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Fusion reactors could be monitored for covert plutonium production

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-fusion-reactors-covert-plutonium-production.html

Published: June 13, 2026 13:00

In the next few decades, many physicists are hopeful that nuclear fusion could become a realistic source of practically limitless energy. But before this can happen, it will be critical to ensure that reactors cannot be covertly misused to produce…

Supercomputer illuminates subatomic particle that helps hold matter together

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-supercomputer-illuminates-subatomic-particle.html

Published: June 13, 2026 13:00

A team of researchers has leveraged a supercomputer at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory to reveal the internal structure of a pion in unprecedented detail. The findings are published in the Journal of High Energy Physics.

As wildfires increase in the West, so does suppression spending

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-wildfires-west-suppression.html

Published: June 13, 2026 12:30

Hotter, drier conditions in the western United States have led to a rise in wildfire activity that has damaged or destroyed infrastructure, natural ecosystems and entire towns across the region. As fires grow larger and more destructive, the cost of…

Heat-surviving cyanobacteria switch to respiration when photosynthesis falters, 48-hour test reveals

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-surviving-cyanobacteria-respiration-photosynthesis-falters.html

Published: June 13, 2026 12:00

A new study challenges a long-standing assumption about how cyanobacteria survive environmental stress. The study, led by researchers at the Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research (IOLR)—the Kinneret Limnological Institute (KLI), shows that…

Water molecule unlocks faster interfacial polymerization by lowering energy barrier

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-molecule-faster-interfacial-polymerization-lowering.html

Published: June 13, 2026 11:30

Researchers at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have achieved two major breakthroughs in interfacial polymerization, a key technique for preparing advanced functional materials. By integrating quantum mechanics with machine…

Bidirectional manipulation of gate-free quantum electronic states via semiconductor interface engineering

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-bidirectional-gate-free-quantum-electronic.html

Published: June 13, 2026 11:00

A recent study published in Nature Communications demonstrates precise control over electron spatial arrangement in two directions simultaneously—without any applied voltage—through interface engineering between semimetal bismuth (Bi) thin films and…

Forecast flags 210 antimicrobial resistance traits that could spread by 2050

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-flags-antimicrobial-resistance-traits.html

Published: June 13, 2026 11:00

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is considered one of the most urgent global public health threats, with experts predicting that AMR could cause 39 million deaths between 2025 and 2050. AMR is not a single problem, but instead involves many different genes,…

Chandra resolves NGC 6540's mysterious X-ray flare into three separate sources

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-chandra-ngc-mysterious-ray-flare.html

Published: June 13, 2026 10:10

Using NASA's Chandra X-ray spacecraft, astronomers have performed deep X-ray observations of a galactic globular cluster known as NGC 6540. The new observational campaign, described June 1 on the preprint server arXiv, focused on disentangling the nature…

What happens to microplastics when swallowed? In earthworms, they do not leave the digestive tract

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-microplastics-swallowed-earthworms-digestive-tract.html

Published: June 13, 2026 10:00

Globally, humanity now produces a staggering 450 million tonnes of plastic every year. From food and drink containers to cosmetics packaging, sewage pipes, window frames and polyester clothing, we use plastics in almost every area of life. And nearly…

Family wealth reaches further: Grandparents' income links to grandchildren's college access

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-family-wealth-grandparents-income-links.html

Published: June 13, 2026 09:30

It has long been understood that parents' income plays a major role in children's access to higher education. But a new study published in Canadian Studies in Population suggests that grandparents' income matters, too. By analyzing multigenerational tax…

Harmonic radar tags reveal how mosquitoes move through fields and parkland

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-harmonic-radar-tags-reveal-mosquitoes.html

Published: June 13, 2026 09:00

It's an insect everybody loves to hate. Pesky mosquitoes will be out in swarms as the weather warms up across the U.S.—and their bites aren't just itchy. They can transmit pathogens that can cause diseases like West Nile virus, Zika virus and malaria, to…

The Ghosts of the Mediterranean: What a rare great white shark sighting could reveal about a changing ocean

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ghosts-mediterranean-rare-great-white.html

Published: June 13, 2026 08:30

Headlines were made this week when scuba divers removing abandoned ghost nets from a shipwreck between Tunisia and Sicily filmed an adult great white shark. The footage quickly made global news, yet the real story is not that a great white was seen in the…

Saturday Citations: JAXA collaboration with toy company TOMY; a new brain-computer interface; IBD solved

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-saturday-citations-jaxa-collaboration-toy.html

Published: June 13, 2026 08:20

This week's notable citations: Astronomers believe collapsing stars could spawn mini universes. Chimpanzees do not like unfairness. And a single dose of psilocybin temporarily restored function in an 80-year-old with Alzheimer's disease.

