Phys.org news

Phys.org / Climate change threatens Europe's remaining peatlands, study shows

Only 7% of Europe's original area of peatlands remain. What's more: their climate boundaries are shifting. An international study led by Wageningen University as part of the WaterLANDS project analyzed the current distribution ...

Dec 6, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Time-delay cosmography may enable a speed camera for the universe

There is an important and unresolved tension in cosmology regarding the rate at which the universe is expanding, and resolving this could reveal new physics. Astronomers constantly seek new ways to measure this expansion ...

Dec 5, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Probing the existence of a fifth force via neutron star cooling

Neutron stars are ultra-dense star remnants made up primarily of nucleons (i.e., protons and neutrons). Over the course of millions of years, these stars progressively cool down, radiating heat into space.

Dec 5, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / The fossil bird that choked to death on rocks, and no one knows why

A fossil only tells part of the story. When an animal's body is preserved as a fossil, there are often pieces missing, and even a perfectly preserved body doesn't tell the whole story of how that animal behaved, how it lived, ...

Dec 5, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Alkaline-loving microbes could help safeguard nuclear waste buried deep underground for thousands of years

Billions of alkaline-loving microbes could offer a new way to protect nuclear waste buried deep underground. This approach overcomes the limitations of current cement barriers, which can crack or break down over time.

Dec 5, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Long-term study of nearby blazar reveals complex emission patterns

Using NASA's Swift and Fermi space telescopes, Indian astronomers have conducted a long-term multiwavelength study of a nearby blazar designated TXS 0518+211. Results of the study, published Nov. 26 on the arXiv pre-print ...

Dec 5, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Extremely rare 'dinosaur mummy' makes its way to Minnesota for study

The fossil called "Medusa" could be a dinosaur mummy—the remains of an Edmontosaurus about 66 million years old that researchers believe contains a significant amount of skin and tendon tissue.

Dec 5, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Shaping quantum light unlocks new possibilities for future technologies

Researchers from the School of Physics at Wits University, working with collaborators from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, have demonstrated how quantum light can be engineered in space and time to create high-dimensional ...

Dec 5, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Decoding dark matter's imprint on black-hole gravitational waves

A new study by researchers at the University of Amsterdam shows how gravitational waves from black holes can be used to reveal the presence of dark matter and help determine its properties. The key is a new model, based on ...

Dec 5, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / New Moby Dick-like termite species discovered

In the canopies of a South American rainforest, a tiny soldier termite has stunned a team of international scientists with its whale-like features.

Dec 5, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / The hexatic phase: Ultra-thin 2D materials in a state between solid and liquid observed for the first time

When ice melts into water, it happens quickly, with the transition from solid to liquid being immediate. However, very thin materials do not adhere to these rules. Instead, an unusual state between solid and liquid arises: ...

Dec 5, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Subnational income inequality revealed: Regional successes may hold key to addressing widening gap globally

Income inequality is one of the most important measures of economic health, social justice and quality of life. More reliably trackable than wealth inequality, which was recently given a gloomy report card by the G20, income ...

Dec 5, 2025 in Other Sciences