangerous-space.html Space Exploration Wed, 08 Jul 2026 16:30:01 EDT news702737741 Feeling hot at home may seem like a simple matter of temperature or whether the air conditioning is switched on. But a new study suggests that less visible factors—from closed windows and blocked airflow to household routines and the different ways family members experience heat—also play an important role. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-comfort-home-temperature-issue.html Environment Wed, 08 Jul 2026 15:00:06 EDT news702734402 Raindrops form inside clouds when tiny particles of water collide and stick together, forming larger droplets that eventually fall to Earth. This process is hard to model accurately, with current approaches either imprecise or computationally intensive. Better simulations of raindrop formation could help improve climate and weather models. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-machine-raindrop-formation.html Environment Wed, 08 Jul 2026 14:20:02 EDT news702729439 The explosive growth of data generated by artificial intelligence, cloud computing and modern digital infrastructure is placing increasing pressure on existing information storage technologies. Although magnetic storage systems such as hard disk drives remain the dominant platform for digital storage, they face challenges including rising costs, limited lifespan and relatively slow information retrieval. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-wavelength-multiplexed-diffractive-optical-storage.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 08 Jul 2026 11:40:05 EDT news702721575 Quantum computers, devices that store and process information leveraging the principles of quantum mechanics, have been found to be promising for tackling some problems that cannot be solved by classical computers. Quantum computers store data in the form of qubits (i.e., quantum bits), units of information that can exist in combinations of different states, instead of being limited to a binary value (i.e., 0 or 1), like classical bits. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-theorized-electron-helium-qubit-strong.html General Physics Wed, 08 Jul 2026 10:20:02 EDT news702711987 Fish hatcheries are a critical part of the effort to restore salmon runs in the Pacific Northwest. But hatchery fish are less likely than wild ones to return from the ocean to spawn—and one reason may be hatchery noise. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-quiet-hatchery-salmon-noise-spawn.html Ecology Wed, 08 Jul 2026 09:40:01 EDT news702721381 Space and rockets have been big news of late, from the successful Artemis 2 mission in April to the recent listing of SpaceX on the Nasdaq stock exchange. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-rocket-threaten-australia-coastal-wildlife.html Plants & Animals Tue, 07 Jul 2026 22:00:01 EDT news702639260 Quantum states can be precisely controlled with the help of tiny carbon rings measuring only a few nanometers in size. This is made possible by a class of rarely used electromagnetic dipoles called toroidal moments. Using computer simulations, physicists at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) have now found a way to generate and control these nanostructures without any loss. The findings are published in npj Computational Materials and create new opportunities for quantum computer technology. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-tiny-carbon-enable-quantum.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 07 Jul 2026 13:00:08 EDT news702638994 Everyone's perception of time is unique. It is a subjective experience shaped by factors such as age, emotions, memory and environmental contexts. And it may also be influenced by background noise, as scientists have demonstrated in a paper published in the journal Scientific Reports. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-approaching-warp-perception.html Other Tue, 07 Jul 2026 10:26:26 EDT news702638685 Fraunhofer ILT in Aachen has developed a highly complex laser-optical system for a quantum computer currently under construction at the 5th Institute of Physics at the University of Stuttgart. This system enables 2,000 Rydberg atoms to be positioned with submicrometer precision in the computer's highly compact vacuum chamber. To do this, the system projects an array of 2,000 individually controllable laser beams into the chamber. These beams act as optical tweezers and hold the trapped Rydberg atoms precisely at the distance required for them to interact with each other. The computer's quantum logic processes are based on these interactions. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-quantum-laser-optical-full-rydberg.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 06 Jul 2026 20:20:02 EDT news702562728