El Niño arrives and could rank among strongest events since 1950

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-el-nio-strongest-events.html

Published: June 13, 2026 08:00

The phenomenon El Niño has arrived, the U.S. weather agency said Thursday, and scientists expect the pattern, synonymous with droughts, floods and soaring temperatures, will intensify through the end of the year, potentially to historic strength.

Engineering enzymes with potential against ALS and Parkinson's disease

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-enzymes-potential-als-parkinson-disease.html

Published: June 13, 2026 08:00

In an advance that could one day lead to new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, Meredith Jackrel, an associate professor of chemistry in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, and her team have developed a method to rapidly produce…

How you can stop your cat from bringing home unwelcome pathogens

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-cat-home-unwelcome-pathogens.html

Published: June 13, 2026 08:00

Pets form an important part of many people's lives, providing meaningful companionship. However, our pets can sometimes also be a source of unwelcome pathogens and diseases, particularly if they frequently roam outdoors.

AI sorts cell droplets into four shapes, uncovering drug effects in human cells

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ai-cell-droplets-uncovering-drug.html

Published: June 13, 2026 06:20

Researchers at Princeton University have harnessed AI to understand how drugs affect the dynamics of vital structures within the cell, introducing a tool that can map the shape of these structures to functional outcomes and shed light on important markers…

SpaceX: Five key moments, from first launch to Starship megarocket

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-spacex-key-moments-starship-megarocket.html

Published: June 13, 2026 06:14

More than 20 years after its founding, SpaceX made history Friday with its record-high stock market debut, crowning a unique journey marked by dazzling successes but also catastrophic failures and unfulfilled promises.

Lab-grown canine muscle cells offer solution for early therapeutic testing

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-lab-grown-canine-muscle-cells.html

Published: June 12, 2026 22:40

Before testing new therapies in animals, researchers now have a more efficient starting point—lab-grown canine muscle cells that can help identify what works and what doesn't.

Faster biological aging consistently linked to poverty and discrimination

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-faster-biological-aging-linked-poverty.html

Published: June 12, 2026 21:00

By integrating findings from 140 studies and nearly 66,000 individuals, researchers from the Biosocial team at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in collaboration with Columbia University in New York have shown that lower socioeconomic status…

Meet REMORA: The autonomous space fleet built to tag and track asteroids

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-remora-autonomous-space-fleet-built.html

Published: June 12, 2026 20:00

To truly understand what an asteroid is made of, we need to send a probe to it. Remote sensing from ground-based telescopes, or even orbiting observatories, can only do so much. A new white paper submitted to the U.K. Space Agency's 2035 Space Frontiers…

Solar geoengineering could shield up to 75% of oceans from heat waves

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-solar-geoengineering-shield-oceans.html

Published: June 12, 2026 18:40

Most people have experienced a heat wave on land. But heat waves can strike in the ocean too. And as the planet continues to warm, marine heat waves are growing longer and deadlier, hurting the seafood supply that billions of people worldwide rely on for…

Gulf Stream shifted north during 12,900-year-old cold snap, first direct evidence shows

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-gulf-stream-shifted-north-year.html

Published: June 12, 2026 16:40

During an abrupt global cold snap nearly 13,000 years ago, the Gulf Stream ocean current shifted farther north, temporarily disrupting eastern Canada's oceanic ecosystems, a process that could happen again as the climate changes, a new study by UCL…

Jurassic viral gene may have helped apple snails start laying eggs on land

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-jurassic-viral-gene-apple-snails.html

Published: June 12, 2026 15:40

Pomacea canaliculata, commonly known as the apple snail, is a pest commonly found in Hong Kong's wetlands and farmlands. It feeds on aquatic plants and produces toxic pink egg masses resembling miniature grapes that adhere to plants or stone bunds. It is…

