Phys.org news

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
Phys.org / Nanoparticle vaccine strategy could protect against Ebola and other deadly filoviruses

Filoviruses get their name from the Latin word "filum," meaning thread—a reference to their long, filamentous shape. This virus family contains some of the most dangerous pathogens known to science, including Ebola, Sudan, ...

Dec 19, 2025 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Newly discovered Philippine pitcher plant already in danger from climate change and poaching

Philippine scientists and an Australian expert have just confirmed a new species of pitcher plant found only on Palawan Island, but warn that it is already at risk of extinction due to frequent severe weather conditions and ...

Dec 19, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / AI deciphers fish grunts, knocks and growls to identify eight species

University of Victoria (UVic) biologists have discovered that even closely related fish species make unique and distinctive sounds and determined that it's possible to differentiate between the sounds of different species. ...

Dec 19, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Uncovering how parasitic plants avoid attacking themselves to improve crop protection

Parasitic plants are notorious agricultural pests that drain nutrients from crops and cause economic losses of more than USD 1 billion due to yield losses every year. Yet these plants almost never attack themselves or closely ...

Dec 19, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Roman soldiers defending Hadrian's Wall were infected by parasites, study finds

A new analysis of sewer drains from the Roman fort of Vindolanda, close to Hadrian's Wall, has shown that the occupants were infected by three types of intestinal parasite—roundworm, whipworm, and Giardia duodenalis.

Dec 18, 2025 in Other Sciences
Dialog / Hidden threats in the dark: Alarming levels of human-made debris in Mediterranean sea caves

Just when we thought we had described all the possible marine environmental recipients of plastic pollution, new research comes in to overturn the picture.

Dec 18, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Private donors pledge $1 billion for world's largest particle accelerator

Europe's physics lab CERN on Thursday said private donors had pledged $1 billion toward the construction of a new particle accelerator that would be by far the world's biggest.

Dec 18, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Bazinga! Physicists crack a 'Big Bang Theory' problem that could help explain dark matter

A professor at the University of Cincinnati and his colleagues have figured out something two of America's most famous fictional physicists couldn't: how to theoretically produce subatomic particles called axions in fusion ...

Dec 18, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Urban birds' beak shape rapidly changed during COVID-19 lockdowns, suggesting human-driven transformations

When the world slowed down during the COVID-19 pandemic, its effects extended beyond humans. A recent study found that it reshaped urban ecosystems to such an extent that certain city-dwelling birds even began to develop ...

Dec 18, 2025 in Biology