Phys.org news

Phys.org / The Colorado River disappeared from the geological record for 5 million years: Scientists now know where it went

Geologists have solved the mystery of the disappearance from the geological record, millions of years ago, of one of North America's most important waterways: the Colorado River. A paper published in Science shows that the ...

18 hours ago
Phys.org / Indonesia's fire crisis comes into focus as high-resolution satellite maps expose 5.62 million hectares affected

Indonesia experiences massive forest fires as the dry season approaches. They are a major environmental challenge because they damage forests and other land, endanger lives, and disrupt local economies. Using sharp, high-resolution ...

14 hours ago
Phys.org / DNA cracks nutmeg's hidden past, revealing a South Moluccas origin and a prehuman journey north

A sprinkle of nutmeg powder on baked goodies or mashed potatoes can immediately lift the flavor with its warm and sweet aroma. Even though it is used globally, not much is known about the true origins of the nutmeg spice ...

18 hours ago
Phys.org / First archaeological case of cleft lip identified in China reveals inclusive care in Qing dynasty community

Orofacial clefts (OC; cleft lips and/or palates) require intense care immediately after birth and can lead to lifelong difficulties with eating and speaking, leading to social marginalization, stigmatization, and exclusion. ...

16 hours ago
Phys.org / Antioxidant glutathione discovered to play a key role in proper protein folding

In the past several years, Rockefeller University's Kivanç Birsoy and his team in the Laboratory of Metabolic Regulation and Genetics have revealed remarkable details about the antioxidant glutathione, which plays many essential ...

12 hours ago
Phys.org / Parrots are not just mimicking words—they use proper names like humans to identify individuals

Like many animals, parrots make sounds that suggest they are talking with each other, maybe even calling out to a specific parrot. But do they truly have names in the same way people do? To find out, Lauryn Benedict, a biology ...

14 hours ago
Phys.org / Quantum-informed AI improves long-term turbulence forecasts while using far less memory

An AI model informed by calculations from a quantum computer can better predict the behavior of a complex physical system over the long term than current best models that use only conventional computers, according to a new ...

14 hours ago
Phys.org / Machine learning detects more than 60,000 earthquakes during 2025 Santorini sequence

The seismic crisis that gripped the Greek island of Santorini and its neighbors in 2025 contained more than 60,000 earthquakes, according to a unique machine learning study that identified the earthquakes as they occurred ...

10 hours ago
Phys.org / Warmer streams may be draining river food webs by sending more carbon into the air

Rising stream temperatures may be weakening the foundation of river food webs by altering how carbon moves through these watery ecosystems. In a new study published in the journal Ecosphere, researchers from Northern Arizona ...

9 hours ago
Phys.org / Platinum-free catalyst splits hydrogen from water for energy, running 1,000 hours at industry standards

Using a renewable energy source has multiple benefits, including reducing harmful emissions and dependence on fossil fuels while increasing efficiency. But many renewable energy sources have a higher cost than fossil fuels ...

14 hours ago
Phys.org / ALMA and JWST investigate giant disk galaxy's formation and evolution

European astronomers have used the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to observe a recently discovered giant disk galaxy known as ADF22.1. Results of the new observations, published ...

20 hours ago
Phys.org / Nanobody repairs misfolded CFTR inside cells, boosting function in cystic fibrosis

A tiny antibody component could fundamentally transform the treatment of cystic fibrosis: For the first time, researchers have succeeded in developing a so-called nanobody that penetrates directly into human cells and can ...

11 hours ago