New species of Middle Miocene bear-dog described in tribute to Salvador Moyà-Solà

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-species-middle-miocene-dog-tribute.html

Published: June 12, 2026 14:40

A research team with the participation of the Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont (ICP) has described a new species of extinct carnivore from fossil remains recovered at the Els Casots site (Subirats, Alt Penedès). The study, published in the…

Scientist creates 'mini‑universe' to measure time without a clock

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-scientist-miniuniverse-clock.html

Published: June 12, 2026 14:20

A University of Birmingham scientist has built a "mini-universe" that takes a step toward answering one of science's biggest questions: "What is time?" Publishing his findings in Physical Review Research, Professor Giovanni Barontini shows how it is…

Mountainous landscapes store far more carbon than previously thought, new research shows

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-mountainous-landscapes-carbon-previously-thought.html

Published: June 12, 2026 14:00

Hilly and mountainous landscapes have a much greater ability to store carbon in the soil than previously thought, according to a new study co-led by scientists at the University of Oregon.

Trees may store less carbon than expected in the future

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-trees-carbon-future.html

Published: June 12, 2026 14:00

It's intuitive to think that if a tree is photosynthesizing, it's also growing. But that's not necessarily so—and a new study of oak trees, published in the journal Science Advances, found that even as they photosynthesize late into the year, their growth…

Supercomputer predicts 2026 World Cup results

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-supercomputer-world-cup-results.html

Published: June 12, 2026 13:40

A model built by researchers from the University of Liverpool's Management School predicts an England-Spain FIFA World Cup 2026 final, with Spain the favorite to lift the trophy—a repeat of recent major tournament history. The supercomputer correctly…

Molecular anchors on gut phages could open new therapeutic avenues

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-molecular-anchors-gut-phages-therapeutic.html

Published: June 12, 2026 13:40

Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that infect bacteria and are not considered human pathogens. Yet researchers at the Translational Microbiology Laboratory of the Institute of Biochemistry, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged, have shown that…

Rare-earth-free zinc oxide achieves a first in stress-to-light conversion

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-rare-earth-free-zinc-oxide.html

Published: June 12, 2026 13:20

Mechanoluminescent materials convert mechanical energy such as stress, strain and vibration directly into light, making them attractive as self-powered sensors that require no batteries or wiring. From biomedical sensors to self-powered infrastructure…

Novel forecasting model developed to predict river temperature

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-river-temperature.html

Published: June 12, 2026 13:20

The temperature of rivers is something most people think about only if they plan to go swimming, kayaking or spend a day fishing. Few consider how it could potentially affect their electricity bill.

Landscape water velocities across Europe reshape nitrogen pollution risk under climate change

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-landscape-velocities-europe-reshape-nitrogen.html

Published: June 12, 2026 13:00

Nitrate pollution is a growing global environmental challenge due to the extensive use of fertilizer. A study published in Science, led by the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) with the Helmholtz Center for Environmental…

Nuclear clocks tick for the first time

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-nuclear-clocks.html

Published: June 12, 2026 13:00

Two independent research teams have achieved a longstanding goal in physics: building a working nuclear clock. The devices, developed by Beichen Huang and colleagues at Tsinghua University and by Luca Toscani De Col and colleagues at the Vienna Center for…

Carbon dioxide unlocks safer oxidation chemistry under room-temperature conditions

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-carbon-dioxide-safer-oxidation-chemistry.html

Published: June 12, 2026 12:40

Oxidation reactions are indispensable to the chemical industry, but from a process safety perspective, they are among the most challenging transformations. A research team at the University of Bayreuth, working in collaboration with international partners,…

Horse owners' personality and attachment style shape how they interact with and care for their horses

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-horse-owners-personality-style-interact.html

Published: June 12, 2026 12:40

A new study shows that horse owners' psychological characteristics, including their attachment styles and personality traits, are systematically linked to how frequently they ride, train, and spend quality time with their horses, as well as the equipment…

Engineered bacterium turns potato starch into biodegradable plastic in 24 hours

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-bacterium-potato-starch-biodegradable-plastic.html

Published: June 12, 2026 12:20

Every year, hundreds of millions of tons of petrochemical-based plastics are produced, much of which ends up in the environment or is incinerated. This exacerbates greenhouse gas emissions and the environmental crisis caused by plastic pollution. Now, a…

Dragonfly and damselfly migrations crisscross planet, with 100 species confirmed

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-dragonfly-damselfly-migrations-crisscross-planet.html

Published: June 12, 2026 12:00

Migration flights of dragonflies and damselflies crisscross much of our planet, new research reveals. Scientists from the universities of Exeter and Lund reviewed global evidence and found 100 dragonfly and damselfly species that migrate, and a further 85…

Climate change is causing fish to move to cooler water—what if their escape route is blocked?

