Articles 

The Physics Times, Sayi Preeyaali Bodi; Updated September 21, 2026; Chinese and US scientist recently collaborated using China’s FAST telescope and the US Ver Large Array to study gas displacement within the Andromeda Galaxy. They noticed118 superbubbles that are large structures created during a supernova explosion causes gas and dust to fly outward. Researchers realized that energy injected within these superbubbles is similar to the energy that is lost during a turbulence caused by repeated supernova explosions. These superbubbles are hypothesized to be the result of thousands of supernova explosions over the past 40 million years. These findings can be helpful in figuring out the origins of turbulence within galaxies and the evolution of galaxies. 

Source: Global Times Publication Date: September 20, 2026;
Reference Link: https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202609/1370983.shtml 

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The Physics Times, Ditika Singh; Updated September 21, 2026; When the young solar system began assembling its earliest planets and planetesimals, it overwhelmingly favored heat-forged rock over icy dust—even in the freezing outer reaches. A Yale-led geochemical study reveals that within the solar system’s first million years, aerodynamic sorting was already driving the build-out of solid bodies using 83% to 92% chondrules (millimeter-sized bits of heat-processed rock) and squeezing out the cold, ice- and organic-rich matrix dust. By analyzing chemical tracers like sulfur and iron oxidation in melted iron meteorites, researchers proved that the earliest protoplanets were built almost entirely from "fire" rather than "ice." This heavy preference for chondrules early on means the earliest building blocks were remarkably dry and rock-dominated, providing crucial geochemical proof that the solar system's assembly line was fiercely selective from the very beginning. 

Source: Phys.org (September 18, 2026);
Reference Link: https://phys.org/news/2026-09-solar-chose-icebodies.html#google_vignette 

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The Physics Times, Sayi Preeyaali Bodi; Updated September 14, 2026; Astronomers in NASA recently used the Chandra XRay Observatory to discover new objects within space called hypersoft X-ray sources. The observatory collected and analyzed data from six different galaxies, and they observed a total of 84 hypersoft X-ray sources. These objects produce large amounts of ultraviolent radiation, but low energy X-rays. The astronomers theorize that these hypersoft X-ray sources could possibly be binary star systems. These binary star systems contain either a black hole, neuron star, or white star that pull energy and materials from another star. This process of pulling materials produces lowenergy X-rays and more ultraviolet radiation. This discovery can be important in figuring out the expansion of the universe through figuring out how Type la supernovae forms. This can also help scientists figure out how plasmic gas forms between stars within a galaxy through possibly figuring out whether this process contributes to the creation of plasmic gas.

Source: NASA Publication Date: September 9, 2026;
Reference Link: https://science.nasa.gov/missions/chandra/nasaschandra-unveils-mysterious-x-ray-objects/   

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The Physics Times, Ditika Singh; Updated September 14, 2026; It turns out that stellar-mass black holes in binary systems aren't always solitary monsters dragging their companion stars into a violent, fiery end. New observations reveal that a surprisingly high number of stars throughout our galaxy have managed to form stable, long-term partnerships with black hole companions—and they're defying previous models of how stellar binaries survive. When a massive star collapses into a black hole, the resulting supernova explosion was thought to unleash enough asymmetric force to completely shatter the gravitational link between the newly formed black hole and its neighbouring star. However, astrophysicists observing these systems found that many companion stars manage to hold on, orbiting their black hole partners safely from a distance without getting stripped of their atmospheres. This discovery changed cosmic evolutionary models: rather than rare anomalies, stellar-mass black hole companions are far more common across the Milky Way than we predicted, showing that binary systems are far more resilient to stellar deaths than we ever gave them credit for. 

Source: Phys.org (September 12, 2026);
Reference Link: https://phys.org/news/2026-09-stars-galaxy-black-holecompanions.html 

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The Physics Times, Ditika Singh; Updated September 14, 2026; Astronomers have believed that they found a rare "dark galaxy" ( a cloud of gas and dark matter that does not contain any stars) in the J0613+52. But new ultrasensitive deep-imaging measurements have destroyed this illusion because they have discovered an extended, faint population of low-density stars hidden in it. So instead of an exotic starless galaxy, J0613+52 is an ultra-diffuse galaxy that spreads its few stars over a huge area. This discovery has revealed the ghostly galaxy that manages to mask its dim stars with low surface brightness, but it is still unclear if such dark galaxies exist.

Source: Phys.org (September 10, 2026);
Reference Link: https://phys.org/news/2026-09-galaxy-stars-cloudcase.html 

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The Physics Times, Ditika Singh; Updated September 14, 2026; Astronomers looking for growing supermassive black holes in dwarf galaxies just found something fascinating, thanks to the JWST. For a long time, scientists used mid-infrared colour signatures (especially from space telescopes like WISE) to spot active galactic nuclei, or supermassive black holes sucking surrounding matter. However, new observations revealed that some small, low-mass galaxies contain hyper-compact "nuclear starbursts", which are dense, central clusters packed with rapidly forming young stars. The intense heat and surrounding dust rings in these compact star factories mimic the exact infrared signals of a hungry black hole, completely fooling standard astronomical tests. By exposing these impostors, JWST is showing that active black holes in small galaxies might be far rarer than we thought, forcing researchers to rewrite the rules on how early cosmic monsters actually form and grow. 

Source: Phys.org (September 8, 2026);
Reference Link: https://phys.org/news/2026-09-jwst-extreme-stargalaxies-masquerading.html 

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The Physics Times, Sayi Preeyaali Bodi; Updated September 07, 2026; As the current orbiters around Mars, like the Mars Odessey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, are aging and deteriorating, there is a new need for a better orbiter to surround Mars. Therefore, NASA provided Blue Origin funding to make MTN, which can serve as a communication network between Mars and Earth. The MTN can transport more scientific data between Mars and Earth which can help with navigation for future spacecrafts and communication between future missions. This will make Mars exploration easier as there can be a communication network to transport necessary information. Within the contract with Blue Origin, NASA requires the full product to be provided to them by December 31 of 2028. 

Source: Space.com Publication Date: September 2, 2026;
Reference Link: https://www.space.com/spaceexploration/missions/blue-origin-wins-usd700-million-contract-to-build-nasas-next-mars-orbiter 

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The Physics Times, Ditika Singh; Updated September 07, 2026; For decades, astronomers thought PSR J0823+4246 was a well-behaved neutron star, until it suddenly threw a cosmic tantrum. Pulsars are the ultra-dense, rapidly spinning corpses of dead stars, usually known for keeping time better than atomic clocks. But sometimes, their extreme interior physics causes them to glitch- a sudden, unprompted speed-up in their rotation. When researchers caught PSR J0823+4246 glitching, it shocked the astronaut community because pulsars like these aren't supposed to behave like this. Inside these stellar remnants, a friction-free liquid known as a neutron superfluid rotates independently from the star's solid outer crust. When vortex lines in this superfluid suddenly unstick and transfer their momentum outward, the star's surface gets an abrupt jolt of speed. Catching a normally calm pulsar in the act gives scientists a rare, direct peek into the bizarre quantum physics happening inside neutron star cores—proving that even the quietest corners of the universe can hide some serious turbulence. 

