Phys.org news

Phys.org / Nitrogen-fixing genes moved into new bacterial strains, opening path beyond fertilizer

Most major crops, such as wheat and corn, require expensive nitrogen fertilizer to flourish. But what if bacteria could help those plants draw nitrogen from the atmosphere, as peas and beans do?

May 28, 2026
Phys.org / Settling down vs. settling: New study proves being single beats a bad relationship

While society often assumes that finding a romantic partner is the ultimate key to happiness, tracking relationship changes over time reveals a distinctly different reality. A massive longitudinal study proves that individuals ...

May 28, 2026
Phys.org / Peering into the Milky Way's far side, Roman could unveil 100,000 worlds

NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is poised to make a major leap in the hunt for worlds outside our solar system, known as exoplanets. Scientists expect the mission to reveal around 100,000 worlds—a staggering leap ...

May 28, 2026
Phys.org / Arctic Ocean food chain is disrupted as a key tipping point has now been passed

An irreversible shift in the chemical makeup of the Arctic Ocean driven by climate change is disrupting the region's food chain, a study suggests. Widespread loss of Arctic sea ice has led to a sharp fall in levels of a key ...

May 28, 2026
Phys.org / New MRI sensors detect target molecules in the brain and body with high sensitivity

When doctors and scientists want to see inside a body, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a powerful tool. MRI can noninvasively capture detailed images of the body's muscles, organs, and bones. It can monitor blood flow ...

May 28, 2026
Phys.org / Introduced wild pigs linked to fewer invasive plants, while native deer show the opposite pattern

Wild pigs are generally considered among the world's most problematic invasive mammals. But a major new study from Aarhus Universitet shows that the introduced animals may actually have beneficial effects in North American ...

May 28, 2026
Phys.org / Quantum entanglement provides a new framework for understanding chemical bonding

Chemical bonding is one of the central organizing principles of the microscopic world. It determines how atoms combine and thereby governs a wide range of physical and chemical properties of quantum systems across many length ...

May 28, 2026
Phys.org / Red dwarf stars detected 'eating' Earth-like planets

Astronomers have found some of the strongest evidence yet that stars can swallow their own planets. A new study, published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, supports the long-held belief that young stars ...

May 28, 2026
Phys.org / Mineral clues in Gale Crater track ancient Mars climate change

While NASA imagery has shown evidence of ancient rivers and lakes on Mars that transitioned to dry dunes, uncertainty remains over the timing of the environmental changes that may have contributed to these shifts.

May 28, 2026
Phys.org / Neanderthal ancestry may lower defenses against common DNA viruses in people today

Researchers have found surprising links that show that Neanderthal ancestry influences our immune system today in ways more nuanced than previously recognized. Their work is published in the journal Genome Biology and Evolution.

May 28, 2026
Phys.org / Turtles finally have a place in the tree of life thanks to an X‑ray study of South African fossils

The origin of turtles has always been a bit of a puzzle for scientists who study the evolution of animals. To this day, where they fit in the tree of life remains a highly debated topic.

May 28, 2026
Phys.org / New ammonia-making method could upend one of industry's dirtiest processes

As our world's population grows, so does the demand for ammonia—a key ingredient in fertilizer. The International Renewable Energy Agency estimates that ammonia production must quadruple by 2050 to feed the increase in global ...

May 28, 2026