Phys.org news

Phys.org / Microbial clues uncover how wild songbirds respond to stress

Every animal carries a microscopic community of bacteria, fungi, and other microbes that play a critical role in health. These gut microbes help regulate the immune system, support digestion, and even influence how animals ...

Mar 13, 2026
Phys.org / A pathway to achieve high well-being and a safe climate without relying on GDP growth

Governments' attempts to achieve climate goals are falling short, in large part because wealthy economies are continuing to pursue economic growth. As these economies ramp up production and consumption, they make climate ...

Mar 13, 2026
Phys.org / A race against time to save Alpine ice cores that record medieval mining, fires, and volcanoes

Ice cores taken from glaciers reveal the air pollution of the past, using atmospheric particles incorporated in snow that fell on the glacier and became ice. Now, scientists have extracted a record of thousands of years' ...

Mar 13, 2026
Phys.org / Climate change is slowing Earth's spin at unprecedented rate compared to past 3.6 million years

Climate change is lengthening our days because rising sea levels slow Earth's rotation. Researchers from the University of Vienna and ETH Zurich now show that the current increase in day length—1.33 milliseconds per century—is ...

Mar 12, 2026
Phys.org / Palm-sized superconducting magnet achieves 42 tesla, rivaling the world's biggest

When we think of powerful magnets used in particle accelerators or for NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance), we often envision bulky machines, sometimes the size of buildings. But in an extraordinary breakthrough for physics, ...

Mar 12, 2026
Phys.org / We are not alone: Our sun escaped together with stellar 'twins' from galaxy center

Researchers have uncovered evidence for our sun joining a mass migration of similar "twins" leaving the core regions of our galaxy, 4 to 6 billion years ago. The team created and studied an unprecedentedly accurate catalog ...

Mar 12, 2026
Phys.org / Galactic islands of tranquility: 'Little red dots' may have brewed life's building blocks

Astronomers have found that both the core of our Milky Way and the earliest proto-galaxies in the universe share a surprising trait: They are unusually calm and quiet in terms of harsh radiation. This tranquility is not just ...

Mar 12, 2026
Phys.org / Researcher uncovers Zoroastrian 'ripples' in Jewish documents from ancient Egypt

In a study published in the journal Iran, researcher Gad Barnea has uncovered new evidence suggesting that Zoroastrian religious practices were more prevalent and left a deeper imprint on surrounding communities than previously ...

Mar 12, 2026
Phys.org / Fantastic fungi found with ability to freeze water

Can fungi influence the weather? Turns out, they just might. An international group of researchers that includes Virginia Tech's Xiaofeng Wang and Boris A. Vinatzer discovered the identity of fungal proteins that can catalyze ...

Mar 12, 2026
Phys.org / Meet Crocodylus lucivenator, a 12- to 15-foot predator that hunted iconic Lucy's species

More than 3 million years ago, when our ancient ancestors embodied by the iconic Lucy were roaming the African landscape, they would have feared a big, bad crocodile with a prominent lump on its head, patiently lurking in ...

Mar 12, 2026
Phys.org / Good news for wastewater irrigation: Three crops store pharmaceutical byproducts in their leaves

In areas where freshwater is scarce, farmers often turn to treated wastewater to irrigate crops. And many regulators and consumers worry about exposing food to compounds routinely found in wastewater, including many psychoactive ...

Mar 12, 2026
Phys.org / Cell death's 'beautiful' rings have implications for biological resilience and immunity

Researchers at the University of Michigan have revealed that cells use a previously unknown feat of molecular craftsmanship to help protect their larger host organisms. The building blocks required for this work are found ...

Mar 12, 2026