Source: Phys.org (September 6, 2026);
Reference Link: https://phys.org/news/2026-09-quiet-pulsar-suddenlyreveals-glitches.html 

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The Physics Times, Ditika Singh; Updated September 06, 2026; While Earth relies on the steady presence of its Moon, Venus travels through space completely alone—a contrast that has long pushed scientists to figure out why our planetary "twin" lacks a companion. Part of the answer comes down to pure cosmic real estate. Orbiting much closer to the Sun, Venus has a drastically shrunk "Hill sphere"—the region of space where a planet's gravity can successfully overpower its host star's pull. Any object attempting to orbit Venus is constantly at risk of being yanked away by the Sun. Yet, computer models hint that Venus wasn't always this isolated. Early in its history, a massive collision with a protoplanet likely blasted enough rocky debris into space to form a genuine moon. The real plot twist came millions of years later when a second catastrophic impact struck Venus, slamming into it with enough force to flip the planet's rotation completely backward. This reversed spin inverted the gravitational forces between the two bodies. Instead of slowly drifting outward like Earth's Moon, the Venusian moon was dragged into a long gravitational death spiral, eventually crashing back into the planet and leaving Venus entirely alone. 

Source: Phys.org (September 3, 2026);
Reference Link: https://phys.org/news/2026-09-doesnt-venusmoon.html 

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The Physics Times, Ditika Singh; Updated September 06, 2026; Astronomers taking a close look near the chaotic center of our galaxy just stumbled onto a massive interstellar cloud that is somewhat like a floating cosmic chemical factory. They identified more than 120 distinct molecular species packed into this giant dust cloud, making it the second cloud ever found in the Milky Way with this level of chemical insanity. What’s wild is that the mix includes several complex organic molecules linked directly to prebiotic chemistry—the foundational building blocks that eventually kickstart life. Spotting a goldmine of raw chemical ingredients chilling right near the supermassive black hole's doorstep completely reshapes how we think cosmic soup gets brewed across deep space.

Source: Phys.org (September 2, 2026);
Reference Link: https://phys.org/news/2026-08-molecular-species-giantcloud-milky.html 

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The Physics Times, Ditika Singh; Updated September 01, 2026; The James Webb Space Telescope might resolve a two-decade-old problem by studying a rule-breaking gamma-ray burst that defies standard astrophysics. Till now, astronomers believed that short-duration bursts stemmed from merging neutron stars, while longduration bursts came exclusively from massive collapsing stars. Recent observations of this unique explosion revealed an unexpected kilonova signature following a long burst, completely blurring the line between how dead stars collide and how giant stars die. By using its high-res infrared sensors to look through cosmic dust, JWST let astronomers look at the chemical remains of the massive blast. Instead of seeing the usual remains of a dying supernova, the telescope picked up clear signatures of heavy elements, specifically the exact kind produced when two neutron stars spiral around each other and collide. By pin-pointing the host galaxy and mapping out the surrounding space, JWST provided researchers with proof that these collisions between space objects can trigger extremely long gamma-ray bursts, rewiring what we know about how stars die. 

Source: Phys.org (August 31, 2026);
Reference Link: https://phys.org/news/2026-08-jwst-year-mysterygamma-ray.html 

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The Physics Times, Ditika Singh; Updated September 01, 2026; Scientists studied deep interiors of ice giants like Neptune and Uranus to figure out how "diamond rain" forms thousands of miles beneath their atmospheres. Researchers used high-powered lasers to blast materials with intense heat and crushing pressure. They saw that carbon split apart and instantly crystallize into tiny diamonds. It was observed that oxygen plays a massive role in speeding up the whole process, letting these gemstone showers trigger at lower pressures than anyone expected. As these microscopic diamonds sink down toward the planet's core, they generate heat, which helps explain the wild internal energy and bizarre weather patterns lighting up the outer solar system. 

Source: Phys.org (August 29, 2026);
Reference Link: https://phys.org/news/2026-08-scientists-diamondsecret-ice-giants.html#google_vignette 

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The Physics Times, Aya Elhajjami; Updated August 29, 2026; Researchers from SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University have found a new way to reduce short-circuiting in solid-state batteries. Solid-state batteries use a solid ceramic electrolyte instead of the liquid electrolyte found in conventional lithium-ion batteries, which could allow batteries with higher energy density and improved reliability. However, lithium dendrites, which are lithium-filled cracks that can grow through the solid electrolyte, can eventually connect the electrodes and cause a short circuit. The researchers discovered that applying mechanical compression to the solid electrolyte can change the direction in which these dendrites grow. Instead of growing vertically toward the electrodes, the dendrites were redirected horizontally, allowing the battery to continue operating. The team also provided direct evidence that dendrites can originate from defects inside the electrolyte, such as pores and grain-boundary junctions. The compressed batteries continued working for thousands of charge cycles. The findings suggest that mechanical compression could become a useful design strategy for developing longer-lasting and more reliable solid-state batteries. 

Source: SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory August 28, 2026;
Reference Link: https://www6.slac.stanford.edu/news/2026-08-28-giving-solid-state-batteries-squeeze-keeps-them-shortcircuiting 

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The Physics Times, Ditika Singh; Updated August 29, 2026; Astrophysicists looking at the outer edges of the Milky Way have observed that gravity there is acting abnormally. It acts like dark matter is pulling on things, but it does not match what the textbook theories say should happen. By tracking distant stars and small satellite galaxies, researchers picked up strange gravitational tugs dragging across our galaxy’s outer halo. Instead of a smooth, invisible cloud of dark matter surrounding everything like scientists expected, the data shows a mess—a lumpy, warped gravity field. It means our dark matter halo might actually be shifting around, or our basic rules of gravity need a serious rewrite at cosmic scales. These orbital glitches give scientists will help scientists at figuring out what actually holds galaxies together, or if we need to rethink physics entirely. 

Source: Phys.org (August 27, 2026);
Reference Link: https://phys.org/news/2026-08-milky-gravity-mimicdark-clues.html 

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The Physics Times, Aya Elhajjami; Updated August 29, 2026; Researchers have developed a new strategy for improving targeted anticancer drug delivery. The study focuses on drug conjugates, which are medicines chemically connected to molecules that help transport them toward specific targets in the body. A major challenge with these systems is making sure the drug remains attached during delivery but is released efficiently when it reaches the desired target. The researchers introduced a “binding-to-release” approach designed to improve this process. By controlling how the drug conjugate interacts with its target, the method aims to achieve more effective drug release at the intended site. This could help improve the therapeutic performance of anticancer medicines while limiting unnecessary exposure to healthy tissues. The research is relevant to pharmaceutical sciences because it combines medicinal chemistry, drug delivery and molecular targeting. It also demonstrates how chemical design can be used to improve the precision of modern therapies. 