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-climate-fish-cooler-route-blocked.html

Published: June 12, 2026 11:40

Around the world, ocean warming is causing fish to move poleward in search of cooler water.

AI tracks missing hydrogen atoms in crystals with 97% success rate

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ai-tracks-hydrogen-atoms-crystals.html

Published: June 12, 2026 11:20

Artificial intelligence is often used to generate images. In research, specialized AI models are used for scientific applications—for example, to predict the positions of atoms in materials. The MatterGen model developed by Microsoft can generate complex…

A cornerstone of Milky Way history may need rewriting with evidence of multiple ancient mergers

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-cornerstone-milky-history-rewriting-evidence.html

Published: June 12, 2026 11:00

Astronomers may have uncovered new details about one of the Milky Way's most important ancient collisions. Using data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) and a new clustering algorithm, researchers have found evidence suggesting the famous…

New findings complete first evolutionary history of all living millipede orders, dating back 460 million years

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-evolutionary-history-millipede-dating-million.html

Published: June 12, 2026 11:00

Long before vertebrates walked on land, millipedes had the place to themselves. Hundreds of millions of years before dinosaurs arrived, these early decomposers were helping establish Earth's terrestrial ecosystems. But despite their ancient history,…

Photo: Hubble and Webb offer new view of Black Eye Galaxy

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-photo-hubble-webb-view-black.html

Published: June 12, 2026 11:00

This March 20, 2026, image of Messier 64, or the Black Eye Galaxy, is a composite view from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and James Webb Space Telescope. It shows Messier 64 captured at near- and mid-infrared wavelengths by Webb, while Hubble's image shows…

SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket minutes ahead of IPO

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-spacex-falcon-rocket-minutes-ipo.html

Published: June 12, 2026 10:40

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket loaded with Starlink satellites Friday less than an hour before Elon Musk's company was set to lift off for what would be the largest IPO in Wall Street history.

Hubble captures galaxy swarm with lensed arcs from early universe

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-hubble-captures-galaxy-swarm-lensed.html

Published: June 12, 2026 10:40

Looking somewhat like a swarm of bees returning to their hive, this NASA Hubble Space Telescope image features the galaxy cluster MACS0329-0211. Galaxy clusters like MACS0329-0211 are important signposts in the story of how the structure of the universe…

Meltwater is causing Antarctic glaciers to flow faster toward the ocean

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-meltwater-antarctic-glaciers-faster-ocean.html

Published: June 12, 2026 10:40

In a new study, Professor Shin Sugiyama of Hokkaido University and his team have directly confirmed for the first time that water from melting snow and ice, or meltwater, found at the surface of a glacier can drain to its base, causing glaciers in…

SpaceX lifts off in record Wall Street debut

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-spacex-wall-street-debut.html

Published: June 12, 2026 10:37

Elon Musk's SpaceX began its first day as a public company on Wall Street on Friday after the biggest initial public offering in history, with the polarizing entrepreneur promising he will take humanity to Mars.

Would you buy milk from a gene‑edited cow? Consumers may be more open than you think

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-buy-geneedited-cow-consumers.html

Published: June 12, 2026 10:20

As temperatures rise, New Zealand's dairy farmers face a growing challenge: keeping cows cool enough to remain productive. Heat stress can reduce milk production, harm animals and lower the environmental efficiency of dairy farming. For an economy so…

Why birds ignore Newton: New theory could sharpen models of flocks, crowds and cells

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-birds-newton-theory-sharpen-flocks.html

Published: June 12, 2026 10:20

Birds in flocks, bacteria and cells: In many collective systems, individual elements respond to only part of their surroundings, seemingly defying Newton's third law of motion—action equals reaction. These exceptions are known as nonreciprocal…

Venus flytrap's snap may come from rapid cell wall softening, not water flow

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-venus-flytrap-snap-rapid-cell.html

