Phys.org news

Phys.org / A sound defense: Noisy pupae puff away potential predators

Insect pupae hiss like snakes for defense. A Kobe University team now reveals the mechanisms, opening the door to further studies involving predator reactions to defensive sounds.

7 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Membrane 'neighborhood' helps transporter protein regulate cell signaling

When a cell receives a message from outside, it generates a molecule called cyclic AMP (cAMP) to relay this message. To ensure the signal reaches the correct effector without triggering pathways accidentally, cAMP levels ...

14 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / DNA confirms modern Bo people are descendants of ancient Hanging Coffin culture

In a recent study, researcher Dr. Hui Zhou and his colleagues conducted a genetic analysis of the genomes of individuals associated with the ancient Hanging Coffin tradition in Southeast and Southern Asia. In addition, they ...

Dec 6, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / New 'remarkably tame' tinamou species discovered in Amazon mountains may already be at risk of extinction

The Amazon rainforest has yielded yet another new species, according to a recent study published in Zootaxa. Discovered in the mountains of the Serra do Divisor National Park (SDNP) in Brazil, this ground-dwelling bird has ...

Dec 6, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / New construction material absorbs CO₂ and sets quickly for sustainable building

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) researchers have created a new carbon-negative building material that could transform sustainable construction. The breakthrough, published in the high-impact journal Matter, details ...

Dec 6, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Saturday Citations: Cancer therapy breakthrough; Sumatran tigers thrive; frogs eat what, now?

This week, JPL scientists reported that glaciers speed up and slow down at predictable intervals. CERN's ATLAS experiment detected evidence for the decay of a Higgs boson into a muon-antimuon pair. And researchers discovered ...

Dec 6, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Storms in the Southern Ocean are producing more rain—and the consequences could be global

If you ever find yourself on Macquarie Island—a narrow, wind-lashed ridge halfway between Tasmania and Antarctica—the first thing you'll notice is the wildlife. Elephant seals sprawl across dark beaches. King penguins ...

Dec 6, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Study finds virus 'socializing' influences effectiveness of antiviral drugs

Interactions among viruses can help them succeed inside their hosts or impart vulnerabilities that make them easier to treat. Scientists are learning the ways viruses mingle inside the cells they infect, as well as the consequences ...

Dec 6, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / New approach narrows uncertainty in future warming and remaining carbon budget for 2°C

How much the planet warms with each ton of carbon dioxide remains one of the most important questions in climate science, but there is uncertainty in predicting it. This uncertainty hinders governments, businesses and communities ...

Dec 6, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Climate change threatens Europe's remaining peatlands, study shows

Only 7% of Europe's original area of peatlands remain. What's more: their climate boundaries are shifting. An international study led by Wageningen University as part of the WaterLANDS project analyzed the current distribution ...

Dec 6, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Time-delay cosmography may enable a speed camera for the universe

There is an important and unresolved tension in cosmology regarding the rate at which the universe is expanding, and resolving this could reveal new physics. Astronomers constantly seek new ways to measure this expansion ...

Dec 5, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Probing the existence of a fifth force via neutron star cooling

Neutron stars are ultra-dense star remnants made up primarily of nucleons (i.e., protons and neutrons). Over the course of millions of years, these stars progressively cool down, radiating heat into space.

Dec 5, 2025 in Physics