Source: Nature August 27, 2026;
Reference Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10971-0 

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The Physics Times, Aya Elhajjami; Updated August 29, 2026; Researchers at Stanford University have developed a new method to measure energy dissipation in extremely small systems, where it is difficult to directly observe how energy is lost. The team studied tiny nanocrystals called quantum dots, whose behavior can be affected by quantum effects. By using a laser to drive the quantum dots away from thermodynamic equilibrium, the researchers observed changes in their blinking behavior. They then combined experimental measurements with theoretical models and machine learning to calculate entropy production, which is related to energy dissipation and information loss. This approach allowed the researchers to study a complex non-equilibrium process at the nanoscale with high sensitivity. The work could help scientists better understand how energy, information, and memory interact in small systems. In the future, this knowledge could contribute to the development of electronic and computing devices that operate faster, use less energy, and have improved efficiency and stability. 

Source: Stanford February 9, 2026.;
Reference Link: https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2026/02/energydissipation-measurement-technique-nanosystems 

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The Physics Times, Ditika Singh; Updated August 29, 2026; Building hardware for quantum tech is a nightmare because the tiny single-photon emitters (the components supposed to launch light particles) are insanely finicky. Until now, getting them to show up where you actually need them on a chip was essentially a game of luck. Physicists finally fixed this by ditching the old random method entirely. Using precision laser pulses, they can now force these quantum light sources to form in exact, targeted spots on a material with ridiculous accuracy. That control changes everything for actual manufacturing. When you can reliably drop single-photon emitters onto a chip right where you want them, quantum computing, uncrackable encryption, and next-gen optical networks stop being hypothetical lab experiments and start becoming actual, scalable hardware. 

Source: Phys.org (August 25, 2026);
Reference Link: https://phys.org/news/2026-08-bright-ideas-quantumemitters.html 

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The Physics Times, Sayi Preeyaali Bodi; Updated August 29, 2026; Recently, a star (S301) has been identified to be traveling at a speed of approximately 15,500 miles per second, which is greater than 8% of the speed of light. The star is in extremely close proximity to Sagittarius A*, which is a black hole at the center of our Milky Way, and it takes the star around 8.7 years to orbit around the black hole. The astronomers plan on usingchanges to the orbit of S301 to figure out the speed that Sagittarius A* is spinning at. They want to use this information to test Einstein’s theory of general relativity, which basically predicts that the spacetime around a rotating black hole gets dragged in with it, often called frame dragging. Astronomers also hypothesize that S301 was part of a binary star system, and S301 went in close proximity to Sagittarius A* and got captured by the gravitational force of the black hole. However, in accordance with a prediction about hypervelocity stars, the intense gravitational effect of that interaction caused the aggressive ejection of the other star. 

Source: Space.com Publication Date: August 19, 2026;
Reference Link: https://www.space.com/astronomy/stars/scientists-justfound-the-fastest-known-star-in-the-milky-way-it-zoomsaround-our-black-hole-at-15-500-miles-per-second 

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The Physics Times, Aya Elhajjami; Updated August 29, 2026; NASA Earth Observatory has analyzed a series of intense heat waves that affected Europe during the summer of 2026. Using NASA’s Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) global model, researchers mapped daily maximum surface air temperatures across Western Europe from May 1 through August 19. The model showed extensive areas where temperatures reached or exceeded 40°C (104°F). The analysis highlights how atmospheric conditions can produce persistent and extreme heat across large regions. NASA’s observations and modeling tools help scientists monitor temperature patterns and understand changes in Earth’s atmosphere. The 2026 European heat waves have also affected ecosystems, agriculture, and human communities. By combining satellite observations with advanced atmospheric models, NASA can provide detailed information about extreme temperatures and their geographic distribution. Such data are important for studying the physical processes behind heat waves and improving understanding of extreme weather events. 

Source: NASA Earth Observatory August 21, 2026;
Reference Link: https://science.nasa.gov/earth/europes-scorchingsummer/ 

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The Physics Times, Sayi Preeyaali Bodi; Updated August 29, 2026; Time travel seems fictitious to many individuals, but in Astrophysics, the idea of time travel is embedded within the nature of space. Light years are often used as a measure and it is the distance light travels in one year. Since light takes time to travel, when scientists look at a galaxy millions of light years away, they are seeing how the galaxy looked millions of years ago, which means they are effectively looking into the past. In a study, researchers used the JWST to examine an ancient galaxy created only 280 million years after the universe was created in the Big Bang. This was a shocking discovery because the galaxy was the opposite of what scientists believed the early galaxies would look like. They noticed that the galaxy was way more developed and brighter than they anticipated, giving scientists a new depiction of the development of the early universe. They were only able to examine an early galaxy because of the amount of time it takes for light to travel or basically utilizing time travel. They also noticed another thing about this galaxy, which was that it was made up of a high amount of nitrogen, which accumulates over many generations. However, this galaxy was still in its infancy and scientists believed that it would have needed a longer time to accumulate that nitrogen. A proposed idea is that early stars were extremely massive, so they created more and more elements, increasing the accumulation of nitrogen. 

Source: NASA (Publication Date: January 28, 2026);
Reference Link: https://science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/nasa-webbpushes-boundaries-of-observable-universe-closer-tobig-bang/  https://science.nasa.gov/asset/webb/cosmos-fieldmom-z14-galaxy-nircam-image/ 

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The Physics Times, Ditika Singh; Updated August 24, 2026; High-energy collisions of ions at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider are giving physicists direct insight into the geometry of atomic nuclei. When oxygen and neon ions smash together at near light-speed, they create a tiny droplet of superheated quark-gluon plasma(the state of matter that filled the early universe microseconds after the Big Bang). By tracking the angles and direction of the subatomic particles moving outward after collisions, researchers measured specific flow patterns that correspond directly to each element's physical shape. While heavy lead nuclei are almost perfectly spherical, lighter ions show distinct spatial variations. Neon ions are elongated and create strong directional flow patterns, whereas oxygen displays a much more symmetric distribution. Analyzing these flow signatures proves that even tiny, short-lived droplets of quantum plasma follow predictable fluid dynamics, bridging the gap between low-energy nuclear structure and highenergy particle physics. 

Source: Phys.org (August 21, 2026);
Reference Link: https://phys.org/news/2026-08-lhc-collisions-revealoxygen-neon.html  

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The Physics Times, Ditika Singh; Updated August 24, 2026; For decades, physicists have treated quantum gravity and dark energy like two completely separate problems. Quantum gravity tries to merge quantum mechanics with general relativity, while dark energy is the reason for the universe's accelerating expansion. But new theoretical work suggests these two cosmological puzzles are deeply intertwined. Instead of treating dark energy as a random cosmological constant, researchers say that its behaviour maybe emerges from quantum fluctuations in space-time geometry. If quantum gravity governs space at the smallest Planck scale(a small boundary in physics where gravity and quantum rules mix), then dark energy could be the large-scale observational manifestation of those extremely small quantum interactions happening across the entire cosmos. 