Published: June 12, 2026 10:11

The Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is a marvel of nature, a highly effective killer that doesn't have to move an inch to capture and kill its prey. It releases a fruity nectar scent to attract flies and other insects. After they land in the trap, tiny…

Aliens might exist, but there are three reasons why they're not visiting us

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-aliens-theyre.html

Published: June 12, 2026 10:00

The United States government's recent release of hundreds of previously classified unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs) cases spanning the 1940s to the present, along with the new Steven Spielberg movie, "Disclosure Day," about extraterrestrial life,…

Why chickens come in so many colors, and what one gene reveals about evolution

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-chickens-gene-reveals-evolution.html

Published: June 12, 2026 10:00

From snow white and jet black to golden brown, domestic chickens display a wider range of plumage colors than almost any other livestock species. A new international study, with researchers from Leipzig University playing a key role, explains why: A single…

DNA tracking links raccoons to riverborne bacteria with possible human spillover

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-dna-tracking-links-raccoons-riverborne.html

Published: June 12, 2026 09:40

The emerging infectious bacterium Escherichia albertii has caused outbreaks of severe food poisoning and hospitalized people through contaminated water and foods, such as salad ingredients. Now, a new study from Osaka Metropolitan University (OMU) has…

What Amazonian photographs reveal when we look again, and together

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-amazonian-reveal.html

Published: June 12, 2026 09:40

A new paper by Junia Mortimer, Urban Studies Foundation fellow, explores what happens when photographic archives are revisited through different conceptual frameworks, and with different people in the room. The archive in question belongs to Roberto…

Swapping steak for salmon could boost health and reduce emissions

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-swapping-steak-salmon-boost-health.html

Published: June 12, 2026 09:20

Swapping a beef steak for salmon once a week could save the amount of carbon needed to fly from London Heathrow to Morocco, according to new research by the universities of Bristol and Southampton. The study, published in Environmental Research: Food…

Slime molds make decisions using internal fluid flows

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-slime-molds-decisions-internal-fluid.html

Published: June 12, 2026 09:20

Despite lacking brains or nervous systems, slime molds are capable of making surprisingly sophisticated decisions: navigating mazes, finding food and even remembering where they found it last time. How they manage to do all this without any neural…

Can ancient bacteria help solve one of agriculture's biggest challenges?

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ancient-bacteria-agriculture-biggest.html

Published: June 12, 2026 09:00

During the Archean Eon—roughly 4 billion years ago—the Earth was a lifeless planet. The atmosphere lacked oxygen, and there were few, if any, organisms to be found anywhere on the globe. Then something incredible happened. Microscopic bacteria appeared in…

Ancient DNA study of post-Roman Europeans reveals emergence of complex new society

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ancient-dna-roman-europeans-reveals.html

Published: June 12, 2026 09:00

A new study from the HistoGenes project, of which Patrick Geary, professor emeritus in the School of Historical Studies, is co-PI, is helping scholars frame a better picture of the early medieval people who inhabited Western Europe after the fall of the…

Antarctic surface melt could jump tenfold this century as warming spreads south

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-antarctic-surface-tenfold-century-south.html

Published: June 12, 2026 08:40

New research shows surface melting across Antarctica is set to intensify and spread dramatically over the 21st century, with melt increasing 10-fold and the affected area growing by more than 10% by 2100 if global temperatures continue to rise.

Can the cataclysmic explosions of dying stars help unlock grand mysteries of the universe?

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-cataclysmic-explosions-dying-stars-grand.html

Published: June 12, 2026 08:20

Once charted as a 'guest star' in ancient China, dreaded as a harbinger of ill omens in medieval Europe, and preserved in the narratives and artworks of Indigenous cultures, these cosmic spectacles are now known as core-collapse supernovae.

'Puffy' super-Neptune emerges 383 light-years away with a density of just 0.4 g/cm³

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-puffy-super-neptune-emerges-years.html

Published: June 12, 2026 08:00

Using the Subaru Telescope, astronomers have conducted follow-up observations of a recently discovered exoplanet known as TOI-1883 b. Results of the new observations, published June 5 on the arXiv preprint server, indicate that TOI-1883 b is a low-density…

Tracking the Antarctic ice most at risk of breakup and melting

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-tracking-antarctic-ice-breakup.html

Published: June 12, 2026 08:00

Antarctic sea ice plays a critical role in regulating Earth's climate. It reflects sunlight back into space, insulates the ocean from the atmosphere, and supports unique polar ecosystems.

