Phys.org news
Phys.org / Ancient charcoal sheds new light on how early humans fueled their lives
Nearly 800,000 years ago, early humans gathered along the shores of a lush lake in what is now northern Israel. Here, they returned again and again, hunting large animals, cooking fish over controlled fires, and organizing ...
Phys.org / Dark volcanic ash has visibly reshaped Martian surface since 1976
Noticeable change on Mars often takes millions of years—but the European Space Agency's Mars Express has captured a blanket of dark ash creeping across the planet in just decades.
Phys.org / Subaru telescope captures comet 3I/ATLAS composition change
The Subaru Telescope observed the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS on January 7, 2026, after it made its closest approach to the sun. By observing colors in the coma around the comet, astronomers could estimate the ratio of carbon ...
Phys.org / 'Safe' fertilizer linked to extreme water quality loss in Canadian Prairies
Research published in Nature Water found that widespread application of the common farm fertilizer, urea, severely degrades water quality in the Canadian Prairies. Researchers at the University of Manitoba and the University ...
Phys.org / Researchers synthesize photosynthetic molecule found in bacteria
Researchers from North Carolina State University have successfully synthesized bacteriochlorophyll a, which is a photosynthetic pigment found in bacteria that absorbs infrared light. The work represents the first chemical ...
Phys.org / Multitasking quantum sensors can measure several properties at once
A special class of sensors leverages quantum properties to measure tiny signals at levels that would be impossible using classical sensors alone. Such quantum sensors are currently being used to study the inner workings of ...
Phys.org / Copper's 'gatekeeper' could unlock cleaner energy future
A common mineral hiding in plain sight could hold the key to making copper production cleaner, faster and more efficient, just as global demand for the metal surges to power the energy transition. In an article published ...
Phys.org / One battered skull exposes a lost killer from dinosaur dawn and a vanished bloodline
"You want to stick your finger in a dinosaur brain?" asked Simba Srivastava. Surrounded by cabinets full of ancient bones in the paleobiology lab, the Virginia Tech undergraduate student held out a lumpy, pockmarked fossil.
Phys.org / Drought takes a heavy toll on bumblebees
Drought significantly reduces the reproductive success of bumblebee colonies, according to a new study conducted by a research team at the University of Würzburg and published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological ...
Phys.org / Bolivian mummy rewrites scarlet fever's past, suggesting killer bacterium circulated centuries before colonization
Researchers have identified the genetic material of scarlet fever while examining a tooth from a naturally mummified skull housed at MUNARQ, the National Museum of Archaeology in La Paz. Using a method that reassembled previously ...
Phys.org / Quantum simulations reveal spin transport in 1D materials
Researchers from the Department of Energy's Quantum Science Center (QSC) headquartered at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have achieved a significant milestone by demonstrating the first digital quantum simulations of ...
Phys.org / Cut off from making fat, parasitic wasps lose pheromones, fail to form eggs and cannot reproduce
The Easter holidays are over and many people have once again experienced firsthand how easily sweets can be converted into fat. Parasitic wasps are also capable of converting sugar into fat—a capability that long was thought ...
