Phys.org news

Phys.org / Closing the carbon cycle: Unraveling the roles of light and heat in CO₂ photocatalysis

Rising carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from human activities are the largest contributor to global warming. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global CO2 emissions reached an all-time high of 37.8 gigatons ...

Apr 16, 2026
Phys.org / AI turns plain-language prompts into lab-ready recipes for novel materials

Advances in artificial intelligence promise to help chemical engineers discover complex new materials. These materials could be used for reactions such as turning carbon dioxide into fuel, but technical barriers have limited ...

Apr 16, 2026
Phys.org / Simulations generate thousands of cyclone scenarios to predict extreme flooding in Bay of Bengal

Powerful cyclones can push seawater miles inland, threatening densely populated communities and critical infrastructure built along coastal areas. A combination of exposure and complexity makes the Bay of Bengal in Southeast ...

Apr 16, 2026
Phys.org / New metric identifies at-risk mangroves before they disappear

Scientists from UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Centro para la Biodiversidad Marina y la Conservación in Mexico have developed a tool that identifies mangrove patches facing the greatest risk of ...

Apr 16, 2026
Phys.org / Scientists capture superconductivity's 'dancing pairs' for first time, revealing missing pieces in a decades-old theory

For the first time, scientists have directly imaged the quantum process underlying superconductivity, a phenomenon in which paired electrons cause electric current to flow without resistance at sufficiently low temperatures. ...

Apr 15, 2026
Phys.org / Unearthed mega-structure hints at communal rule in Romania 6,000 years ago

Archaeologists working at the ancient settlement of Stăuceni-"Holm" in northeastern Romania have uncovered a mega-structure measuring 350 square meters dating back about 6,000 years. This is one of the few examples of a massive ...

Apr 15, 2026
Phys.org / Ancient Maya droughts may have been fueled by Earth's own climate swings

Dramatic droughts linked to the decline of the Classic Maya civilization approximately 800 to 1000 CE may not have required any external trigger, according to a new climate modeling study. Instead, they could have emerged ...

Apr 15, 2026
Phys.org / A monster black hole appeared first, then its galaxy began to grow around it

Using observations gathered by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), an international team of astronomers have revealed that one supermassive black hole in the early universe must have formed before a galaxy developed around ...

Apr 15, 2026
Phys.org / Astronomers reveal always-changing multi-planet system

Astronomers at The University of New Mexico have published new research confirming three bodies orbiting the dynamic exoplanet system TOI-201. They include a super-Earth (TOI-201 d), a warm Jupiter (TOI-201 b), and a brown ...

Apr 15, 2026
Phys.org / Nature might have a universal rhythm

Animal communication can look wildly different—flashing lights, chirping calls, croaking songs and elaborate dances. But new research from Northwestern University suggests many of these signals share a surprising feature: ...

Apr 15, 2026
Phys.org / Blended satellite data reveal what drove methane's 2019–2024 rise worldwide

Because methane has around 80 times the warming potential of CO2 over a 20-year period, it has been a major focus for climate action groups. The Global Methane Pledge, launched at COP26 in November 2021, aims to cut human-caused ...

Apr 15, 2026
Phys.org / Museum drawer fossil reveals 200-million-year-old crocodile relative with a powerful bite

The fossil record has given us another new prehistoric species, named Eosphorosuchus lacrimosa (from the Greek personification of the morning star—the planet Venus), a member of the group called Crocodylomorpha, which includes ...

Apr 15, 2026