Study offers guidance to schools looking to create outdoor education programs

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-guidance-schools-outdoor.html

Published: June 12, 2026 07:40

Just outside the doors of Stearns Junior-Senior High School in Millinocket, Maine, students and staff have access to world-class outdoor recreation opportunities: paddling, mountain biking, skiing and, of course, hiking in nearby Baxter State Park.

Growing energy efficiency divide making renters sweat

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-energy-efficiency-renters.html

Published: June 12, 2026 07:20

Households are motivated to reduce their energy consumption and help mitigate climate change, but unaffordable technologies and rental restrictions are preventing them from doing so, according to a recent Charles Darwin University (CDU) study. "The…

Reeling in labor abuse: Building tools to improve accountability in the fishing industry

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-reeling-labor-abuse-tools-accountability.html

Published: June 12, 2026 07:00

In 2020, the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation approached Stanford's Center for Ocean Solutions (COS) to help identify priorities for action on social sustainability issues in seafood supply chains. After years of collaboration with a range…

Engineering quantum Hall stripes in 2D materials inside electromagnetic cavities

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-quantum-hall-stripes-2d-materials.html

Published: June 12, 2026 07:00

Quantum materials, materials with properties that are governed by the laws of quantum mechanics, have proved to be highly promising for the development of ultra-efficient electronic devices, quantum processors, highly precise sensors and various other…

Brains update sensory predictions through single timing hub, electric fish study finds

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-brains-sensory-hub-electric-fish.html

Published: June 12, 2026 06:20

In the split second after you hear a noise, your brain is already making a potentially life-or-death deduction: Did I do that, or did something else? Our nervous systems answer this question using something called corollary discharge, a copy of a motor…

One photon, two reactions—new catalyst converts CO₂ and biowaste simultaneously

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-photon-reactions-catalyst-biowaste-simultaneously.html

Published: June 12, 2026 05:00

Researchers have developed a solar-driven catalyst material that harnesses the energy of a single photon to reduce carbon dioxide and oxidize organic waste at the same time, producing valuable chemicals in both reactions.

Combining the general and the specific for urban science and policy

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-combining-general-specific-urban-science.html

Published: June 12, 2026 05:00

As the world's population becomes more and more urban, cities are emerging as key components of the Anthropocene—both as major contributors to climate change and as potential trendsetters for innovation and action. But in order to understand the role of…

Antarctic Peninsula sees record high June temperatures

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-antarctic-peninsula-high-june-temperatures.html

Published: June 12, 2026 04:20

Temperatures in the Antarctic Peninsula have reached a record-breaking high of 15.4C for June, and ice is melting at abnormal rates during the current winter, climate scientists told AFP on Thursday.

SpaceX IPO set for liftoff in record market debut

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-spacex-ipo-liftoff-debut.html

Published: June 12, 2026 04:10

Elon Musk's SpaceX was set to begin trading on the Nasdaq exchange Friday, with the biggest initial public offering in history expected to make the polarizing entrepreneur the world's first trillionaire.

Science fiction? Musk's lofty SpaceX goals unrealistic, skeptics say

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-science-fiction-musk-lofty-spacex.html

Published: June 12, 2026 03:58

Elon Musk's SpaceX has made awe-inspiring achievements since its founding more than two decades ago and has big ideas—colonies on Mars, orbital AI data centers, rapidly reusable rockets—for the future.

Building robust materials from start may ease critical mineral risks, perspective argues

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-robust-materials-ease-critical-mineral.html

Published: June 11, 2026 23:00

Researchers at the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) outline in a perspective paper how high-performance materials for batteries, hydrogen technologies, wind turbines, energy conversion, chemical processes and modern electronics…

The skills people still perform better than AI, according to workplace experts

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-skills-people-ai-workplace-experts.html

Published: June 11, 2026 22:20

Many workers fear machines will supplant them as adoption of artificial intelligence accelerates.

