Phys.org news

Phys.org / Mars' oddest cloud may be even odder than previously thought

Scientists using the European Space Agency's Mars Express, in combination with a state-of-the-art meteorological model of the Red Planet, have found that there may be some exotic physics behind Mars' most curious cloud. The ...

Oct 7, 2026
Phys.org / Boosting seawater alkalinity could help communities tackle local carbon emissions, researchers argue

When scientists discovered that increasing the ocean's natural alkalinity could enhance seawater's capacity to absorb and store carbon dioxide (CO₂), the idea quickly gained attention as a potential geoengineering solution ...

Oct 7, 2026
Phys.org / Seafloor sediments reveal how East Antarctic ice temporarily halted its retreat and advanced 40 miles

Off the coast of East Antarctica, researchers led by Kiel University (CAU) and the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), have investigated an exceptionally large sedimentary body ...

Oct 7, 2026
Phys.org / Compact CRISPR alternative uses bacterial proteins to insert large DNA segments

A new engineered gene-editing system, proven in bacteria and showing promise for use in plants, animals and humans, addresses some limitations of current gene-editing tools, with the goal of improving their use in research, ...

Oct 7, 2026
Phys.org / 'Classic example' of sexual dimorphism in fossil record actually shows nuance between males and females

For decades, paleontologists have held up uintatheres as a prime illustration of sexual dimorphism, or the tendency for males and females of a species to be physically different. Notable for their large size, prominent horns ...

Oct 7, 2026
Phys.org / The world's oyster reefs could add $12 trillion to planetary health each year—if they were better managed

A new study shows that the world's oyster reefs are a precious resource that's vastly underestimated and underutilized. The authors set out to calculate the reefs' potential gross ecosystem product (GEP), the ecological counterpart ...

Oct 7, 2026
Phys.org / Alcohol in space: Exotic methanol discovered in planet-building zones

An international team of astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), of which the U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a partner (NSF NRAO), has combined ...

Oct 7, 2026
Phys.org / 'Top predator' from the Jurassic measures just half a meter

The "top predator" from the Jurassic is relatively small: Megacauda sungei measures just half a meter (1.6 feet) from its nose to the tip of its tail. The furry ancestor of today's mammals hunted its prey in water 165 million ...

Oct 7, 2026
Phys.org / New polystyrene uses 50% plant-based material and breaks into fragments for potential recycling

Polystyrene is used in protective packaging for televisions and electronic devices, in decorative boards and baseboards for interior construction, and in petri dishes. It is one of the world's most important plastics, with ...

Oct 7, 2026
Phys.org / Uranium compound known since the 1960s reveals hidden spiral structure with unusual magnetic properties

A University of Texas at Dallas scientist and her colleagues have discovered an unusual atomic pattern in a uranium-based material that gives it a rare combination of magnetic properties, a finding that could open new pathways ...

Oct 7, 2026
Phys.org / Mysterious Papua New Guinea rock reveals unexpected cooling as it descended deeper underground

The discovery of an unexpectedly hot rock beneath Earth's surface is challenging scientists' understanding of how heat is distributed deep inside the planet, with potential implications for how they understand earthquakes, ...

Oct 7, 2026
Phys.org / Offshore wind turbine foundations may cool ocean surface by mixing seawater

New research within the PELAgIO ECOWind project has revealed how offshore wind farms can influence ocean temperatures and mixing, and why their effects depend on local conditions.

Oct 7, 2026