Source: Phys.org (August 20, 2026);
Reference Link: https://phys.org/news/2026-08-dark-energy-quantumgravity-deeply.html 

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The Physics Times, Ditika Singh; Updated August 24, 2026; Astronomers using the ALMA telescope detected a rich collection of sulfur monoxide and sulfur dioxide molecules around HD 87643, a rare and extreme class of massive dying supergiant star (B[e] supergiant). Before this, only carbon monoxide molecules have ever been detected around this star. This is the first ever detection of sulfur chemistry around any B[e] supergiant, expanding the observed inventory from 1 molecule to 10. The team realized that the star’s intense UV light breaks down sulfur dioxide molecules, but the lighter isotope shields itself, while the heavier isotope gets destroyed and converted into sulfur monoxide. This process (mass-independent fractionation) was previously seen only in ancient Earth rocks and meteorites. It reveals a short-lived chemical phase around dying massive stars, helping scientists explore how building blocks of planets evolve in space. 

Source: Phys.org (August 20, 2026);
Reference Link: https://phys.org/news/2026-08-alma-uncovers-sulfurrare-class.html 

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The Physics Times, Ditika Singh; Updated August 20, 2026; Researchers from Caltech, Universite Paris-Saclay and TU Munich used quantum simulators to make the first direct measurements of energy levels prevented by Ising CFT and tricritical Ising CFT (mathematical frameworks). When materials reach a critical tipping point, their differences vanish and they start following similar mathematical rules. This is known as universality. Unlike everyday transitions- like water evaporating- these phase changes occur near absolute 0, and are driven by quantum effects instead of temperature. The team trapped strontium atoms in a line using laser ‘optical tweezers’, which caused the atoms to interact and behave as one unified system. They used a technique called many-body modulation spectroscopy. In this technique, they gently shook the atom chain with lasers at different frequencies to figure out the system’s ‘energy ladder’ based on where the atoms echoed. The results matched the exact ratios predicted by theory over forty years ago. The team is planning to scale up to 2D grids of atoms to explore systems that are too complicated for classical computers to calculate.

Source: Caltech (August 19, 2026);
Reference Link: https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/universal-patternrevealed-in-quantum-matter 

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The Physics Times, Aya Elhajjami; Updated August 20, 2026; Researchers Ernest Tarrus and Hector Gisbert have developed a mathematical method for building surrogate models that remain physically consistent when the units of measurement are changed. The study combines dimensional analysis, the Buckingham Pi theorem, harmonic expansions, and regularized linear regression. The method first identifies dimensionless combinations of physical variables and then uses mathematical functions to approximate the remaining relationships between them. The researchers tested their approach on several physical problems, including a simple pendulum, Planck’s black-body radiation law, a double-pendulum Lyapunov field, and experimental black-body radiation data. Their results showed that including dimensional constraints can improve the stability of models, make them more resistant to noise, and reduce the amount of data required to obtain useful predictions. The researchers also found that the choice of mathematical basis functions becomes important when dealing with more complicated systems. The resulting models are explicit and computationally inexpensive, making this approach potentially useful for modelling structured physical systems. 

Source: Nature 3 August 2026;
Reference Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-63672-z 

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The Physics Times, Sayi Preeyaali Bodi; Updated August 20, 2026; Humankind has consistently argued about the potentiality of the existence of extraterrestrial life, prompting astronomers to be on the lookout to identifysuch signs of life. Thus, one could imagine the shock astronomers felt when they finally identified a planet outside our own solar system within a habitable zone, like our Earth, displaying signs of an atmosphere. The discovery of a planet within a habitable zone wasn’t the shocking part is astronomers discovered a multitude of such planets. The shocking part was that they could finally identify an atmosphere on this specific planet through the usage of WINERED where they utilizedanother planet and identified that it lacked an atmosphere. On the other hand, the exoplanet (LHS 1140 b) they suspected had an atmosphere had heliumleaking from the exoplanet’s atmosphere into space. This discovery is revolutionary because it gives astronomers a model of what to be on the lookout for when identifying atmospheres in planets, such as leaking gases. 

Source: Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian Publication Date: July 16, 2026;
Reference Link: https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/news/first-atmospheredetected-habitable-zone-rocky-world 

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The Physics Times, Ditika Singh; Updated August 20, 2026; Physicists at Monash University have speculated a new type of quantum matter that is challenging decades of prior knowledge about how ultracold particles behave. They discovered that under the right conditions, mixtures of bosons and fermions (tiny quantum particles) can form stable, self-bound ‘quantum droplets. Until now, scientists believed that these droplets couldn’t exist in systems containing a mix of both bosons and fermions. These two very different types of particles can balance each other perfectly to create a stable droplet that holds itself together. These findings have solved a 20-year-old theoretical problem. Previous theories could only describe systems when the particles interacted weakly. This new approach allows researchers to explore what happens when those interactions become much stronger, “which is where the most interesting physics emerges,” said Sam Foster, a Monash Ph.D. candidate. Understanding how matter organizes itself in quantum systems under extreme conditions will help in developing new tools for designing and controlling these very systems. Discoveries like these often become the foundation for tomorrow’s quantum technologies 

Source: Physical Review Letters, Phys.org (14th August, 2026);
Reference Link: https://phys.org/news/2026-08-physicists-quantum.html 

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The Physics Times, Aya Elhajjami; Updated August 20, 2026; Researchers have developed a new method that could make electric vehicle batteries charge faster while also helping protect the battery from damage. The study, published in the Journal of Energy Storage, introduces a predictivereinforcement control system that combines deep reinforcement learning with model predictive control. The system adjusts the charging process depending on the battery’s condition instead of using the same charging pattern throughout. The researchers focused on three main goals: reducing charging time, keeping the battery cells balanced, and limiting battery aging. Their results showed that the proposed method reduced charging time by 30.73% compared with a multi-stage charging method. It also reduced the difference in state of charge between battery cells by 93.27%. The system also improved temperature control and reduced capacity loss during charging. This research could be useful for electric cars because faster and safer charging is one of the important challenges for wider EV adoption. 

