Phys.org news
Phys.org / What explains gender pay gaps in academia?
Gender pay gaps in academia are well documented. The harder question is why they persist. A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences tested several leading answers to that question.
Phys.org / New cell imaging method measures protein folding in living organelles
Protein aggregates are associated with the development of diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. These are found more often in certain areas of cells known as membraneless organelles. Do these organelles promote this ...
Phys.org / Japan's first mosasaur premaxilla fossil hints at a new species
A research team from Okayama University of Science, Tokyo City University, the Natural History Museum, Kishiwada City (Osaka Prefecture), and other institutions has identified four previously unrecognized fossil bones from ...
Phys.org / Arctic winter sea ice returns to significant decline, ending the temporary slowdown
New analysis shows that a "pause" in Arctic winter sea ice decline seen in the early 2020s has ended following record lows in 2025 and early 2026. The study, led by the University of Southampton in collaboration with the ...
Phys.org / Giving bees a probiotic diet could help protect them from extreme temperatures
Honeybees do not like cold weather. When temperatures dip, they can become sluggish and unable to fly. But no matter the conditions in the outside world, they try to keep their hives close to a comfortable 34°C–36°C (93°F–97°F). ...
Phys.org / Bee brains reveal how colonies divide work without central planning
What determines which tasks bees perform in their colony? Biologists from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) and the universities in Cologne and Frankfurt/Main have investigated the role neural activity plays in this ...
Phys.org / Molecules stop carbon nanotubes clumping, unlocking record heat-to-electricity performance
QUT researchers have overcome a challenge that has limited next-generation energy-harvesting materials for more than two decades, opening the door to more powerful wearable electronics and new ways of turning wasted heat ...
Phys.org / Greater nutrient variety can counterintuitively shrink microbial diversity, experiments reveal
Microbial communities are considered particularly diverse—in soil, water and the human body. A common assumption in ecology is that the greater the diversity of available nutrients, the more species can coexist. A research ...
Phys.org / World's first gene edited Culicoides biting midges open door for livestock disease research
Scientists have successfully edited the genome of biting midges, opening the door to new research on how these insects transmit disease. Culicoides biting midges are small blood-feeding insects responsible for spreading important ...
Phys.org / Rare sighting reveals Arctic bobtail squid and egg masses in subzero Greenland fjord
Marine biologists have observed the Arctic bobtail squid in its natural habitat in the North Atlantic Ocean for the first time, including the rare discovery of a mature female with eggs. Dr Paige Maroni, from The University ...
Phys.org / Early career funding improves scientific influence and citations for women
Early-career funding has a bigger impact on women than men when it comes to their careers in science, according to a new study from City St George's, University of London. While the study found that successful applicants ...
Phys.org / Africa's wildfire season is actually getting shorter, scientists think they know why
Africa is home to around 70% of the world's burned area—the total area of land scorched by wildfires each year—making it the planet's biggest wildfire hotspot. Yet despite this, satellite observations have revealed an unexpected ...