Phys.org news

Phys.org / Is the state of nature fair? Researchers measure how biomass is distributed in microbial communities

The distribution of income and growing inequality are central themes in public debate. Far less attention has been paid to how resources are distributed in ecological communities, in the so-called state of nature, without ...

Jul 8, 2026
Phys.org / Traveling protein waves reveal how dividing cells set chromosome-splitting spindle size

When a human cell prepares to split into two daughter cells, it must first construct a tiny internal machine called the mitotic spindle—a structure of protein fibers that physically pulls chromosomes apart and deposits one ...

Jul 8, 2026
Phys.org / What powers the Everglades? Study tracks how algae and plant matter fuel the food web

Scientists thought dead plant material was primarily powering the Everglades. Algae says not so fast.

Jul 8, 2026
Phys.org / Researchers uncover the inside story on plant organ growth

Research has shed intriguing new light on the genetics underlying the diverse plant organ shapes seen in agriculture and nature. Despite more than a century of scientific investigation into the role of inner and outer tissues, ...

Jul 8, 2026
Phys.org / Global warming, increasing wildfire risk threaten viability of some California winery regions

The U.S. is the fourth-largest wine-producing country by output volume, and approximately 80% of its production occurs in California. Ever since the 19th century, California's premier wine-growing regions have been the Napa ...

Jul 8, 2026
Phys.org / Hotter, drier weather could double water bills in some US cities, study finds

Hotter, drier weather threatens to double water bills by midcentury in some cities, according to a Stanford-led study. The research, published in Nature Sustainability, is the first to comprehensively model how climate change, ...

Jul 8, 2026
Phys.org / Rare color shifting discovered in iconic Australian frog

University of Newcastle researchers have documented one of the clearest examples of iridescence ever recorded in an amphibian, revealing that the endangered green and golden bell frog (Ranoidea aurea) possesses intricate ...

Jul 7, 2026
Phys.org / Why Europe's trees are dying

In Europe, trees are increasingly dying prematurely. A new study by the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) on French forests now shows that it is not only drought but also unusually warm ...

Jul 7, 2026
Phys.org / Metallic rutile oxides break the rules of cooling

Physicists have long puzzled over a strange contradiction inside a family of minerals called rutile oxides. These materials all share the same crystal structure—but while some of them, like titanium dioxide, are firmly insulating, ...

Jul 7, 2026
Phys.org / JWST finds the most distant barred galaxy candidate in the early universe

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have identified what may be the most distant barred spiral galaxy ever discovered, dating to a time less than 1.2 billion years after the Big Bang. The paper outlining its ...

Jul 7, 2026
Phys.org / Much of Earth's 'space dust' may come from unidentified near-Earth asteroids

Like a shelf in an old house, the Earth collects a lot of dust from its surroundings. This "space dust" is mostly made up of micrometeorites that survive atmospheric entry and provides researchers with a cheap and easy way ...

Jul 7, 2026
Phys.org / Scientists just measured the smallest possible contacts for future computer chips

The rise of AI has created an almost insatiable appetite for computing power. Training and running AI systems requires vast numbers of transistors, and engineers are now racing to pack more of them onto every chip. With their ...

Jul 7, 2026