Phys.org news

Phys.org / Antarctic ice reveals two volcanoes erupting simultaneously may have caused 15th-century cooling

Nearly 600 years ago, a massive volcanic eruption sent clouds of sulfurous gas and ash high into the atmosphere. The blast known as the 1458/59 CE event was so huge that it triggered decades of cooling, especially in the ...

Oct 22, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / A tiny chip that can help us see deeper into space

A new imaging system could help us see deeper into the universe than ever before. The same powerful technology could also help us analyze the chemical makeup of everyday materials such as food and medicines much faster and ...

Oct 22, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Astronomers identify dozens of stellar streams with Gaia

Using ESA's Gaia satellite, astronomers have detected 87 stellar streams associated with globular clusters (GCs) in our Milky Way galaxy. The discovery, which doubles the number of known GC stellar streams, was detailed in ...

Oct 22, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Structural variants reshape the yeast genotype–phenotype map

Université de Strasbourg and partners report that adding structural variants and small insertion–deletion mutations to single-nucleotide polymorphism analyses raised trait heritability estimates by 14.3% and uncovered ...

Oct 22, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Fungal secrets of a sunken ship: Advanced decay found throughout USS Cairo despite past wood preservation efforts

University of Minnesota researchers studied the microbial degradation of the USS Cairo, one of the first ironclad and steam-powered gunboats used in the United States Civil War. Studies of microbial degradation of historic ...

Oct 22, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Radiocarbon dating of Egyptian artifacts puts Thera (Santorini) volcanic eruption prior to Pharaoh Ahmose

One of the largest volcanic eruptions in the last 10,000 years took place at the Greek island of Thera (Santorini) in the Aegean Sea, but its dating during the late 17th or 16th century BCE remained controversial. Volcanic ...

Oct 22, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Light particles prefer company: Photons exhibit collective behavior only after reaching certain threshold

As far as particles of light are concerned, the collective is more important than the individual. When they get to decide between two states, they will favor the one that many of their fellow particles have already adopted. ...

Oct 22, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / A 15th-century Inca building was built for sound—researchers are working to understand why

The Inca empire is renowned for its architecture; its buildings were intricately designed and extraordinarily durable.

Oct 22, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Rainforest animals are using tourist walkways, offering clues for conservation design

Look up in the woods and you may see a familiar sight: squirrels using tree limbs like a leafy highway, crossing a patch of land without putting their paws on the ground.

Oct 22, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Planetary scientists link Jupiter's birth to Earth's formation zone

New research from Rice University suggests that the giant planet Jupiter reshaped the early solar system in dramatic ways, carving out rings and gaps that ultimately explain one of the longest-standing puzzles in planetary ...

Oct 22, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / 3 billion-year-old white dwarf still consuming its planetary system challenges previous assumptions

In approximately 5 billion years, the sun will deplete its hydrogen fuel and collapse under its own gravity, becoming a white dwarf. Though Earth-sized, this dense remnant will retain much of the sun's gravitational influence.

Oct 22, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Scientists release new survey of the biggest objects in the universe

Scientists have released a new study on the arXiv preprint server that catalogs the universe by mapping huge clusters of galaxies.

Oct 22, 2025 in Astronomy & Space