Source: Science Direct ;
Reference Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352152X26000599 

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The Physics Times, Sayi Preeyaali Bodi; Updated August 17, 2026; Initially, astronomers were trying to find galaxies that existed in the early universe through exploring deep space, which was part of a survey called MoM or Mirage of Miracle. During these observations, they noticed bright red spots that could be often mistaken for stars, but there were a few pieces of evidence suggesting that these bright red spots were actually black holes surrounded by hydrogen and helium gases that made the object seem star-like. First of all, they noted that, like other stars, the red dot they were looking at had a Balmer break, but the break for the red dot was way deeper than they noticed other stars had. They also noticed that the red dot’s light was made up of only hydrogen and helium with no identification of any other elements. Lastly, the astronomers claimed that the energy emitted by this red dot was 100 billion times more than the energy produced by nuclear fusion in regular stars. Nuclear fusion cannot explain the surplus of energy production suggesting there could possibly exist a black-hole within this red-dot. This brings in the idea of the hydrogen and helium gas is a star-like structure that surrounds a black-hole, which beckoned them to name this red dot “MoM-BH*-1”. They hypothesized that this was just a more extreme example of black hole star, as there existed many other red dots that were tinier, suggesting they could be less extreme black hole stars.

Source: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) News Publication Date: August 12, 2026;
Reference Link: https://news.mit.edu/2026/astronomers-discover-brand-new-type-astrophysical-object-black-hole-star-0812 

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The Physics Times, Ditika Singh; Updated August 16, 2026; Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have discovered what appears to be a new cosmic object, which they have termed a ‘black hole star’. According to the research team, the object is a dense cloud of hydrogen gas, which obtains energy by the mass falling into the black hole at the center. This newly identified object, known as MoM-BH*-1, is 100,000 times the mass of our Solar System and produces 100 billion times the energy that any known star can produce. The finding may help explain the mysterious red objects captured in space images by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The team’s understanding of the object is developing quickly, and scientists claim that this discovery could help us understand how the first massive black holes formed shortly after the creation of the universe 

Source: Nature, MIT News (13 August, 2026);
Reference Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10846-4 

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The Physics Times, Aya Elhajjami; Updated August 16, 2026; Scientists used the total solar eclipse on August 12, 2026, as an opportunity to study the Sun’s outer atmosphere, known as the solar corona. The corona is extremely hot and contains plasma that is strongly affected by the Sun’s magnetic field. However, studying it from Earth is difficult because the bright surface of the Sun normally hides it. During a total solar eclipse, the Moon blocks the Sun’s bright disk, allowing the corona to become much easier to observe. For the 2026 eclipse, NASA used a WB-57 research aircraft flying at high altitude to collect observations of the corona. The aircraft carried instruments capable of observing different wavelengths of light, including infrared wavelengths. These measurements can help scientists investigate the structure and behavior of the corona and improve our understanding of solar activity and space weather. The eclipse therefore provided scientists with a rare natural opportunity to observe the Sun’s atmosphere under special conditions that are difficult to reproduce

Source: ACS Nano — NASA Science July 27, 2026;
https://science.nasa.gov/science-research/heliophysics/nasa-science-soars-during-august-total-solar-eclipse/

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The Physics Times, Aya Elhajjami; Updated August 16, 2026; Scientists have found evidence that helium is escaping from the atmosphere of a rocky exoplanet called LHS 1140 b. The planet is located about 49 light-years from Earth and is in the habitable zone of its star. Researchers used near-infrared observations to study the planet's atmosphere when it passed in front of its star. They detected a helium signal in observations made in 2024, but the signal was not detected in 2025. This suggests that the escape of gases from the planet's atmosphere may change over time. The discovery is important because LHS 1140 b is a relatively small, rocky planet, making its atmosphere difficult to study. However, this does not mean that the planet contains life. Scientists still need more observations to understand the atmosphere and determine whether it contains other gases or conditions that could support liquid water.

Source: Science July 16, 2026; https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aea9708

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The Physics Times, Aya Elhajjami; Updated August 16, 2026; Researchers have developed a new microporous ceramic material that can passively cool buildings without requiring electricity. The material uses a process called passive daytime radiative cooling, in which heat from a surface is released as infrared radiation through the atmosphere and eventually into space. The researchers designed the ceramic with a special porous structure that reflects sunlight while efficiently releasing heat. One important feature is that the material is self-adaptive: it provides strong cooling during the day while reducing excessive cooling at night. In experiments, the ceramic produced a maximum temperature reduction of about 19.5°C during the daytime and about 3.3°C at night. The researchers also found that the material remained effective under difficult conditions such as cloud cover and heavy smog. It was lightweight, water-resistant, mechanically strong, and thermally insulating, making it potentially useful for building applications. This technology could help reduce the amount of electricity needed for air conditioning, especially in hot regions, while contributing to more sustainable and energy-efficient buildings.

Source: Chemical Engineering Journal, Volume 525, Article 169790. December 1, 2025; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2025.169790

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The Physics Times, Aya Elhajjami; Updated August 16, 2026; Scientists have developed a new material that could help keep buildings cool without using electricity. The researchers created a special type of silica aerogel designed for passive daytime radiative cooling. This technology works by allowing heat from a surface to be released as infrared radiation toward the cold outer space. Unlike conventional air-conditioning systems, passive radiative cooling does not require electricity to remove heat. The new material combines thermal insulation with radiative cooling properties. Its porous structure helps reduce heat transfer while allowing thermal radiation to escape. This could make the material useful for reducing cooling energy consumption in buildings, especially in regions with hot climates. The development is interesting for chemical engineering and materials science because it shows how the structure and properties of a material can be designed to solve an energy problem. In the future, materials like this could contribute to more energyefficient buildings and help reduce the environmental impact associated with air conditioning. 

Source: ACS Applied Energy Materials , july 2,2026 Reference Link: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsaem.6c01136 

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The Physics Times, Aya Elhajjami; Updated August 16, 2026; Researchers are studying new thermoelectric materials that can convert waste heat into useful electrical energy. A recent study by Karolin Amstein and Aayush Dobhal investigated nickel-based thermoelectric materials and the use of additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, to produce these materials.Thermoelectric materials work by creating an electrical voltage when there is a temperature difference between two sides of the material. This means that heat that would normally be lost from industrial machines, engines, or other systems could potentially be recovered and converted into electricity. The researchers focused on nickel-based materials because they can be useful for high- temperature applications. They also examined how additive manufacturing could help produce thermoelectric components with different shapes and structures.This research could contribute to more efficient energy use because recovering waste heat can reduce energy losses. In the future, improved thermoelectric materials could be used in industrial processes and other systems where large amounts of heat are normally released into the environment.

Source: Advanced Materials Technologies 19 March 2026; DOI 10.1002/admt.202502613

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The Physics Times, Aya Elhajjami; Updated August 8, 2026; Researchers at the University of Florida have developed a new gel-based material that can remove PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals," from contaminated water more effectively than many existing filtration methods. PFAS are synthetic chemicals used in products such as non-stick cookware, waterproof clothing, and firefighting foams. They are called "forever chemicals" because they do not easily break down in the environment and can accumulate in water and living organisms. The new material works like "molecular Velcro," using electrical charges to capture PFAS molecules throughout the gel instead of only on its surface. Unlike many current filters, it does not rely on fluorinated materials, reducing the risk of introducing additional harmful chemicals. Another advantage is that the gel can be cleaned and reused several times, making it more sustainable and cost-effective. This technology could improve drinking water treatment and wastewater purification while helping protect public health and the environment.

