Phys.org news

Phys.org / Galactic islands of tranquility: 'Little red dots' may have brewed life's building blocks

Astronomers have found that both the core of our Milky Way and the earliest proto-galaxies in the universe share a surprising trait: They are unusually calm and quiet in terms of harsh radiation. This tranquility is not just ...

Mar 12, 2026
Phys.org / Researcher uncovers Zoroastrian 'ripples' in Jewish documents from ancient Egypt

In a study published in the journal Iran, researcher Gad Barnea has uncovered new evidence suggesting that Zoroastrian religious practices were more prevalent and left a deeper imprint on surrounding communities than previously ...

Mar 12, 2026
Phys.org / Meet Crocodylus lucivenator, a 12- to 15-foot predator that hunted iconic Lucy's species

More than 3 million years ago, when our ancient ancestors embodied by the iconic Lucy were roaming the African landscape, they would have feared a big, bad crocodile with a prominent lump on its head, patiently lurking in ...

Mar 12, 2026
Phys.org / We are not alone: Our sun escaped together with stellar 'twins' from galaxy center

Researchers have uncovered evidence for our sun joining a mass migration of similar "twins" leaving the core regions of our galaxy, 4 to 6 billion years ago. The team created and studied an unprecedentedly accurate catalog ...

Mar 12, 2026
Phys.org / Failed experiment leads to surprise drug development breakthrough

Scientists at the University of Cambridge have developed a new way to alter complex drug molecules using light rather than toxic chemicals—a discovery that could accelerate and improve how medicines are designed and made. ...

Mar 12, 2026
Phys.org / Fantastic fungi found with ability to freeze water

Can fungi influence the weather? Turns out, they just might. An international group of researchers that includes Virginia Tech's Xiaofeng Wang and Boris A. Vinatzer discovered the identity of fungal proteins that can catalyze ...

Mar 12, 2026
Phys.org / NASA's tiny spacecraft sends first exoplanet images

With the first images from the spacecraft now in hand, the team behind NASA's Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat, or SPARCS, is ready to begin charting the energetic lives of the galaxy's most common stars to help answer ...

Mar 12, 2026
Phys.org / Pollen-replacing feed strengthens honey bee colonies, long-term study confirms

A man-made food source provided honey bees a nutritious diet at a commercial scale over the course of two winter seasons, according to a new study led by Washington State University researchers. The study, published in the ...

Mar 12, 2026
Phys.org / Good news for wastewater irrigation: Three crops store pharmaceutical byproducts in their leaves

In areas where freshwater is scarce, farmers often turn to treated wastewater to irrigate crops. And many regulators and consumers worry about exposing food to compounds routinely found in wastewater, including many psychoactive ...

Mar 12, 2026
Phys.org / Selfish sperm hijack Overdrive gene to kill healthy rivals

A new University of Utah-led study has discovered the mechanism behind a decades-old evolutionary mystery—how "selfish chromosomes" cheat the rules of genetic inheritance. The researchers found that rogue chromosomes hijack ...

Mar 12, 2026
Phys.org / Cell death's 'beautiful' rings have implications for biological resilience and immunity

Researchers at the University of Michigan have revealed that cells use a previously unknown feat of molecular craftsmanship to help protect their larger host organisms. The building blocks required for this work are found ...

Mar 12, 2026
Phys.org / Upper Egypt site has now yielded more than 43,000 inscribed pot sherds, a record-breaking trove of information

A joint archaeological mission by the University of Tübingen and the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (MoTA) has documented the world's most extensive find of inscribed pottery sherds at the Upper Egypt site ...

Mar 12, 2026