Phys.org news

Phys.org / Volunteers discover rare space weather events using their ears

Our planet rests inside a magnetic cocoon filled with plasma—but it's not always peaceful and quiet. Activity from the sun can send waves through this space, and some of those disturbances can even reach Earth, affecting ...

Apr 17, 2026
Phys.org / Warmer streams may be draining river food webs by sending more carbon into the air

Rising stream temperatures may be weakening the foundation of river food webs by altering how carbon moves through these watery ecosystems. In a new study published in the journal Ecosphere, researchers from Northern Arizona ...

Apr 17, 2026
Phys.org / Shrink, remove and modify: Team successfully 'trims' wheat chromosomes

For the first time, a research team at the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) has succeeded in reducing the size of, or even completely removing, chromosomes in plants with large genomes, such ...

Apr 17, 2026
Phys.org / If birds are fancy dancers, are they smarter, too?

Does a male bird with a long and complex courtship dance have superior cognitive abilities? Simply put, is a talented dancer a smarter bird? To answer the question, researchers at Université de Montréal studied the zebra ...

Apr 17, 2026
Phys.org / Q&A: Will agentic AI replace human scientists?

An emerging type of artificial intelligence, known as "agentic" AI, seems to do everything that biomedical scientists do—and often, does it faster. This next-generation technology can interpret experimental data, report the ...

Apr 17, 2026
Phys.org / AI-powered tool could speed treatments for antibiotic-resistant bacteria by pinpointing potent peptides

A newly designed AI-powered tool is effective in developing treatments to attack antibiotic-resistant bacteria by breaking down their outer defenses, according to new research from Houston Methodist. The study, published ...

Apr 17, 2026
Phys.org / Ocean bottom seismometers could improve earthquake warning times in Pacific Northwest

If there is a magnitude 8 or 9 megathrust earthquake off the coast of the Pacific Northwest, data from ocean bottom seismometers (OBS) could improve earthquake detection times calculated by the ShakeAlert system.

Apr 17, 2026
Phys.org / Catching a scramblase in the act could pave the way to improved blood disorder and cancer treatments

Weill Cornell Medicine investigators have revealed the detailed workings of a cell membrane protein that has essential roles in all animals. The discovery could lead to new therapeutic strategies for blood coagulation disorders, ...

Apr 17, 2026
Phys.org / Monumental ship burial beneath ancient Norwegian mound predates the Viking Age

Monumental ship burials in Scandinavia may have started around a century earlier than previously thought, according to a paper published in the journal Antiquity. It reports the discovery of the remains of a 1,300-year-old ...

Apr 16, 2026
Phys.org / Titan's lakes may spawn 10-foot waves in gentle winds, new model suggests

On a calm day, a light breeze might barely ripple the surface of a lake on Earth. But on Saturn's largest moon, Titan, a similar mild wind would kick up 10-foot-tall waves. This otherworldly behavior is one prediction from ...

Apr 16, 2026
Phys.org / Atlantic current system could be weakening faster than expected

The Atlantic current system, or more formally the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), is more likely to weaken than previously thought. That's the conclusion of a new study published in the journal Science ...

Apr 16, 2026
Phys.org / Baby Neanderthals may have had a rapid growth spurt compared to modern babies

Baby Neanderthals may have been much larger and grown much more quickly than their modern Homo sapiens counterparts, according to a new study of the most intact Neanderthal infant skeleton. Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis) ...

Apr 16, 2026