Extending cryo-electron microscopy beyond water

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-cryo-electron-microscopy.html

Published: June 11, 2026 21:40

From paints and inks to catalysts and drug-delivery materials, many advanced technologies rely on substances dispersed in organic solvents. Yet directly observing these materials in their native liquid environments has remained a major challenge, limiting…

Persistence, focus on tech makes U.S. 'serial acquirers' different

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-persistence-focus-tech-serial.html

Published: June 11, 2026 21:20

In the U.S., unlike elsewhere in the world, the vast majority of mergers and acquisitions are conducted by "serial acquirers"—large, publicly traded firms that regularly acquire smaller companies. Around four in five M&A deals are made by these major…

Climate change to alter sea-land breeze and increase ozone pollution in Barcelona

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-climate-sea-breeze-ozone-pollution.html

Published: June 11, 2026 21:00

Climate change will profoundly alter the dynamics of sea and land breezes in the Barcelona metropolitan area, trapping larger amounts of air pollutants over coastal areas and increasing health risks for millions of people. This is the conclusion of a study…

Plants reveal hidden PFAS pollution that soils can miss, study finds

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-reveal-hidden-pfas-pollution-soils.html

Published: June 11, 2026 20:40

A new study has found that plants may reveal recent PFAS contamination linked to airborne deposition that can go undetected in soil analyses. Conducted in agricultural fields near the conflict zone in southern Israel, the research showed that potato leaves…

New global tracker maps urban growth in hazard zones every six months

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-global-tracker-urban-growth-hazard.html

Published: June 11, 2026 20:20

The World Settlement Footprint (WSF) Tracker and its dedicated online platform have been officially released at an event at the World Bank headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Why restoring rivers isn't enough: New research shows fish are evolving in response to human-made rivers

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-rivers-isnt-fish-evolving-response.html

Published: June 11, 2026 20:00

This new international study is calling for a major rethink of how rivers are managed, arguing that fish are not just passive victims of environmental change but active participants in a feedback loop that can reshape entire river systems.

A look at the SpaceX IPO by the numbers

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-spacex-ipo.html

Published: June 11, 2026 19:40

Elon Musk is all about big numbers—millions, billions, even trillions—and there are plenty of them associated with SpaceX and Musk's plans to take the rocket maker public.

Cosmic dawn fuel discovery unlocks early galaxy growth secrets

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-cosmic-dawn-fuel-discovery-early.html

Published: June 11, 2026 19:40

Astronomers have discovered a huge reservoir of cold molecular gas, the direct fuel for star formation, in REBELS-25, a massive, star-forming galaxy. The team, led from Leiden University, focused on REBELS-25, seen when the universe was only about 700…

CO₂ injection reveals hidden cement chemistry behind 13% stronger early strength

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-reveals-hidden-cement-chemistry-stronger.html

Published: June 11, 2026 19:20

One September day, it started to snow inside MIT's Pierce Laboratory. Researchers depressurized a tank of liquid carbon dioxide (CO2), instantly freezing it and releasing solid flakes. These were blended into cement paste and pressed into disks roughly the…

New cavity control strategy improves performance of blue vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-cavity-strategy-blue-vertical-surface.html

Published: June 11, 2026 19:20

GaN-based vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) are promising for displays, sensing and optical communication, but improving efficiency remains challenging. Researchers have now shown that "cavity tuning," which controls resonance wavelength,…

Third-grade impulses linked to lower academic achievement and education into adulthood

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-grade-impulses-linked-academic-adulthood.html

Published: June 11, 2026 19:00

Can your behavior in third grade predict outcomes in high school and beyond? A new study, published in Developmental Psychology, says yes.

Ancient DNA from Tuscan wells reveals origins of modern wine

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ancient-dna-tuscan-wells-reveals.html

Published: June 11, 2026 19:00

Scientists analyzing 2,000-year-old grape seeds from ancient wells in Tuscany have mapped the most extensive genetic history of ancient grapevines recovered from a single site.

Quantum friction causes light to slow down nanoworld movements

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-quantum-friction-nanoworld-movements.html

Published: June 11, 2026 18:50

A research team in Bochum, Germany has unexpectedly found that light can slow down movements in the nanoworld. This is due to quantum friction, a phenomenon that has been poorly understood until now. The findings are published in the journal Nature.

