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. For more than two decades, the quasar PHL 1811 has been considered the prototype of a rare class of "intrinsically X-ray weak" quasars, thought to produce unusually little X-ray radiation. But in 2024, the Einstein Probe spacecraft caught the object in a bright X-ray flare. In a new study, astronomers combined that observation with more than 20 years of archival data to revisit the mystery. The findings were published in The Astrophysical Journal on July 28. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-famous-oddball-quasar-isnt-ray.html Astronomy Wed, 12 Aug 2026 12:40:01 EDT news705745952 Most people underestimate how much light a pair of sunglasses blocks out. A typical dark pair removes around 80% to 90% of the visible light reaching the eye. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-enjoy-solar-eclipse-safely.html Space Exploration Wed, 12 Aug 2026 11:41:08 EDT news705753619 Like a collage made of layered sheets of colored cellophane, a vibrant new image layers observations of a famous star-forming nebula from NASA's space telescopes. The resulting cosmic "craft" reveals new details about the star-forming region known as 30 Doradus, or the Tarantula Nebula. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-energy-loss-routes-tarantula-nebula.html Astronomy Tue, 11 Aug 2026 16:50:01 EDT news705681362 Using the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, an international team of astronomers has discovered that dust and water can form and survive surprisingly close to the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy. The observations reveal that the evolved star IRS 3 continues to enrich its surroundings with newly formed material despite the intense radiation environment around Sagittarius A*. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-webb-reveals-oxygen-rich-surviving.html Astronomy Tue, 11 Aug 2026 13:00:02 EDT news705665284 Egyptian blue, considered the world's earliest synthetic pigment, was prized for its stable blue hues and served as a common blue paint in Egypt as early as 5,000 years ago, as well as the base material for small items such as beads and vessels in later periods. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-egyptian-blue-iron-age-iran.html Archaeology Tue, 11 Aug 2026 12:40:06 EDT news705664921 For decades, astronomers have assumed that the Martian surface froze solid around 3 billion years ago and has stayed that way ever since. If this were really the case, any liquid water would have long since either been locked away underground or lost to space. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-mars-liquid-thought.html Astrobiology Mon, 10 Aug 2026 17:00:13 EDT news705587200 Hold on to your telescopes: The DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys team has released the largest-ever 2D color map of the universe. The 5.6-trillion-pixel map contains nearly 4 billion celestial objects, primarily stars and galaxies. The data is available for all to use and publicly view through the Legacy Survey Sky Viewer. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-desi-biggest-2d-universe.html Astronomy Mon, 10 Aug 2026 13:00:05 EDT news705582662 Hundreds of Venus-like planets could soon help determine why some worlds become sweltering greenhouse hellscapes while others remain capable of supporting life. But before answering that question, scientists first need to know how fast those planets are spinning. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-planets-hellish.html Astronomy Mon, 10 Aug 2026 10:00:01 EDT news705573181 At the top and bottom of the planet, the seasons arrive on a schedule all their own. Satellite data from a mission measuring infrared energy reveal just how differently—and how dramatically—surface temperatures swing across two full years at the poles. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-poles-hidden.html Environment Mon, 10 Aug 2026 08:20:03 EDT news705564842 Since it became operational in 2022, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has released some truly breathtaking views of the cosmos. These images highlight how advancements since the days of the venerable Hubble Space Telescope are now providing the deepest and clearest views of the cosmos to date. The work is published on the arXiv preprint server. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-astronomers-early-universe-webb.html Astronomy Mon, 10 Aug 2026 07:40:02 EDT news705562202 By rapidly twisting a microscopically small tip back and forth, researchers at the University of Maryland (UMD) have unlocked a new way to detect subtle changes on the surface of a material flexing in response to infrared light. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-high-res-view-2d-materials.html Nanomaterials Fri, 07 Aug 2026 18:00:03 EDT news705327588 Supercontinuum light sources—often called "white lasers" because they emit a broad, continuous rainbow of colors—are essential tools for everything from advanced medical imaging to environmental gas detection. However, researchers have historically faced a frustrating trade-off: A broad spectrum comes at the expense of high fluctuations, which has effectively limited their use. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-elegant-modification-range-noise-white.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 06 Aug 2026 19:00:03 EDT news705252541 A new Australian study has found that feeding zoo-housed lions whole-animal carcasses on a feast-and-fast schedule encourages behaviors more closely aligned with those seen in the wild. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-zoo-housed-lions-wild-style.html Plants & Animals Thu, 06 Aug 2026 11:40:20 EDT news705229921 Glioblastoma is the most aggressive form of brain cancer. It's difficult to treat because tumor cells infiltrate the surrounding brain tissue, making it hard for surgeons to remove the cancer completely without damaging healthy tissue. Treatment is further complicated by the blood-brain barrier, which limits how well drugs and radiation therapy reach the brain. All these factors contribute to a five-year survival rate of only around 7%. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-nanoparticles-surgeons-destroy-brain-cancer.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 06 Aug 2026 11:20:03 EDT news705229622 A new study by San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance researchers has identified a less invasive way to estimate the body temperature of hatchling Mojave desert tortoises, offering scientists a promising tool for studying endangered reptiles while reducing disturbance and handling stress. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-invasive-thermal-imaging-endangered-hatchling.html Plants & Animals Thu, 06 Aug 2026 10:40:01 EDT news705226322 Methane is an especially potent greenhouse gas, causing much more warming than carbon dioxide on a unit-for-unit basis—and a new, uniquely long-term study of emissions at a New Jersey landfill suggests that estimates of methane pollution in the U.S. and elsewhere may be dramatically off. The study, published by researchers at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, which is part of the Columbia Climate School, used continuous ground-based measurements to determine that landfill methane emissions are likely much higher than current estimates. