Phys.org news

Phys.org / One of the world's most important plate boundaries is older than previously thought

A chain of remote islands and underwater volcanoes between Alaska and Kamchatka has revealed a much older chapter in Earth's tectonic history than previously known. Along the Aleutian Arc, the Pacific Plate dives beneath ...

Jun 16, 2026
Phys.org / Santa Cruz trail study reveals how mountain lions and outdoor recreation can safely share spaces

California's iconic Santa Cruz Mountains are an outdoor recreation wonderland. With a world-class network of hiking, mountain biking and equestrian trails, they draw millions of visitors each year from neighboring Santa Cruz, ...

Jun 16, 2026
Phys.org / Cotton's roots traced to Yucatan Peninsula, where wild gene pool runs deepest

There's nothing like this in nature, Jonathan Wendel said as he showed a visitor in his Bessey Hall office the long white puffs billowing from a cotton boll—the protective flower capsule of the plant cultivated by humans ...

Jun 16, 2026
Phys.org / A new explanation for the mystery death of Botticelli's Birth of Venus model, Simonetta Vespucci

A paper on new research into the cause of death of Simonetta Vespucci, model for the world-renowned Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli, has been published by researchers at Queen Mary University of London, Universita Campus ...

Jun 16, 2026
Phys.org / Chandra tracks M87 black hole's evolving jet in finest X-ray detail yet

An international team of astronomers led by Camille Poitras, a Ph.D. student in the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Laval University, has produced the most detailed X-ray view ever obtained of the jet launched by the ...

Jun 16, 2026
Phys.org / Revealing how and when a black hole's mighty winds can squash star formation

Thanks to the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission, or XRISM, University of Michigan researchers are helping chip away at one of astronomy's cosmic mysteries: The universe's most massive galaxies appear to be missing stars.

Jun 16, 2026
Phys.org / Rare B meson decays tighten search for hidden particles and dark matter links

A University of Melbourne researcher has placed the strongest constraints yet on certain rare decays of subatomic particles, narrowing the window for where new "hidden" particles could be lurking.

Jun 16, 2026
Phys.org / Mongooses prepare for likely future battles with powerful enemies, study finds

Dwarf mongooses anticipate encounters with rival groups and adjust how they move, communicate and defend resources beforehand, according to new research from the University of Bristol. The study, published in Nature Ecology ...

Jun 16, 2026
Phys.org / Why one famous predator shrank two ways: Fossils reveal distinct growth strategies in early Permian Dimetrodon

The sail-backed predator Dimetrodon is one of the most iconic animals of the early Permian—long before dinosaurs dominated Earth. Most known species of this early relative of mammals reached large body sizes, sometimes up ...

Jun 16, 2026
Phys.org / 2,700-year-old standing stone may provide fresh evidence for King Hezekiah's religious reforms

A new study by Prof. Avraham Faust of Bar-Ilan University's Department of General History presents new evidence that may shed light on one of the most debated questions in the study of Israelite religion: Did King Hezekiah's ...

Jun 16, 2026
Phys.org / Young coqui frogs 'play it safe' when disease strikes, study finds

For a frog no bigger than a fingernail, survival depends on how it spends every bit of energy. New research from the University of Florida shows that young frogs prioritize growing quickly even when infected with a deadly ...

Jun 16, 2026
Phys.org / Walking shark discovery reveals new species in tiny Papua New Guinea range

A night dive to study wild sharks that can walk on land has surfaced with something even rarer—a species unknown to science. "New shark species don't come along that often, and it's most definitely the first one named after ...

Jun 16, 2026