Phys.org news

Phys.org / Sun-powered sponges may generate 11% of tropical coral reef productivity

In marine environments, sponges tend to eat other organisms to get their nutrients. But a study published in Functional Ecology by researchers at the University of Amsterdam's Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics ...

Jul 1, 2026
Phys.org / Cutting emissions more, removing carbon less could save 33,000 U.S. lives yearly

Published in Nature Climate Change, new research from the University of Wisconsin–Madison finds that reaching net-zero emissions by midcentury would substantially improve public health in the United States. However, climate ...

Jul 1, 2026
Phys.org / NASA rolls out three robotic moon missions as 2029 lunar base plans take shape

NASA on Tuesday announced new uncrewed missions to aid in the future creation of a lunar surface base, a project beginning to take shape despite recent setbacks.

Jul 1, 2026
Phys.org / Superworms could be the future of skeleton cleaning

Superworms, a mealworm-like form of beetle larva commonly used as pet food, are efficient cleaners of skeletons, according to a study published in PLOS One by Fatemeh Rastekar of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran, and ...

Jul 1, 2026
Phys.org / Tree size, not age, may speed habitat recovery for endangered Indiana bats

Bugs run rampant in the summer, and if you have ever suffered a mosquito bite and regretted not putting on bug spray, you should know about nature's insect repellent: the Indiana bat. Federally endangered since 1967, the ...

Jul 1, 2026
Phys.org / From fields to space farming, new tool detects crop drought stress before it's visible

When it comes to drought stress, timing can be the difference between saving a crop and losing it, whether in a greenhouse or in the high-stakes environment of future space missions. In a recent study published in Plant Phenomics, ...

Jul 1, 2026
Phys.org / Evolutionary origins of 'junk DNA' may provide new clues to cancer

In cancer research, one person's junk is increasingly becoming another person's treasure. Scientists have uncovered new evidence showing how recently evolved "junk DNA" genetic elements can become integrated into ancient ...

Jul 1, 2026
Phys.org / Beyond 3-D: Data scientists introduce novel AI tool to interpret complex biological data

As humans, our eyes take in two-dimensional images that our brains convert to three-dimensional experiences. This ability enables us to be aware of our position in space, judge distances, possess depth perception, and visually ...

Jul 1, 2026
Phys.org / How giant earthquakes can form at fault planes where theory says they should not

A research group led by Satoshi Ide from the University of Tokyo has demonstrated that classic earthquake generation theory does not hold in areas where the angle at which a tectonic plate dips under another is sufficiently ...

Jul 1, 2026
Phys.org / Scrolling for science: How a Twitter post discovered a new wasp in Fukuoka, Japan

The next time you post a nature photo online, you might be contributing to a major scientific breakthrough—just as several citizen scientists did when they helped discover the wasp Eupelmus curvator in Japan.

Jul 1, 2026
Phys.org / Climate resilience of brown bears over 175,000 years revealed in 3D analyses of their jaws

European brown bears are masters of survival: These animals have weathered Pleistocene climate fluctuations and survived the cycles of ice ages and interglacial periods to the present day. Zoologists have now investigated ...

Jul 1, 2026
Phys.org / Researchers discover novel SRV2 envelope protein for efficient CAR immune cell production

A Korean research team has developed a new viral vector technology that significantly improves the production efficiency of next-generation cell and gene therapies known as CAR immune cell therapies, which are designed to ...

Jul 1, 2026