Phys.org news

Phys.org / Dark matter could explain the earliest supermassive black holes

A growing mystery in astronomy is the presence of gargantuan black holes—some weighing as much as a billion suns—existing less than a billion years after the Big Bang. According to the standard theory of black hole formation, ...

1 hour ago
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 ...

1 hour ago
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 ...

5 hours ago
Phys.org / Scientists solve 100-year-old mystery behind rubber that powers modern life

Every time you drive, board a plane or water your lawn, you're relying on a material that has quietly powered modern life for nearly a century—reinforced rubber. It's in car and aircraft tires, industrial seals, medical devices ...

3 hours ago
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 ...

6 hours ago
Phys.org / Jelly-like plankton fuel bigger, faster-growing reef fish across the Indo-Pacific

New research led by James Cook University shows huge differences in fish biomass and fish productivity between Caribbean and Indo-Pacific coral reefs, driven by the consumption of jelly-like gelatinous plankton. For their ...

1 hour ago
Phys.org / Alien life may hide in plain sight: Statistical patterns across exoplanets move beyond traditional biosignatures

A research team has developed a new approach to detecting life beyond Earth that does not rely on identifying specific biological markers. Instead, the study suggests that life may be detectable through patterns emerging ...

3 hours ago
Phys.org / Hawai'i's songbirds are raiding neighbors' nests, and the losses could deepen a growing survival crisis

High in the forests of Hawai'i, songbirds are stealing twigs and moss from one another's nests. UC Riverside researchers found this quiet canopy crime is surprisingly common and could threaten species already struggling to ...

2 hours ago
Phys.org / Ancient seabird guano reveals how climate change may shape future populations

By analyzing peat cores, researchers have shown how populations of nesting seabirds have fluctuated on a sub-Antarctic island over 8,000 years. They found that bird numbers rose and fell alongside shifts in climate, offering ...

2 hours ago
Phys.org / As polar ice changes, so do the rules governing it

Sea ice is not just solid frozen water. It's riddled with tiny pockets and channels of liquid brine. Whether those pockets connect to form pathways determines whether seawater, nutrients and gases can move through the ice, ...

1 hour ago
Phys.org / Emerging in Alaska, dominant H5N1 strain spread continent-wide through migratory birds

An international group of scientists mapped the spread of the current dominant strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus through North American bird populations in 2024. Led by scientists from St. Jude Children's ...

2 hours ago
Phys.org / How a hidden receptor switch could open new paths for cancer and neurological treatments

A research team at Leipzig University has identified a mechanism in adhesion G protein-coupled receptors (adhesion GPCRs), a specific group of membrane receptors. This mechanism is essential for the activity of many of these ...

1 hour ago