Phys.org news

Phys.org / Did wildfires help spark the invention of pottery?

A new study suggests that a period of intense fires and landscape upheaval in the ancient southern Levant may have helped create the conditions that led Neolithic communities to discover how fire could transform clay.

Sep 8, 2026
Phys.org / Climate change may erase 25 million hectares of kelp forests by 2050

Climate change is driving rapid declines in seaweed forests globally, outpacing restoration efforts and undermining seaweed restoration as a viable carbon dioxide removal strategy, according to an essay by Karen Filbee-Dexter ...

Sep 8, 2026
Phys.org / Researchers rewire ribosomes to specialize in one protein

Every cell relies on ribosomes, the molecular machines that read genetic instructions and use them to assemble proteins. A cell needs thousands of types of proteins at any one time, so ribosomes must be generalists, capable ...

Sep 8, 2026
Phys.org / Waterlogged seeds reveal melons' ancient journey

Melons produce many seeds, making the melon shape a traditional symbol of fertility and prosperity in Chinese culture. But the historical debate about how melons made their way to modern tables is as long and twisted as ...

Sep 8, 2026
Phys.org / Study predicts large disparities in access to food, water and energy in 2050

How will global access to food, water and energy evolve in coming decades? A new study coauthored by MIT researchers suggests the answers could be very different depending on region, resource and income.

Sep 8, 2026
Phys.org / AI model decodes cell signaling fingerprints across diverse cell types

As an embryo develops from a small cluster of stem cells, those once "blank slate" cells begin to take on more specialized roles like brain, liver or muscle cells and organize themselves into three-dimensional structures ...

Sep 8, 2026
Phys.org / Bear baiting in England became more common following Norman invasion, research reveals

Bear baiting in England became more popular after the Norman Conquest in 1066, new research shows. The study by Cardiff University and the University of Nottingham brings together archaeological analysis of bear bones and ...

Sep 8, 2026
Phys.org / ALMA watches a massive binary assemble in real time

Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), astronomers have captured one of the most detailed three-dimensional views yet of a massive binary star system while it is still being born. By tracking the motions ...

Sep 8, 2026
Phys.org / Melting Svalbard glaciers may flush ancient methane from rocks beneath the ice

Meltwater rivers flowing from Svalbard glaciers are carrying ancient methane from rocks beneath the ice into the open air, new research published in Nature Communications shows.

Sep 8, 2026
Phys.org / Worm's radical transformation shows metamorphosis can change the functions of cells

A squishy worm that starts its life as something of a floating head in the Pacific Ocean is changing what scientists know about metamorphosis at the cellular level.

Sep 8, 2026
Phys.org / Cosmic radiation at flight altitudes rises when the sun is less active

Radiation from space is constantly entering Earth's atmosphere, but how much of it reaches the altitudes used by commercial aircraft depends not only on height and location, but also on the activity of the sun. A new study ...

Sep 8, 2026
Phys.org / Curved nanographene with five-, six- and seven-membered rings synthesized in two steps

Nanographenes can be considered molecular fragments of graphene, a 2D conductive material in which carbon atoms are connected in a honeycomb pattern. Because their electronic and photophysical properties vary depending on ...

Sep 8, 2026