Phys.org news

Phys.org / Catching cow burps in real time: Methane sensor matches industry monitor in early field test

Methane is a short-lived but powerful greenhouse gas; cutting methane emissions can slow near-term warming and improve air quality by reducing harmful ground-level ozone. As ruminants digest feed, they release methane—through ...

Aug 24, 2026
Phys.org / A 2-degree twist creates a nanoscale grid that traps light energy at room temperature

You may have once tried taking a close-up picture of a computer screen and noticed a wavy, rippling effect. This optical effect occurs whenever two fine, repeating grids overlap and slightly misalign, such as when the pixel ...

Aug 24, 2026
Phys.org / Bacteria from ancestral wheat microbiomes help protect plants against root rot fungus

In the journal npj Biofilms and Microbiomes, researchers from the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) and the University of São Paulo (USP) describe the role of three bacteria in suppressing a soil-borne ...

Aug 24, 2026
Phys.org / Shell-crushing predators may have sparked early Cenozoic boom in marine snail evolution

A large-scale study of nearly 700 species reveals the evolutionary relationships and history of Neogastropoda, a diverse group of marine snails. The findings provide new evidence for their single origin, identify four new ...

Aug 24, 2026
Phys.org / LST-1 and MAGIC telescopes shatter distance record for the very high-energy blazar OP 313

On Aug. 15, the CTAO LST Collaboration and the MAGIC Collaboration released findings from observations of OP 313, the most distant very-high-energy blazar ever recorded. The paper, published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, presents ...

Aug 24, 2026
Phys.org / Assembly of giant wild sunflower family genomes unlocks potential for new perennial crops

The Land Institute and HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, in collaboration with key partners, have assembled the first chromosome-scale, haplotype-phased genomes for Silphium integrifolium (rosinweed, silflower) and ...

Aug 24, 2026
Phys.org / How atmospheric dryness limits increases in typhoon rainfall

Under global warming, scientists have widely expected tropical cyclones (including typhoons and hurricanes) to bring more intense and frequent rainfall. The underlying physics seems intuitive: Rising temperatures allow the ...

Aug 24, 2026
Phys.org / Mapping the 'hidden highways' of Mexico's illegal wildlife trade

For decades, wildlife traffickers have illegally captured and sold hundreds of thousands of wild parrots native to Mexico. Despite changes to international wildlife laws, the conservation status of these birds has continued ...

Aug 24, 2026
Phys.org / What happens inside a wildfire? A Ph.D. student is finding out

What happens during a wildfire? The short answer is: much more than we know. As wildfires burn through trees, grasses and other vegetation, heat from the flames sets off thousands of chemical reactions at once. Molecules ...

Aug 24, 2026
Phys.org / Nanoparticle flu vaccine protects against three influenza strains in mice

A new nanoparticle vaccine could one day give patients immunity to the flu with fewer trips to the doctor and without requiring health officials to correctly guess which flu strains will become dominant each year.

Aug 24, 2026
Phys.org / Glacier retreat could promote the spread of diseases among bees

A study conducted in the Swiss Alps by the University of Lausanne and the University of Milan shows that glacier retreat and changing vegetation could influence the spread of certain pathogens between honeybees and wild bees.

Aug 24, 2026
Phys.org / Soil bacteria share amino acids, helping nearly half survive nutrient gaps

Bacteria, too, depend on good neighborly relations: A new study by the Osnabrück University, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Cambridge in England, shows that soil bacteria live in beneficial communities ...

Aug 24, 2026