A team of physicists from the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, together with collaborators, has identified the dominant physical mechanism responsible for energy release in the nuclear isomer molybdenum-93m (Mo-93m). Using high-precision experiments, the researchers showed that inelastic nuclear scattering—rather than the long-hypothesized nuclear excitation by electron capture (NEEC)—is the primary driver of isomer depletion under their experimental conditions.

Here's a statistical challenge worthy of a grandmaster: How do you create an accurate ranking system when the best players usually don't win? This is the conundrum of elite chess. The stronger the players, the greater the odds of the match ending in a draw.

A new study reveals that Egyptians were using a mechanically sophisticated drilling tool far earlier than previously suggested. Researchers at Newcastle University, and the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna, have re-examined a small copper-alloy object excavated a century ago from a cemetery at Badari in Upper Egypt, and concluded it is the earliest identified rotary metal drill from ancient Egypt, dating to the Predynastic period (late 4th millennium BCE), before the first pharaohs ruled. The study is published in Egypt and the Levant.

Just after 9 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, final beams of oxygen ions—oxygen atoms stripped of their electrons—circulated through the twin 2.4-mile-circumference rings of the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) and crashed into one another at nearly the speed of light inside the collider's two house-sized particle detectors, STAR and sPHENIX. RHIC, a nuclear physics research facility at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory has been smashing atoms since the summer of 2000. The final collisions cap a quarter century of remarkable experiments using 10 different atomic species colliding over a wide range of energies in different configurations.

A major study by an international team of researchers using data from the NASA/ESA/ASI Cassini spacecraft has revealed a lattice-like structure of crisscrossing reflected waves that flow downstream behind the moon in Saturn's equatorial plane, but also reach up to very high northern and southern latitudes. The analysis of data from four instruments aboard Cassini, collected over the mission's 13-year duration, demonstrates the crucial role that Enceladus plays in circulating energy and momentum around Saturn's space environment.

For life to develop on a planet, certain chemical elements are needed in sufficient quantities. Phosphorus and nitrogen are essential. Phosphorus is vital for the formation of DNA and RNA, which store and transmit genetic information, and for the energy balance of cells. Nitrogen is an essential component of proteins, which are needed for the formation, structure, and function of cells. Without these two elements, no life can develop out of lifeless matter.

Stainless steel is widely known for its impressive corrosion resistance, but it is not invincible. When exposed to environments containing chloride ions, such as seawater, the risk of corrosion increases. To achieve the sleek, clean appearance the material is famous for, manufacturers typically grind the surface to smooth it. However, this finishing process reduces corrosion resistance, and the underlying mechanism has remained poorly understood.

Physical forces from gravity, muscle contraction, and more have strong impacts on how the cells in our bodies behave. For instance, weight-bearing exercise helps stave off osteoporosis because cells in our bones sense that force and build more bone to support it. Cells of our arteries sense the force from high blood pressure, which triggers biological responses to bring blood pressure down.

As artificial intelligence advances, computers demand faster and more efficient memory. The key to ultra-high-speed, low-power semiconductors lies in the "switching" principle—the mechanism by which memory materials turn electricity on and off. A South Korean research team has successfully captured the elusive moment of switching and its internal operational principles by momentarily melting and freezing materials within nano-devices—phenomena that were previously difficult to observe. The study provides a foundational blueprint for designing next-generation memory materials that are faster and consume less power based on fundamental principles.

The irregular, swirling motion of fluids we call turbulence can be found everywhere, from stirring in a teacup to currents in the planetary atmosphere. This phenomenon is governed by the Navier-Stokes equations—a set of mathematical equations that describe how fluids move.