Phys.org news

Phys.org / T. rex babies were born ready to run and feed themselves

Tyrannosaurus rex was a giant of the prehistoric world, standing up to 13 feet (4 meters) tall and weighing around 9 tons (8 tonnes). So you might expect that its hatchlings were also a considerable size.

23 hours ago
Phys.org / Crab-dug tunnels boost methane-eating microbes in coastal wetlands, study finds

Wetlands are a significant producer of methane, a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide. Yet not all of it escapes into the atmosphere. One reason is crabs. A study published in the journal Environmental Science ...

22 hours ago
Phys.org / Doughnut‑shaped topology reveals new way to classify knitting, crochet and other textiles

Fabrics are made by repeatedly intertwining yarns into characteristic patterns. Many of their properties, such as stretchiness, arise not only from the material itself but also from how the yarns are arranged and entangled. ...

17 hours ago
Phys.org / When disaster strikes, people often flee to places that feel familiar

When the Marshall Fire tore through suburban Colorado in late 2021, residents had only hours to decide where to go. Some fled to nearby towns. Others stayed farther away for weeks or months. Now, a recent study published ...

15 hours ago
Phys.org / Astronomers find nearby planets to be small, strange, and utterly uninhabitable

Scientists have painted the most detailed portrait yet of the planetary system orbiting Barnard's Star—the sun's closest neighbor after Alpha Centauri, just under six light-years from Earth.

22 hours ago
Phys.org / Unhoused people and wildlife are increasingly coming into contact. Here's what can be done to protect them

As homelessness increases around the world, more unhoused people are turning to parks and other urban green spaces to seek shelter. However, these places are also home to animals that live in and around urban areas.

18 hours ago
Phys.org / Microplastics reach even 2,000 meters below the ocean surface, study finds

Plastic pollution has become a global environmental crisis, with an estimated 11 million tons of plastic entering the oceans each year. As larger plastic debris breaks down into microplastics, these tiny particles are transported ...

21 hours ago
Phys.org / Adolescent social media restrictions may reduce some harms while shifting others, warn experts

Amrit Kaur Purba and colleagues argue that social media restrictions operate within a wider system of adolescents, families, schools, governments and commercial actors—and therefore should be treated as complex systems interventions ...

19 hours ago
Phys.org / Asteroid breakup may explain inner solar system bombardment 800 million years ago

A Southwest Research Institute-led study has proposed a connection between a specific collision in the main asteroid belt and an inner-solar-system-wide bombardment episode that may have had measurable biological and geological ...

23 hours ago
Phys.org / Bacteria form 'herds' to survive predators, offering fresh insight into Earth's carbon cycle

Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have discovered that tiny photosynthetic bacteria band together into protective "herds" when attacked by predators—a survival strategy that could also influence how carbon is ...

21 hours ago
Phys.org / Prey accessibility, not abundance, may shape predator behavior in penguins

Large seabird colonies have a surrounding boundary known as Ashmole's halo, where food sources are depleted, forcing the birds to travel farther to gather the food they need. The reason seems obvious—the more birds, the more ...

23 hours ago
Phys.org / Marsupial newborns get early arms as embryos bypass usual limb-building sequence

Scientists have discovered that marsupial forelimbs (arms) develop much earlier before birth than previously thought, providing new insights into evolutionary innovation and biology.

21 hours ago