Phys.org news

Phys.org / How a shift in the Gulf Stream could signal the collapse of a major ocean current system

Changes in the Gulf Stream, a strong ocean current in the Atlantic, could serve as an early warning of the imminent collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). The AMOC is a massive system of ocean ...

12 hours ago
Phys.org / Nearby red dwarf star hosts at least four planets—with one in the habitable zone

In 2020, a study confirmed that two planets orbited the nearby red dwarf, GJ 887. Now, astronomers have confirmed the existence of two additional planets orbiting GJ 887 in a new study published in Astronomy and Astrophysics. ...

11 hours ago
Phys.org / Raccoons solve puzzles for the fun of it, new study finds

They raid compost bins, outsmart latches and sometimes look gleeful doing it. A new study in Animal Behaviour suggests raccoons may not just be opportunistic—they may be genuinely curious.

6 hours ago
Phys.org / Why simulating an entire cell cycle took years, multiple GPUs and six days per run

By simulating the life cycle of a minimal bacterial cell—from DNA replication to protein translation to metabolism and cell division—scientists have opened a new frontier of computer vision into the essential processes ...

14 hours ago
Phys.org / U.S. Indigenous peoples experience higher rates of fatal police violence in and around reservations

Indigenous people in the United States are at higher risk of fatal police violence in and around American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) reservations, according to the first comprehensive national study on the subject from researchers ...

6 hours ago
Phys.org / Evaluating landing sites for China's manned moon mission

Observations of the Rimae Bode region on the moon reveal five distinct types of terrain and identify several potential landing sites for China's first crewed mission, according to research titled "Geology of Rimae Bode region ...

6 hours ago
Phys.org / In search of a room-temperature superconductor, scientists present a research agenda

The search for materials that can conduct electricity at room temperature without losing energy is one of the greatest and most consequential challenges of modern physics: loss-free power transmission, more efficient motors ...

7 hours ago
Phys.org / Camera captures first video of a red fox attacking a wolf pup

We are used to seeing a strict order in nature, with apex predators at the top feeding on those lower down the pecking order. But in video footage from a nature reserve in Italy, we see a red fox turning the tables, attacking ...

15 hours ago
Phys.org / Physical activity is linked to the health of the planet, according to a trio of recent studies

Global levels of physical activity have not improved over the past two decades, despite widespread policy development and adoption, and large disparities persist across gender and socioeconomic groups. The findings from three ...

7 hours ago
Phys.org / Gene edit makes probiotic safer for immunocompromised patients

An international team of researchers has modified a probiotic yeast to make it safer for use by immunocompromised people, older adults and infants. Testing in an animal model found that the modified yeast is less likely to ...

7 hours ago
Phys.org / Deep ocean microbes may already be prepared to tackle climate change

Deep-sea waters are warming due to heat waves and climate change, and it could spell trouble for the oceans' delicate chemical and biological balance. However, a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ...

9 hours ago
Phys.org / Recent pandemic viruses jumped to humans without prior adaptation, study finds

A new University of California San Diego study published in Cell challenges a long-standing assumption about how animal viruses become capable of sparking human epidemics and pandemics. Using a phylogenetic, genome-wide analysis ...

14 hours ago