Phys.org news

Phys.org / Mystery of why some toads survive deadly fungus revealed

The mystery of why some amphibian populations recover following outbreaks of a deadly fungus has been solved in a new study led by University College London (UCL), ZSL and Imperial College London.

Jul 14, 2026
Phys.org / 'Amazing moths': Study pinpoints insect habitat that draws grizzlies to glacier peaks

When grizzly bears clamber onto the talus slopes high in Glacier National Park, they're searching for an abundant, fatty meal: army cutworm moths. The inch-long (2.5-centimeter-long) moths hatch on the Great Plains and fly ...

Jul 14, 2026
Phys.org / Europe's last pagan state was already diverse: Medieval Vilnius drew migrants from Christian lands

Lithuania was famously the final pagan state in Europe. While the rest of the continent converted to Christianity, Lithuania remained officially pagan until Catholicism was adopted in AD 1387. Despite this, the extent to ...

Jul 14, 2026
Phys.org / Study reveals Hawaiian hotspot is getting hotter

Contrary to conventional geological thinking, the Hawaiian mantle plume has gotten hotter by about 250°C (480°F) over the past 47 million years. This discovery, led by Earth scientists at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, ...

Jul 14, 2026
Phys.org / How supermassive black holes feed themselves

Astronomers are closer to solving the mystery of how supermassive black holes feed themselves thanks to new images from the James Webb Space Telescope, or JWST. The images provide the clearest view ever seen of gaseous filaments ...

Jul 14, 2026
Phys.org / 'Uncanny valley' effect observed in macaques through 3D animated monkey avatars

A new tool that allows researchers to create realistic full-body animations of monkeys has provided the first evidence that nonhuman primates experience the "uncanny valley" phenomenon for body avatars, according to a study ...

Jul 14, 2026
Phys.org / Researchers define new frontier in quantum materials

Researchers at City College of New York physicist Vinod M. Menon's Laboratory for Nano and Micro Photonics (LaNMP) have outlined an emerging frontier in quantum materials: atomically thin systems in which light, magnetism ...

Jul 14, 2026
Phys.org / Engineers find a precise way to grow artificial blood vessels

Tissue engineers are finding ways to grow living organs and tissues from cells, with the aim of replacing diseased and damaged counterparts in the body. Scientists have successfully grown artificial muscles, livers, kidneys, ...

Jul 14, 2026
Phys.org / Hidden muscle machinery reveals 50 new gene subfamilies across vertebrates

Within every muscle of every living species with a backbone, a protein called myosin tugs on a partner protein to generate a muscle contraction. This function, discovered in mammals a century ago, has been presumed by scientists ...

Jul 14, 2026
Phys.org / Roman telescope will spot distant black holes that shred stars

How do black holes at the centers of galaxies form and grow over time? To answer this question, scientists need to detect and study supermassive black holes at great distances that existed much earlier in the universe's history. ...

Jul 14, 2026
Phys.org / Low carbon dioxide levels improve microbial production of biodegradable plastic

In an innovative gas fermentation process, reducing the concentration of carbon dioxide was found to significantly improve microbial production of the biodegradable plastic poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate]. Researchers found that ...

Jul 14, 2026
Phys.org / Honey bees' sense of smell changes from larval to adult life stages, study finds

Honey bee larvae lack the sophisticated olfactory capabilities of adult honey bees, a new study finds. Scientists point to this temporary loss of function as a side effect of the nurse bees' heroic level of brood care, calling ...

Jul 14, 2026