Phys.org news

Phys.org / New simulation challenges leading explanation for why galaxies stop forming stars

For decades, astronomers have cast galaxy mergers as the universe's ultimate relationship drama: two galaxies collide, chaos erupts, black holes awaken and star formation comes to a screeching halt. Upending this long-held ...

Jul 21, 2026
Phys.org / Cosmic gymnastics: How the Milky Way once underwent a dramatic flip

The Milky Way may have undergone a dramatic change in orientation during its history, according to new research that helps explain a long-standing mystery about our galaxy. Using supercomputer simulations of galaxies like ...

Jul 21, 2026
Phys.org / Novel antibiotic candidates starve resistant bacteria by blocking vitamin supply

Bacteria have spent decades evolving resistance to virtually every antibiotic we have thrown at them. To stay ahead, new drugs must hit targets that existing antibiotics have never touched. A research team at the Helmholtz ...

Jul 21, 2026
Phys.org / Scientists use dual-frequency images to explore black hole plasma physics

The first-ever image of a black hole—a glowing, ring-like structure at the heart of galaxy M87—was unveiled to the world in a landmark moment in 2019. Now, researchers have taken the next big step—moving beyond capturing ...

Jul 21, 2026
Phys.org / New insights into how DNA, the body's instruction manual for life, is regulated

Scientists at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Center have uncovered new insights into how cells regulate DNA methylation, a fundamental process that helps keep potentially harmful viral elements in our genome under control.

Jul 21, 2026
Phys.org / Open-source AI predicts key peptide traits before costly lab testing

Penn Engineers have developed PeptiVerse, an AI-powered platform that predicts key chemical and biological properties of peptides, strings of amino acids whose medical potential has been demonstrated by the success of GLP-1 ...

Jul 21, 2026
Phys.org / Satellite imagery captures the impact of large U.S. dams on river temperatures over the last decade

A team of Virginia Tech geoscientists has found a new way to examine the widespread effects of dams on river temperatures: using Landsat thermal infrared imagery to gather data on rivers across the United States. By using ...

Jul 21, 2026
Phys.org / Triassic inferno: Fires raged across Europe for millennia during past global warming

The end-Triassic mass extinction, 201 million years ago, is linked to volcanism that resulted from the break-up of Pangea and which pumped out vast amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere, causing extreme global warming of 5 to ...

Jul 21, 2026
Phys.org / Truffles are on the menu for threatened marsupials returning to a World Heritage area

A new study from Edith Cowan University (ECU) confirms that the presence of fungal food resources is important for supporting the reintroduction of two threatened marsupials to the Shark Bay World Heritage area, which could ...

Jul 21, 2026
Phys.org / Decades-old strains reveal Brakhagea, a budding bacterial genus with bioactive potential

Some microorganisms that hold great promise for research have long lain dormant in historical collections. But only through new methods are their diversity and potential becoming apparent. The team led by Professor Christian ...

Jul 21, 2026
Phys.org / Mars's 2018 planetwide dust storm hints at possible solar influence on its weather

Solar storms may affect weather on Mars when they strike at the same time as major Martian dust storms, a new study suggests for the first time. Researchers found evidence of rising temperatures in the red planet's lower ...

Jul 21, 2026
Phys.org / Extreme precipitation in Central Asia connected to drought in mainland Southeast Asia

In much of Asia, the effects of climate change are felt through an increased frequency of extreme weather events, especially water-related ones. Droughts are becoming more common in mainland Southeast Asia, while periods ...

Jul 21, 2026