Phys.org news

Phys.org / Plants reveal backup system for sensing and adapting to rising temperatures

University of Mississippi researchers are studying how plants respond to heat at the molecular level, an important consideration for farmers, businesses and policymakers as global temperatures rise.

Jun 15, 2026
Phys.org / Why Arctic sea ice loss could reshape the Gulf Stream's future

The warm Gulf Stream is maintained by coldness. The Barents Sea is a cooling machine. To predict how ocean currents in the Atlantic Ocean may develop, one needs to know what drives them. The hunt for driving forces has led ...

Jun 15, 2026
Phys.org / Only 10 viral particles cause H5N1 avian flu infection in cows

Just 10 viral particles of the H5N1 bird flu that caused hundreds of influenza outbreaks in U.S. dairy cattle can cause infection in cows, a new study shows. The research also hints at why the outbreaks have confounded scientists, ...

Jun 15, 2026
Phys.org / Beyond frozen snapshots, protein 'breathing' comes into view with combined imaging methods

Advances in structural biology have allowed scientists to determine molecular structures with atomic-level detail, sometimes yielding static snapshots that do not reflect the dynamism of proteins. However, these motions are ...

Jun 15, 2026
Phys.org / A waltz over evolutionary timescales: Why it's so hard for animals to invent a new mating dance

"Love makes fools of all of us," wrote 19th-century novelist William Makepeace Thackeray. A moment spent watching the pigeons at your local park suggests he was right: males with puffed-up, shimmering necks hop, pirouette, ...

Jun 15, 2026
Phys.org / Critical cellular system discovery may lead to treatment of some cancers

A molecular geneticist at Montana State University has discovered a cellular process once believed impossible by scientists—the creation of the amino acid cysteine within a living cell when the cell's primary systems for ...

Jun 15, 2026
Phys.org / Some bees cannot escape rising heat, and their tiny homes make crisis even harder

Bee species that nest in plant stems appear to be at the greatest short-term risk from increasing temperatures due to climate change, while those that nest in the ground are better able to evade extreme heat, according to ...

Jun 15, 2026
Phys.org / Scientists improve nearly every aspect of prime editing, moving it closer to treating more genetic diseases

Prime editing can potentially repair the vast majority of known disease-causing human mutations, but the technology, first developed in 2019, has not yet been widely used in the body, or in vivo, to treat genetic disease. ...

Jun 15, 2026
Phys.org / Wind patterns play surprising role in tropical rainfall trends

Changes in wind patterns play the leading role in influencing often devastating tropical rainfall changes, rather than simply the warming atmosphere holding more moisture, according to new research.

Jun 15, 2026
Phys.org / Predators on the move may link the evolution of species thousands of kilometers apart

Can a snake in Thailand influence the evolution of a snake in the Philippines even if the two species never cross paths? According to a new study, the answer may be yes. The research suggests that migratory predators can ...

Jun 15, 2026
Phys.org / Redefined conformity model beats averaging in five real-world tests of opinion dynamics

Imagine you poll your friends on how many minutes per pound to roast a turkey. Five respond with 15 minutes; one answers 33 minutes. The most popular model of conformity, the French-Harary-DeGroot model (or more commonly, ...

Jun 15, 2026
Phys.org / PACE satellite tracks fall colors with near-daily global coverage

Researchers have developed a new approach using data from NASA's Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite to observe the timing and progression of fall colors across landscapes.

Jun 15, 2026