All News

Phys.org / Anatomy of a heat wave: How a cyclone, humid air and atmospheric waves drove brutal heat in southeastern Australia

Australia has always had heat waves. But this week's heat wave in southeastern Australia is something else. Temperatures in some inland towns in South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria were up to 20°C above average ...

Jan 30, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Experiments clear up confusion over the form of solid methane

Through a combination of high-pressure experiments and optical spectroscopy, physicists have revealed new insights into the structural forms of solid methane. Led by Mengnan Wang at the University of Edinburgh in the UK, ...

Feb 2, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / 'Forever chemicals' could cost Europe up to 1.7 tn euros by 2050: Report

The continued use of "forever chemicals" could cost Europe up to 1.7 trillion euros ($2 trillion) by 2050 because of their impact on people's health and the environment, an EU-commissioned report said Thursday.

Jan 29, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Data reveals hidden divide in coping with heat waves

A new study tracking the movements of 1 billion mobile phone devices has exposed how wealth and age create a hidden divide in people's ability to withstand heat waves. Scientists analyzing data from record-breaking temperatures ...

Jan 29, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Wolves and other predators present 'a crisis,' California's environment chief says

On Jan. 27, California lawmakers took initial steps toward addressing the public safety concerns posed by the state's growing populations of wolves, mountain lions and other predators—issues the state's top environmental ...

Jan 29, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Newly identified RNA molecule may drive cancer patient survival

In a recent study, researchers at the Texas A&M University Health Science Center (Texas A&M Health) identify a novel RNA molecule that plays a crucial role in preserving the integrity of a key cellular structure, the nucleolus ...

Feb 2, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Earth's largest volcanic event reshaped an oceanic plate, seismic wave analysis reveals

A research group has revealed through seismic wave analysis that the oceanic plate beneath the Ontong Java Plateau—the world's largest oceanic plateau—was extensively altered by massive volcanic activity during its formation. ...

Feb 2, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Geologists may have solved mystery of Green River's 'uphill' route

New research may have solved an American mystery which has baffled geologists for a century and a half: How did a river carve a path through a mountain in one of the country's most iconic landscapes? Scientists have long ...

Feb 2, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Lab-grown algae remove microplastics from water

A University of Missouri researcher is pioneering an innovative solution to remove tiny bits of plastic pollution from our water. Mizzou's Susie Dai recently applied a revolutionary strain of algae toward capturing and removing ...

Feb 2, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Some bottled water is worse than tap for microplastics, study shows

Some brands of bottled water contain significantly higher levels of microplastics than tap water, according to new research by scientists who have developed a novel method for detecting these tiny particles.

Feb 2, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Removing livestock from grasslands could compromise long-term soil carbon storage

Removing sheep and other livestock entirely from upland grasslands—a strategy often promoted as a way to boost carbon storage and tackle climate change—may actually reduce the most stable forms of soil carbon, according ...

Feb 2, 2026 in Biology
Dialog / Infrared running of gravity offers a field-theoretic route to dark matter phenomena

The mystery of dark matter—unseen, pervasive, and essential in standard cosmology—has loomed over physics for decades. In new research, I explore a different possibility: Rather than postulating new particles, I propose ...

Feb 2, 2026 in Astronomy & Space