Source: University of Florida (UF News) June 29, 2026 ;https://news.ufl.edu/2026/06/new-technique-filters-pfas-forever-chemicals-using/?utm

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The Physics Times, Aya Elhajjami; Updated August 6, 2026; Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a new carbon-negative building material by combining seawater, carbon dioxide (CO₂), and electricity. Instead of releasing large amounts of CO₂ like traditional cement production, this method captures and permanently stores carbon in solid mineral particles. These particles can replace sand or gravel in concrete and may also be used to manufacture cement, plaster, and paint. An additional benefit of the process is that it produces hydrogen gas, which can be used as a clean energy source. This innovation could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the construction industry while creating more sustainable building materials. Although further research is needed before large-scale commercial use, the technology represents a promising step toward cleaner construction and carbon capture.

Source: National Library of Medicine 2024 Dec 13; https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11730074/ 

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The Physics Times, Aya Elhajjami; Updated August 8, 2026; Researchers from Guilin University of Technology developed a new bio-based adhesive inspired by the natural attachment mechanisms of mussels and barnacles. The adhesive forms strong bonds underwater while being made from renewable materials instead of petroleumbased chemicals. It also has self-healing properties, can be remolded, and is recyclable through a closed-loop process, making it more environmentally friendly than many conventional adhesives. The material maintained its adhesive performance under challenging conditions, including seawater, saline, and acidic environments. Because of these properties, the adhesive has potential applications in marine engineering, underwater devices, biomedical materials, and sustainable manufacturing. The study demonstrates how biomimetic design can help create high-performance adhesives that are both durable and environmentally responsible.

Source: American Chemical Society June 10, 2026; https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acssuschemeng.6c02916 

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The Physics Times, Aya Elhajjami; Updated July 31, 2026; Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming an important tool for improving energy efficiency in industries. According to ABB, AI can analyze large amounts of operational data to optimize equipment performance, predict maintenance needs, and improve industrial processes. These improvements help companies reduce energy consumption, lower operating costs, and decrease carbon emissions. The article also explains that AI supports energy management by forecasting electricity demand, integrating renewable energy sources, and helping facilities respond to changing energy prices. ABB highlights several AI-powered platforms, such as ABB Ability™ Expert Optimizer, Genix™ IIoT and AI Suite, and Ability™ Nsight™, which provide real-time monitoring and decision- making for industries. A case study from a wastewater treatment plant in Germany showed that AI-based energy management eliminated the need for grid electricity and reduced carbon dioxide emissions by about 300 tons per year. Overall, the article concludes that AI will play a major role in making industrial energy systems more efficient, sustainable, and resilient as global electricity demand continues to grow.

Source: ABB April 14, 2026; https://www.abb.com/global/en/company/stories/ai-energy-optimization 

The Physics Times, Aya Elhajjami; Updated July 29, 2026; This study focused on developing self-healing solid polymer electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries to improve their safety and performance. The researchers used polyethylene glycol (PEG), methyl cellulose (MC), aromatic disulfide bonds, lithium salt, and three different ionic liquids (TFSI⁻, Br⁻, and Ac⁻) to prepare the electrolytes. Their main goal was to replace the flammable liquid electrolytes used in conventional batteries with a safer solid material while maintaining good ionic conductivity and mechanical strength. Several characterization techniques, including FTIR, XRD, DSC, TGA, SEM, and electrochemical tests, were used to evaluate the properties of the materials. The results showed that the electrolytes were thermally stable up to about 300°C and were able to repair about 75% of a scratch after 12 hours at 60°C, showing good self- healing ability. Among the three samples, the bromide-based electrolyte showed the highest ionic conductivity, while the TFSI-based electrolyte provided the best overall performance because it had a wider electrochemical stability window and better mechanical properties. Overall, the study suggests that TFSI-based self-healing polymer electrolytes could be a promising option for developing safer and more durable solid-state lithium-ion batteries in the future.

Source: ScienceDirect;
https://doi.org/10.1039/d6ma00073h 

The Physics Times, Aya Elhajjami; Updated July 27, 2026; A research team at the University of Connecticut has developed a new type of plastic using cannabidiol (CBD), a compound derived from hemp, instead of petroleum. Led by chemistry professor Greg Sotzing, the project aims to create a more sustainable alternative to traditional plastics while maintaining the strength and durability needed for industrial use. What makes this research interesting is that the new material is not intended for disposable plastic products. Instead, it is designed for applications that require high performance, such as medical devices, electronics, and aerospace components. According to the researchers, the plastic has excellent heat resistance, is mechanically strong, and can withstand repeated sterilization without losing its properties. Another important aspect of the study is the innovative use of CBD. Although CBD is commonly associated with the cannabis industry, the researchers use it only as a renewable chemical building block to produce a highquality polymer. This approach demonstrates that plantbased compounds can be transformed into advanced materials with practical industrial applications. While the material is still in the early stages of development, the research shows promising potential for reducing dependence on petroleum-based plastics and encouraging the use of renewable resources. Further studies will be needed to evaluate large-scale production and commercial viability. Overall, this study highlights how chemistry can contribute to solving environmental challenges by developing sustainable materials without compromising performance. It also demonstrates the important role that scientific innovation can play in creating greener technologies for the future. 

Source: CT Insider;
https://www.ctinsider.com/cannabis/article/uconn-cbdplastic-hemp-petroleum-research-22351973.php 

The Physics Times, Brandi White; Updated July 26, 2026; Researchers promise that they will figure out how to make quantum devices (via network) to be reliable tools, by way of, real processes and not just promising models on paper. They plan to do this by executing a quantum neural network using two quantum computing platforms. They have since taken steps in progress to determining whether any systems they have are viable or not. Hypothetically, artificial neural networks are powerful for finding patterns in complex data. So far their successes have depended almost solely on classical hardware. Recent developments suggest that now is the time to see if trainable models can also utilize quantum forces. For example, superposition and quantum measurements. Researchers, Djamil LakhdarHamina and his colleagues have taken steps promoting the process of figuring out if the use of tunable quantum neural networks with two leading quantum-computing platforms is do-able. Experiments and implementations found previous these actions on a quantum device can demonstrate to be impractical for the noisy quantum hardware. They must decipher not only if the quantum network can work, but if the devices behavior comes from the model or the processor. Lakhdar-Hamina and colleagues have used John Hopfields’ idea from the 1980’s, to construct a quantum neural network that can be tuned continuously between a deterministic classical binary network and a quantum regime. With the classical limit, the network shows the same answer again and again. When not using the classical limit, quantum effects give the classification process a probabilistic nature. At what point does noise become harmful? How much of this uncertainty in results really help? Researchers tested further with and without noise obstruction. These test lead to a bigger picture, where moderate noise can sometimes show to be useful. Their final results mostly though, show that device noise can either further assist or turn for the worst by destroying the useful part of the structure. The part of the device that controls computation. Conclusion, it all just depends on the hardware itself that’s being used.

