Phys.org news

Phys.org / Peculiar core-collapse supernova breaks the mold with a long, dim plateau

Astronomers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have employed the Lijiang 2.4-m telescope to perform optical photometric and spectroscopic observations of a core-collapse Type IIP supernova designated SN 2024abfl. ...

Apr 10, 2026
Phys.org / Glaciers rapidly declining, with extreme losses in 2025

Earth's glaciers are continuing to shrink at alarming rates, with new international research revealing that 2025 was among the worst years on record for global ice loss. Published in the Climate Chronicles collection of Nature ...

Apr 10, 2026
Phys.org / SoCal's hybrid bees outsmart Varroa mites before they even hatch

Southern California is home to a flying black-and-yellow treasure. While commercial honeybee hives nationwide are collapsing under attack from deadly parasites, a unique hybrid bee found only in this part of the state has ...

Apr 10, 2026
Phys.org / Unlocking Earth's 4.5-billion-year secret: The case of the missing lead

Geoscientists have long relied on different forms of lead to understand Earth's geological history and how it was created over billions of years. However, there is a mystery that has been puzzling scientists for decades: ...

Apr 10, 2026
Phys.org / Tarantulas may use learning and memory to search for food and locate their retreats

Researchers have documented several cases of spatial orientation in tarantulas living both in trees and in underground burrows. Spatial orientation refers to the ability of an animal to understand where it is in three-dimensional ...

Apr 10, 2026
Phys.org / After reaching speeds of 10,657 meters per second, Artemis II hurtles home for make-or-break splashdown

The Artemis II astronauts conducted a historic lunar flyby, gathered invaluable data and took in unprecedented moon views, but one of the most crucial moments of their 10-day mission is still to come: Friday's splashdown.

Apr 10, 2026
Phys.org / Seabirds reveal global mercury distribution in oceans

Mercury released into the oceans affects marine environments worldwide. Traditionally, its distribution and quantity have been estimated using marine biogeochemical simulation models.

Apr 10, 2026
Phys.org / Could your housemates be changing your gut bacteria? An island bird study suggests so

Living with friends may quietly be altering your gut bacteria, according to a new study from the University of East Anglia. Research on a colony of tiny island birds reveals they share more of their gut bacteria with the ...

Apr 10, 2026
Phys.org / What if dark matter came in two states?

The absence of a signal could itself be a signal. This is the idea behind a new study published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, which aims to redefine how we search for dark matter, showing that it ...

Apr 9, 2026
Phys.org / Mammal ancestors laid eggs—and this 250-million-year-old fossil proves it

A remarkable new discovery is shedding light on one of the greatest survival stories in Earth's history, and answering a decades-old scientific mystery. Lystrosaurus, a hardy, plant-eating mammal ancestor, rose to prominence ...

Apr 9, 2026
Phys.org / Street green space can help cool cities, but it will not be enough on its own

A new IIASA-led study finds that expanding street green space can reduce urban heat stress in cities worldwide, but even ambitious greening efforts are unlikely to offset a significant share of the additional heat expected ...

Apr 9, 2026
Phys.org / No more giants, no more heavy handaxes: Why early humans downsized their stone tools

For more than 1 million years, early humans in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean used a range of heavy tools, such as massive handaxes and stone balls, for important tasks, including processing animal carcasses. ...

Apr 9, 2026