Phys.org news

Phys.org / How mountain building and climate change have shaped alpine biodiversity over 30 million years

In a study published in Science Advances on December 19, researchers from Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, along with collaborators from international institutions, explored ...

Dec 19, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Measuring how materials hotter than the sun's surface conduct electricity

Warm dense matter is a state of matter that forms at extreme temperatures and pressures, like those found at the center of most stars and many planets, including Earth. It also plays a role in the generation of Earth's magnetic ...

Dec 19, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Precessing magnetic jet engine model reveals power source of rare 'heartbeat' gamma-ray burst

Prof. An Tao from the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory (SHAO) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has proposed a novel "precessing magnetic jet engine" model to explain the peculiar gamma-ray burst (GRB) 250702B, a rare cosmic ...

Dec 19, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Wildfires reshape forest soils for decades, with recovery varying by climate

Wildfires may disappear from the landscape within weeks, but their hidden effects on the soil can persist for decades. An international research team led by the University of Göttingen, together with partners in Tübingen, ...

Dec 19, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Targeting bacterial 'decision-making' could help outsmart antibiotic resistance

Antibiotic resistance is a growing global health crisis that makes common infections harder to treat and puts many medical procedures at risk. Now, Carnegie Mellon University researchers have uncovered a vulnerability in ...

Dec 19, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Unexpected allies: DNA packaging aids gene expression

It's a common storytelling trope: the stubborn foe who is eventually revealed to be a much-needed friend. Biology has its own version. Cornell researchers have discovered that DNA packaging structures called nucleosomes, ...

Dec 19, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Nodding off is dangerous. Some animals have evolved extreme ways to sleep in precarious environments

Every animal with a brain needs sleep—and even a few without a brain do, too. Humans sleep, birds sleep, whales sleep and even jellyfish sleep.

Dec 19, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Real-time social interactions reveal how we balance cooperation and competition

When people reach for the same object, walk through a narrow doorway, forage for food, or work together on a shared task, they continuously negotiate—often without noticing—how much to cooperate or compete. Unlike classical ...

Dec 19, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Kangaroos fix their posture to save energy at high hopping speeds, study shows

Researchers have taken a leap in understanding how kangaroos can increase their hopping speeds without incurring an associated energetic cost.

Dec 19, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Discovery turns household plastic recycling into anti-cancer medication

A discovery led by the University of St Andrews has found a way to turn ordinary household plastic waste into the building block for anti-cancer drugs.

Dec 19, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Long-standing puzzle of the Sadovskii vortex pair solved after nearly a half-century

A team of researchers affiliated with UNIST has made a significant breakthrough by mathematically proving that a special type of vortex pair, called the Sadovskii vortex patch, can exist within ideal fluid flows. This marks ...

Dec 19, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Phage-resistant bacteria can still sink carbon to ocean floor

Marine bacteria are key to determining whether carbon is recycled near the ocean surface or transported to deeper waters, but many operate in constant threat of being infected by viruses called phages, and mutate to fend ...

Dec 19, 2025 in Biology