Source: Physics.aps.org July 22nd 2026; Reference Link: https://physics.aps.org/articles/v19/100 

The Physics Times, Brandi White; Updated July 26, 2026; Two independent research teams, one at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), and one at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), have demonstrated ways to remotely entangle qubits without precisely timed control pulses. They constructed a new way to maintain a continuous, uninterrupted entangled link between widely separated qubits. Entanglement described a link and/or correlation between the states of two or more particles. For this research they studied remotely entangled qubits. Measuring the state of one can tell us about the state of the other. This is critical information used for quantum computing. The teams’ experiments may help physicists to engineer new quantum interconnects. If so, this eventually led to the ultimate goal of being able to create a large modular quantum system, most entanglement-generation strategies rely on precisely timed sequences of microwave or optical pulses. The UIUC and ISTA teams demonstrated a kind of entanglement that avoids the need for precise timing. Also, the UIUC team realized something called a unidirectional quantum system. They did this by using a microwave circulator between qubits causing an unidirectional state. Both teams’ systems were arranged such that a stable dark state arose. This dark state was populated gradually by motivating the qubits continuously, resulting in a state of remote entanglement. Finding new ways to generate remote entanglement carries great weight to scientists for the advancement of quantum computing. Also, whether or not steady-state entanglement can remain always-on” during real computational operating is still undetermined. 

Source: Physics.aps.com July, 13th 2026 ; https://physics.aps.org/articles/v19/91 

The Physics Times, Brandi White; Updated July 26, 2026; Research states that the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate. This is understood to be caused by something called the cosmological constant. This was first suggested by Albert Einstein in his theory of general relativity. Einstein’s theory is governed by the Einstein’s Equations. They tell and describe how mass and energy warp spacetime to create the force of gravity. In recent decades, it has become better know as dark energy. It is believed to make up about 70% of the universe. Crucial to this were studies of Type Ia supernovae. They are exploding white dwarf stars. Theyn are thought to emit a specific amount of light. It allows astronomers to determine their distances. It’s very accurate and thereby tracks the expansion of the universe. This work was given the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics. The unusual property of dark energy that allows the universe to overcome the attractive force of gravity is negative pressure. The universe is thought is thought to be expanding/accelerating because of it. The ACDM model is being speculated with scrutiny as new data emerges. There’s been debates of emerging flaws in the standard cosmological model. Most cosmologists are more focused on the lines of evidence that show that the universe’s expansion is accelerating. The description is of space-time it’s a cosmological principle that the universe is homogeneous and isotropic. This means it looks the same in all directions. A recent study discovered evidence that falsifies the FLRW framework. It presented results giving information that the universe is asymmetric, or lopsided. The observation that the universe could be lopsided is called the cosmic dipole anomaly. Research shows that the acceleration of the expansion of the universe inferred from type Ia supernovae is different in all directions. The signal from supernovae is mainly assumed to be because of a temperature difference in the remaining glow of the Big Bang. This temperature difference is called CMB dipole anisotropy. It’s assumed to be due to the local motion of the system. The acceleration cannot therefore be due to dark energy. It therefore, is probably an illusion. Whether or not it is dark energy depends on whether the distribution of matter in the universe is actually isotropic. Meaning, exactly the same in all directions. Researchers don’t think so, if they are right this could signal a paradigm shift in cosmology

Source: Phys.org July 21, 2026  ; s://phys.org/news/2026-07-dark-energy-foundationstoday-cosmological.html 

The Physics Times, Brandi White; Updated July 26, 2026; Einstein was one of the main founders of the quantum theory. After the founding of quantum mechanics though Einstsins view changed. This is mostly because he didn’t like the idea of “measuring”, which led to a part of quantum mechanics called entanglement. He called it “spooky action at a distance”. He thought quantum theory must be missing something. He later found out later via experiments that quantum entanglement is real. There is another strange part of quantum mechanics called superposition. It is a state that mixes several states. For example, particles can be here, there or somewhere in between. These quantum states can be very fragile. There are many things from the"outside world” that can destroy the fragile superposition. Such as vibrations, heat, and stray magnetic fields. This is because these types of things force the system being experimented on into a single state. Physicists call this process decoherence. The only thing that can make the system “choose” a definite outcome is when measurement is made via interference. These experiments can all help explain and create quantum computers. A normal computer uses bits to function.Quantum compters uses qubits. The difference is, each bit in a standard computer is either zero or one. In quantum comuters because of superpositin, a quibit can be zero, one or a mix of both at once. Therefore, quantum computers aren’t meant to be used for regular use, their potential lies in solving problems that are too complex for standard computers. The thought of scientists is that quantum computers then could perform certain calculations such as quantum key distribution over satellites. Right now, the systems still face major limitations in speed, stability, and computational capacity. The first countries and companies to develop a quantum computer that can perform, will have significant power over others. This could become as important as the invention of writing or nuclear technology. What will matter most, is how people use it. is this correct

Source: Phys.org July 15 th 2026 ; https://phys.org/news/2026-07-quantum-physicist-basics-einstein-spooky.html 

The Physics Times, Brandi White; Updated July 26, 2026; Are all scientists as impartial and honest as science itself? There are studies showing the male scientists’ perspective of his peers, as biased and discriminatory. The studies state that the perspective the male scientists share comes from the cultural standards that are prevalent where they work. These observations were made during studies in many different countries in different physics laboratories. Gonsalves and Barthelemy were doing research on how the culture affects the educational experience for women in the labs. In terms of bias and discrimination it came from peers and professionals and un-schooled persons alike ,assuming that if the scientist, mathematician or engineer for example were versed in their profession that they certainly must be men. They found that this is because men have certain known traits and behaviors, such as being masculine and strong, being somatic, and being judicious. This makes onlookers and peers naturally and sometimes subconsciously doubt a woman’s skills and capabilities in these professions. For the women that are stereotyped in this way it can mean having to work in a seemingly unequal situation no matter the woman’s ranking qualifications. Being judged by their peers in this way can compel them to make self-asserting choices like choosing to just work without personality or more like a man does, instead of choosing their natural femininity. They are also having to deal with being ignored by faculty when they have an idea, and then they watch a man with the exact same ideas get recognized for them. They study proved that their superiors treated women as if they were invisible when engaging in professional conversations. When these things happen it can severely hinder a woman’s career and their ability to learn like the other scientists do. For example, “stereotype threat” is a phenomenon in which women underperform in relationship to their actual potential. This can make them feel like they don’t belong in the physics community which takes away critical feelings for motivation and persistence that are needed for advancement in their careers. This needs to change and be addressed if the physics community plans on attracting and keeping more women in the field.