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-term-landfill-methane-emissions-higher.html Environment Wed, 05 Aug 2026 18:40:01 EDT news705160981 Using observations from multiple powerful telescopes, a team of astronomers studied a red quasar nicknamed "the Hatchling" at redshift 3.7. They may have identified one of the clearest examples yet of a quasar caught in transition between a heavily obscured and fully exposed phase. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-astronomers-hatchling-quasar-dusty-cocoon.html Astronomy Wed, 05 Aug 2026 14:20:04 EDT news705154659 In South Africa, it's been legal for several years for people to grow hemp (a type of Cannabis sativa with very low levels of the psychoactive compound THC) for personal use following changes to the law. There's also been a growing interest in its medicinal and industrial potential for clothing, insulation and paper production. Many see it as a "green gold" opportunity for small-scale farmers. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-hemp-thirsty-crop-cannabis-farming.html Agriculture Wed, 05 Aug 2026 12:20:05 EDT news705150062 Researchers at the 4th Physics Institute of the University of Stuttgart and the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) in Milan have demonstrated a new mechanism for directing light in a naturally hyperbolic van der Waals material without conventional nanofabricated waveguides. The discovery opens new possibilities for integrated photonics, on-chip optical communication and future quantum technologies. The paper is published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-nano-optics-mechanism-channeling-natural.html Nanophysics Tue, 04 Aug 2026 14:40:03 EDT news705065941 Since 2016, an ordinary-looking F-type star called KIC 8462852, nicknamed Tabby's star, has behaved anything but ordinarily. In a new study published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society on July 6, researchers revisited this star to find out what is really causing its irregular dimming. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-hour-dip-tabby-star-decade.html Astronomy Mon, 03 Aug 2026 08:00:05 EDT news704472236 Researchers in the lab of Sam Peng, the Pfizer Inc.–Gerald Laubach Career Development Assistant Professor of Chemistry at MIT and a core institute member of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, have developed a super-resolution imaging technology. It allows scientists to visualize molecular structures with angstrom-level localization precision—three orders of magnitude beyond the nanometer-scale limits of standard fluorescent dyes—while simplifying the imaging process. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-microscopy-method-angstrom-scale-localization.html Nanophysics Sun, 02 Aug 2026 14:00:05 EDT news704556380 Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers obtained high-contrast coronagraphic images of the protoplanetary disk around the young, nearby star TW Hydrae. Results of the observational campaign, published July 27 on the preprint server arXiv, shed more light on the nature of this disk. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-webb-reveals-warped-nearby-tw.html Astronomy Sun, 02 Aug 2026 13:20:01 EDT news704715812 Before any major telescope commissioning, there are dozens of papers that attempt to define what we can expect from it. We're starting to see some come through for the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), which hopefully will get a more imaginative name when the 39 m (128-foot) behemoth is officially commissioned in Chile in the 2030s. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-elt-spectrograph-biosignatures-worlds.html Astrobiology Fri, 31 Jul 2026 16:00:03 EDT news704721302 There's a nice kind of irony buried in this story: One of the most sensitive instruments ever built, capable of measuring distortions smaller than the width of a proton, has been quietly held back by something as mundane as heat. And the fix, it turns out, is not some exotic new sensor but a thermal camera you could genuinely buy off the shelf. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-thermal-camera-ligo.html Astronomy Thu, 30 Jul 2026 19:20:01 EDT news704621648 Researchers have developed and tested an infrared spectroscopy system that can rapidly detect chemical aerosols from a distance by using light reflected from common surfaces such as traffic signs, tree trunks or painted surfaces. The new method could make it possible to detect hazards without complicated instruments, helping improve safety and ease operations at industrial sites, public venues and other high-risk locations. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-spectroscopy-aerosols-traffic-tree-trunks.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 30 Jul 2026 16:50:01 EDT news704647381 In this July 6, 2026, image, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope's Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) reveals the nearby galaxy Centaurus A, exposing the dusty structures and hidden activity that shape this unusual system. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-image-starburst-galaxy-centaurus.html Astronomy Thu, 30 Jul 2026 15:20:04 EDT news704633740 Constant scratching, bumpy skin and tufts of lost fur. Those are just some of the signs that an animal has scabies, a severe and potentially fatal skin disease caused by tiny mites (Sarcoptes scabiei) that burrow into the skin. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-scabies-animals-beloved-wombat.html Plants & Animals Thu, 30 Jul 2026 11:40:07 EDT news704622638 Drylands soils are being degraded by human activities and climate change, threatening the thin living layers covering their surface, called biocrusts, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Composed of cyanobacteria, lichens, mosses, algae, fungi and bacteria, biocrusts play major roles in storing carbon, cycling nitrogen, preventing erosion and supporting ecosystems. To better understand the status of these complex biological communities, a team led by researchers at Penn State developed a novel approach for assessing the health and function of biocrusts. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-drone-cameras-pigments-indicating-surface.html Ecology Thu, 30 Jul 2026 10:40:01 EDT news704622177 In 1989, the Voyager 2 mission discovered six new moons orbiting Neptune, including five tiny ones that orbit just outside the planet's main rings. Because of their small sizes and locations, these satellites have been difficult to study from Earth. Now, using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), a team of Caltech researchers has observed Neptune's rings and three of those moons—Larissa, Galatea and Proteus—and found that their composition is unique among outer solar system bodies. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-neptune-moons-shattered-ancient-icy.html Space Exploration Thu, 30 Jul 2026 10:00:06 EDT news704623381 Since their discovery by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope in 2022, little red dots (LRDs) have been the subject of great interest to astronomers. Understanding the nature of these extremely distant, compact red sources has been a puzzling scientific endeavor. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-red-dots-temporary-black-hole.html Astronomy Wed, 29 Jul 2026 15:10:01 EDT news704551076