Phys.org news

Phys.org / Ancient supernova may hold key to universe's mysterious dark energy

Astronomers are a step closer to cracking one of the secrets of dark energy—the mysterious force believed to be causing the universe's accelerated expansion.

3 hours ago in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Humans rank between meerkats and beavers in monogamy 'league table'

Humans are far closer to meerkats and beavers for levels of exclusive mating than we are to most of our primate cousins, according to a new University of Cambridge study that includes a table ranking monogamy rates in various ...

17 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Adult female bark spiders produce superior and tougher silk than males do

Dragline silk or major ampullate (MA) silk, the part of a spider's web that forms the main frame and spokes, is one of the toughest materials known to science. That is, it can absorb massive amounts of energy from a sudden ...

23 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / 'Light-bending' material that controls blue and ultraviolet light could transform advanced chipmaking

Researchers from TU Delft and Radboud University (The Netherlands) have discovered that the two-dimensional ferroelectric material CuInP₂S₆ (CIPS) can be used to control the pathway and properties of blue and ultraviolet ...

18 hours ago in Physics
Phys.org / Antarctica's only native insect is already eating microplastics

A global research team led by researchers from the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment has found that Antarctica's only native insect is already ingesting microplastics, even ...

21 hours ago in Earth
Phys.org / Ocean current and seabed shape influence warm water circulation under ice shelves, research reveals

New research reveals how the speed of ocean currents and the shape of the seabed influence the amount of heat flowing underneath Antarctic ice shelves, contributing to melting.

17 hours ago in Earth
Phys.org / Climate extremes trigger rare coral disease and mass mortality on the Great Barrier Reef

University of Sydney marine biologists have identified a devastating combination of coral bleaching and a rare necrotic wasting disease that wiped out large, long-lived corals on the Great Barrier Reef during the record 2024 ...

17 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Fast-tracking a natural climate solution by compressing millennia of carbon capture into hours

What if it were possible to take a very slow geological process, one that takes thousands of years in nature, and speed it up so that it happens within hours, in order to slow the rate of global warming?

21 hours ago in Earth
Phys.org / Artificial photosynthesis catalyst converts carbon dioxide into fuel using sunlight

A joint research team has developed a highly efficient photocatalyst that can convert carbon dioxide into the high-value-added fuel, methane, using sunlight, while explaining its operating principles. The work is published ...

21 hours ago in Chemistry
Phys.org / K-DRIFT pathfinder: A compact telescope for observing faint galactic structures

Conventional telescopes are limited in detecting low-surface-brightness (LSB) structures, which are essential for studying galaxy evolution. Now, researchers have developed a new telescope system featuring a confocal off-axis ...

20 hours ago in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / First human DNA-cutting enzyme that senses physical tension discovered

An international research team has identified a human protein, ANKLE1, as the first DNA-cutting enzyme (nuclease) in mammals capable of detecting and responding to physical tension in DNA. This "tension-sensing" mechanism ...

21 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Geomorphological approach evaluates Galápagos watersheds

Galápagos is a living laboratory where every environmental decision matters. On Santa Cruz, the most populated island of the archipelago, freshwater is a limited and increasingly vulnerable resource due to urban growth, ...

20 hours ago in Earth