Source: APS Physics August 1, 2016; Physics.aps.com 

The Physics Times, Brandi White; Updated July 14, 2026; The underrepresentation of women in physics is a well- documented problem. This gender divide is despairingly experienced by women in most parts of the world. This Article was written by a group researching women and their physics identity, along with gathering facts about their personal identity. They did this by asking them what they believe is a physics person, along with a couple other similar questions. The studies’ participants were chosen at the Conferences for Undergraduate Women in Physics. Chosen were, 120 women from 88 different intuitions across 30 states in the U.S. When surveyed the majority of the students described themselves not just in reference to physics, but included personal feelings about community and social belonging. This is referenced as Multiple Identities. Multiple Identity responses were also in reference to other roles the women had such as, wife, daughter, and friend. There were 39% of the students though that described their identity with academics as the focus. There were a lot of responses to the questions asked that near the end of the statement, they said “there is more to me as a person”. Yet, self- doubt was repeatedly found no matter which way the participant responded. Students were purposive when expressing their interest in physics in relationship to their identity, yet were quick to add negative things like weakness and uncertainty about fitting in. The results support the notion that social support networks and belonging are equally important to the identity formation of undergraduate physics students as intellectual support is. The conclusion of the study is that it is essential to take steps toward normalizing the different identities within the physics realm. With this, students may be less inclined to doubt whether they are adequately interested in physics or even whether it contradicts with their other identities. They need to be taught to understand that while being a physics person it is possible to maintain life with other interests and identities.

Source: American Physical Society; July 9th 2026

The Physics Times, Brandi White; Updated July 14, 2026;A professor at the University of Toronto, Morgan O’Neill is currently researching and studying storms on Earth. The direction O’Neill is going with her career research shows the connections between climate science and conventional physics. Conversations between O’Neill and Brad Marston of Brown University and Valerio Lucarini of the University of Leicester in the UK, proved that climate research can benefit from a physics perspective. These conversations were discussed at the Global Physics Summit of the American Physical Society (APS), this year, 2026. The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) put out a report detailing pathways the world might take to keep the global temperature rise at 1.5 degrees Celsius, instead of at preindustrial levels. If warming stays at 1.5 degrees Celsius, the chances of extreme weather event and other climate problems would still rise. However, at a 2 degree Celsius increase, the effects would be much less harsh and involve far fewer adaptations to climate change. The current US administration has cut funding for climate-science research and plans to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Upon a confident prediction that Trump would win re-election in 2023, O’Neill decided to move her lab from Stanford University to the University of Toronto. The politicization of climate science may cause the field to seem notably less clear than other scientific areas. Physics, only covers a part of the climate puzzle. Brad Marston states Climate physics could achieve something worthy of appreciation.

Source: Physics.aps.org; June 17, 2026

The Physics Times, Updated July 6, 2026; Astronomers have identified a distant galaxy that appears to be in the middle of a rare evolutionary transition—gradually losing its ability to form new stars. Observed approximately 12 billion light-years away, the galaxy is seen as it existed only 1.4 billion years after the Big Bang, making it one of the earliest known examples of a galaxy caught during the process of shutting down star formation. The discovery was made using observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) together with earlier data from the Hubble Space Telescope and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). The galaxy, designated C26, resides within a young galaxy cluster known as SPT2349–56, where numerous galaxies are forming and interacting in a dense environment. A Galaxy Running Out of Stellar Fuel Stars are born from cold molecular gas. As long as a galaxy retains a sufficient supply of this gas, new generations of stars continue to form. However, the researchers found that more than half of C26's cold gas no longer remains inside the galaxy. Instead, the gas has been stretched into a long trailing structure extending behind the galaxy, giving it a comet-like appearance. Although a considerable amount of gas still exists overall, much of it has become too diffuse to efficiently collapse into new stars. Consequently, the galaxy's current rate of star formation is already lower than expected for a galaxy of similar size. Evidence for Ram-Pressure Stripping The observations suggest that C26 is experiencing ram-pressure stripping, a process that occurs when a galaxy moves rapidly through the hot, diffuse gas filling a galaxy cluster. Similar to the way air resistance pushes against a moving vehicle, this surrounding gas exerts pressure on the galaxy, gradually stripping away the colder gas needed for star formation. Several lines of evidence support this explanation: The gas forms a smooth, elongated tail behind the galaxy rather than fragmented structures expected from a collision. The tail is aligned in the direction expected if the galaxy is moving through the cluster environment. The galaxy shows no evidence of the intense burst of star formation typically triggered by a major galactic merger. Independent observations indicate that the surrounding protocluster already contains hot intracluster gas capable of producing this stripping effect. An Intermediate Stage in Galaxy Evolution Astronomers frequently observe massive "red and dead" galaxies in both the nearby and distant universe—galaxies that have exhausted or lost the gas required to create new stars. However, finding a galaxy during the transition between active star formation and complete inactivity is much more unusual. Researchers believe C26 may represent precisely this intermediate stage. While some star formation continues in the galaxy's central region, much of its fuel has already been removed. Over time, the remaining gas will likely be consumed or dispersed, eventually transforming the galaxy into a quiescent system where little or no new star formation occurs. Why the Discovery Matters The findings suggest that environmental processes capable of shutting down star formation were already operating remarkably early in cosmic history, much earlier than many astronomers previously expected. If similar mechanisms affected other young galaxies, they may explain why astronomers observe surprisingly mature, inactive galaxies only a few billion years after the Big Bang. The discovery also provides new evidence that protoclusters—the precursors of today's massive galaxy clusters—were already influencing the evolution of their member galaxies when the universe was still in its infancy. Future high-resolution observations with JWST and ALMA are expected to determine how common such early quenching events were and improve our understanding of how galaxies evolved into the diverse systems observed in the present-day universe. 

Source: Based on a research preprint by Dazhi Zhou et al. posted on arXiv and independent reporting by Phys.org. The study has not yet undergone peer review, and its conclusions may be refined following scientific review 

The Physics Times, Updated July 6, 2026; India is set to receive one of its first IBM quantum computers, with installation planned in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh, by September 2026. The announcement was confirmed by IBM Chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna, marking a significant step in India's growing investment in quantum technology. The quantum computer is expected to support researchers, universities, startups, and industries working on advanced scientific and computational challenges. By providing direct access to quantum hardware, the facility aims to strengthen India's capabilities in emerging fields such as quantum computing, artificial intelligence, materials science, and cybersecurity. Speaking about the future of the technology, Krishna stated that quantum computers could begin delivering commercial advantages within the next two to three years. He highlighted potential applications in drug discovery, new material design, financial modelling, logistics optimisation, and advanced AI, where quantum systems may solve certain problems much faster than conventional computers. The project is part of a broader collaboration between government, academia, and industry to build a strong quantum ecosystem in India. Scientists expect the new facility to attract researchers and technology companies while helping train a new generation of quantum engineers and developers. If completed as planned, the installation will place Amaravati among the few cities worldwide with direct access to advanced IBM quantum computing systems, strengthening India's position in the global quantum technology landscape.