Phys.org news

Phys.org / Prescribed burns may generate over 20% of fine particle pollution in southeastern US

Prescribed fires are vital for reducing wildfire risk and sustaining forest biodiversity. But they also contribute significantly to air pollution and smoke exposure, according to new research from the University of Georgia. ...

Jul 2, 2026
Phys.org / Honeybee queens push pesticides to eggs to protect themselves over their offspring, research reveals

Worker bees are the first line of defense when it comes to removing contamination in honeybee colonies, but a queen has her ways, too. A honeybee queen facing chronic exposure to pesticides will take up that contamination ...

Jul 2, 2026
Phys.org / Plant DNA harbors virus 'fossils' that reflect 300 million years of evolution

Is it possible to study the history of viruses that emerged several hundred million years ago? An international team of INRAE and CIRAD researchers answered this question by exploring plant genomes to find the molecular fossils ...

Jul 2, 2026
Phys.org / Massive sturgeon once bred in Britain's rivers, boosting reintroduction hopes

Atlantic and European sturgeon once called Britain's rivers home and could do so again, following research using Natural History Museum specimens. These fish are among the biggest found in Europe and undertake epic migrations ...

Jul 2, 2026
Phys.org / Last-minute launch problem delays satellite rescue mission for NASA

A rush rescue mission to save a NASA space telescope remains grounded, this time because of a last-minute launch problem.

Jul 2, 2026
Phys.org / Quantum properties of multimode light observed despite extreme losses

Quantum properties of light are extremely delicate. When researchers attempt to measure them, even small losses on the way to a detector can make them invisible, limiting their use outside carefully controlled environments. ...

Jul 2, 2026
Phys.org / Hunting behavior drives the evolution of spider eye arrangements, study finds

Vision shapes how many animals find food, avoid danger and navigate their world. In animals with two eyes, eye placement is often linked to lifestyle: predators such as lions tend to have forward-facing eyes that help them ...

Jul 2, 2026
Phys.org / A WRAP for biology's greasiest problem

Embedded in the boundary between the inside and outside of each cell are membrane proteins. They act as first responders by sensing signals, regulating which molecules enter and leave the cell, and enabling cells to quickly ...

Jul 2, 2026
Phys.org / Hidden role of garnet reveals how Earth's 660-km seismic boundary forms

Nearly 660 kilometers (410 miles) beneath Earth's surface lies one of the planet's most important internal boundaries. Known as the 660-km seismic discontinuity, it separates the mantle transition zone from the lower mantle ...

Jul 2, 2026
Phys.org / MOF thin films reveal hidden dense packing, challenging decades of porous assumptions

Due to their high porosity, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are regarded as promising materials for innovative applications, which is why the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded in 2025 for their discovery. They are used, ...

Jul 2, 2026
Phys.org / Light flips bacterial signaling enzyme between two shapes, unlocking how signals travel

Researchers at the University of Bayreuth and Forschungszentrum Jülich have demonstrated that specific light-sensitive enzymes—so-called sensor histidine kinases (SHKs)—transmit their signal through a light-controlled change ...

Jul 2, 2026
Phys.org / Austin neighborhood tap water tests uncover lead and arsenic in homes

For more than a decade, residents of Austin's Colony, a neighborhood in an unincorporated area of southeast Austin outside the city service area, have voiced concern about their tap water's intermittent discoloration and ...

Jul 2, 2026