Phys.org news
Phys.org / Black-box optimization weather intervention method supports future disaster mitigation
In recent years, the frequency of weather-related natural disasters—cyclones, torrential rains, floods—has increased as a consequence of global warming. These disasters cause billions of dollars in damage and losses every ...
Phys.org / From fields to space farming, new tool detects crop drought stress before it's visible
When it comes to drought stress, timing can be the difference between saving a crop and losing it, whether in a greenhouse or in the high-stakes environment of future space missions. In a recent study published in Plant Phenomics, ...
Phys.org / What made trees possible? New research points to drought
A study is reframing a fundamental question in plant evolution: What made trees possible? Researchers from Cal Poly Humboldt, Yale University, the University of Hohenheim in Germany and the Czech Academy of Sciences set out ...
Phys.org / Were Clovis foragers in Late Pleistocene North America big-game hunters, or just big-game scavengers?
There are currently 15 well-documented Late Pleistocene localities in North America in which Clovis points are found associated with proboscidean remains (of mammoth, mastodon and gomphothere). Archaeologists routinely assume ...
Phys.org / Webb reveals merger scars in galaxies that stopped forming stars 9 billion years ago
Research has shed new light on why some distant galaxies suddenly stop forming stars. An international team led by astronomers at the University of Nottingham has used the James Webb Space Telescope to study a large sample ...
Phys.org / Physicists and AI model Claude 'collaborate' to prove a 10-year-old jamming conjecture
A mathematical problem that had remained unsolved for more than 10 years in the physics of complex systems has finally been resolved through an unusual collaboration: one involving two theoretical physicists and an artificial ...
Phys.org / Himalayan pangolin emerges as distinct species, confirmed with DNA from 19th-century specimen
The pangolin is a midsize mammal found only in Africa and Asia. The pangolins' scales make them unique, but these scales have become their undoing. Pangolins are poached for their scales, making them the most highly trafficked ...
Phys.org / Polymer network reconfigures in sequence, helping elastomers stay tough under strain
Shock-absorbing sneaker soles are likely made of polyurethane, a highly elastic and tough polymer. The ability of these elastomers to absorb impact without breaking is extremely important for practical applications. While ...
Phys.org / NASA rolls out three robotic moon missions as 2029 lunar base plans take shape
NASA on Tuesday announced new uncrewed missions to aid in the future creation of a lunar surface base, a project beginning to take shape despite recent setbacks.
Phys.org / Italy displays paintings from an ancient Etruscan tomb, its latest cultural acquisition
Italy on Tuesday put on display one of the best known examples of Etruscan painting, panels from a tomb that it acquired for 15 million euros ($17 million) in the Culture Ministry's buying spree of big-ticket pieces of the ...
Phys.org / Abundant catalyst converts methane into valuable liquid chemicals
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory and their collaborators have demonstrated a promising new approach for converting methane—the primary component of natural gas—into liquid ...
Phys.org / Cosmic eruption caught in the act by submillimeter array's new fastest response system
On Jan. 26, 2026, the Submillimeter Array (SMA) on Maunakea crossed an important threshold for time-domain astronomy. For the first time, scientists from the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA) demonstrated ...