AI study reveals stark inequalities in global climate plans

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ai-reveals-stark-inequalities-global.html

Published: June 11, 2026 18:40

An international team including researchers from the University of Alicante (UA) and the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) has used artificial intelligence to analyze the climate commitments submitted to the United Nations by 158 countries. Their…

Why cells started sticking together could help explain how animals first evolved

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-cells-animals-evolved.html

Published: June 11, 2026 18:40

A recent study by Ruibao Li and Jennah Dharamshi published in Nature may help us understand the beginnings of animal evolution billions of years ago. These findings are the result of a collaboration among researchers at Indiana University Bloomington, the…

A new kind of entanglement helps quantum sensors tune out noise

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-kind-entanglement-quantum-sensors-tune.html

Published: June 11, 2026 18:30

In a quest to build the most accurate quantum sensors in the world, scientists are constantly improving their performance, making them more precise, more stable and more reliable. But eventually, physical constraints will prevent further improvements.

Integrating sustainable practices into undergraduate science education

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-sustainable-undergraduate-science.html

Published: June 11, 2026 18:20

Faculty and students at Georgia State University are working to integrate sustainable practices into undergraduate science education, and a new study highlights ways to advance laboratory practices and teaching strategies.

AI fast-forwards molecular simulations by 10,000-fold

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ai-fast-forwards-molecular-simulations.html

Published: June 11, 2026 18:20

A new AI model has become so good at predicting how molecules evolve over time that, in the future, it could speed up the costly and time-consuming process of testing new drugs. In the long term, this technology could facilitate the development of…

Light echoes reveal possible dark matter buildup around supermassive black holes

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-echoes-reveal-dark-buildup-supermassive.html

Published: June 11, 2026 18:10

We may not know what dark matter is, but we keep getting whiffs of it. "We are reaching a point where the observational evidence for dark matter is simply undeniable," said Mayank Sharma, a Virginia Tech graduate student in physics.

Parents' heat warning songs may prime zebra finch chicks for heat before they hatch

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-parents-songs-prime-zebra-finch.html

Published: June 11, 2026 18:00

Sealed within an eggshell, how can chicks prepare for the world into which they are about to hatch, with no obvious direct communication channel across the shell? Adult zebra finches produce distinctive high-pitched warning songs—known as "heat calls"—when…

Heat claimed more than 200,000 lives in Europe since 2022: WHO

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-europe.html

Published: June 11, 2026 18:00

More than 200,000 lives have been lost to the "silent killer" of heat in Europe since 2022, the World Health Organization said Thursday, after a heat wave saw some countries record their highest-ever May temperatures.

When seeds mislead, weeds succeed: Researchers uncover surprising ways weeds spread

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-seeds-weeds-succeed-uncover-ways.html

Published: June 11, 2026 17:40

Biologists have long thought that seed traits, such as the presence of wings, are the key to predicting in what way, and how far, weeds can disperse. Now, a trio of researchers has revealed that unexpected modes of seed dispersal are more important than…

Newly synthesized fullerene material remains metallic even under low temperatures

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-newly-fullerene-material-metallic-temperatures.html

Published: June 11, 2026 17:40

An international team whose research was coordinated by Osaka Metropolitan University (OMU) has reported the survival of metallic behavior in the strongly correlated molecular material ytterbium cesium fulleride (Yb₂CsC₆₀). The electrons in the newly…

Capable CEOs communicate climate risks more consistently

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-capable-ceos-communicate-climate.html

Published: June 11, 2026 17:20

Climate disclosures help investors and the public understand how companies view risks such as extreme weather, carbon regulation and the transition to cleaner energy. "Because these risks are uncertain and forward-looking, company leaders have considerable…

Even weak ocean models can provide valuable information for environmental forecasts, study shows

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-weak-ocean-valuable-environmental.html

Published: June 11, 2026 17:20

Oxygen depletion in the western Baltic Sea is not uncommon. Oxygen-poor conditions regularly occur in deeper waters, placing stress on marine ecosystems and, in extreme cases, causing fish kills. As ocean temperatures continue to rise due to climate…

'Selection shadow' may explain why longer lives bring more age-related disease

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-shadow-longer-age-disease.html

Published: June 11, 2026 17:00

A review article now published in Nature Reviews Genetics brings together evolutionary theory, comparative genomics and large-scale human genetics to explain why we age and why aging rates differ among individuals and species. The two authors—from the…