Phys.org news

Phys.org / Climate stress in adolescence can weaken bumblebees for life

Recent research shows that climatic changes to which bumblebee queens are exposed in their early life stages impair their survival and reproductive abilities, which can also have a negative impact on ecosystems and agriculture.

Oct 14, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Swarm reveals growing weak spot in Earth's magnetic field

Using 11 years of magnetic field measurements from the European Space Agency's Swarm satellite constellation, scientists have discovered that the weak region in Earth's magnetic field over the South Atlantic—known as the ...

Oct 13, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Captivity changes the gut bacteria of endangered pandas and bears

Whether we're talking about animals or humans, gut microbes are essential for health, metabolism and protecting against infection. While captivity is known to alter the gut microbiota of wildlife, the relative influence of ...

Oct 13, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Observations inspect the nature of a newly discovered very faint X-ray transient

Using various space telescopes, an international team of astronomers have observed a newly detected very faint X-ray transient designated 4XMM J174610.7–290020. Results of the observational campaign, published October 2 ...

Oct 13, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Lab-boosted olfactory receptor reveals new insights about how our sense of smell works

Humans have about 400 odorant receptors (ORs), but scientists have had trouble finding ligands that match up with most of these ORs in lab settings—leaving them with a murky understanding of how certain smells are recognized ...

Oct 13, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Island spider sheds half its genome, defying evolutionary expectations

Over a few million years, the spider Dysdera tilosensis—a species endemic to the Canary Islands—has reduced the size of its genome by half during the process of colonization and adaptation to its natural habitat. In addition ...

Oct 13, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Earth's continents stabilized due to furnace-like heat, study reveals

For billions of years, Earth's continents have remained remarkably stable, forming the foundation for mountains, ecosystems and civilizations. But the secret to their stability has mystified scientists for more than a century. ...

Oct 13, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Drip by drip: Research provides first complete mathematical description of stalagmite shapes

Deep inside caves, water dripping from the ceiling creates one of nature's most iconic formations: stalagmites. These pillars of calcite, ranging from centimeters to many meters in height, rise from the cave floor as drip ...

Oct 13, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Rewriting the rules of genetics: Study reveals gene boundaries are dynamic, not fixed

Molecular biologists have long believed that the beginning of a gene launched the process of transcription—the process by which a segment of DNA is copied into RNA and then RNA helps make the proteins that cells need to ...

Oct 13, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Dark matter might leave a 'fingerprint' on light, scientists say

Dark matter, the substance that makes up about 27% of the universe, could potentially be detected as a red or blue light "fingerprint," new research shows. The research is published in the journal Physics Letters B.

Oct 13, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Light-driven reaction leads to advanced hybrid nanomaterial

Scientists are exploring many ways to use light rather than heat to drive chemical reactions more efficiently, which could significantly reduce waste, energy consumption, and reliance on nonrenewable resources.

Oct 13, 2025 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Astronomers uncover collisional signature of filamentary structures in galactic G34 molecular cloud

Using CO (J=1–0) molecular line data obtained from the 13.7-meter millimeter-wave telescope at the Purple Mountain Observatory's Delingha Observatory, Sun Mingke, a Ph.D. student from the Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory ...

Oct 13, 2025 in Astronomy & Space