Phys.org news

Phys.org / How a shift in the Gulf Stream could signal the collapse of a major ocean current system

Changes in the Gulf Stream, a strong ocean current in the Atlantic, could serve as an early warning of the imminent collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). The AMOC is a massive system of ocean ...

Mar 9, 2026
Phys.org / In search of a room-temperature superconductor, scientists present a research agenda

The search for materials that can conduct electricity at room temperature without losing energy is one of the greatest and most consequential challenges of modern physics: loss-free power transmission, more efficient motors ...

Mar 9, 2026
Phys.org / Nearby red dwarf star hosts at least four planets—with one in the habitable zone

In 2020, a study confirmed that two planets orbited the nearby red dwarf, GJ 887. Now, astronomers have confirmed the existence of two additional planets orbiting GJ 887 in a new study published in Astronomy and Astrophysics. ...

Mar 9, 2026
Phys.org / Why simulating an entire cell cycle took years, multiple GPUs and six days per run

By simulating the life cycle of a minimal bacterial cell—from DNA replication to protein translation to metabolism and cell division—scientists have opened a new frontier of computer vision into the essential processes ...

Mar 9, 2026
Phys.org / Camera captures first video of a red fox attacking a wolf pup

We are used to seeing a strict order in nature, with apex predators at the top feeding on those lower down the pecking order. But in video footage from a nature reserve in Italy, we see a red fox turning the tables, attacking ...

Mar 9, 2026
Phys.org / 2D topological Kondo insulator observed in a moiré superlattice

When mobile charge carriers, also known as itinerant electrons, interact with the strong exchange magnetic fields associated with the intrinsic angular momentum of localized electrons, this can give rise to the so-called ...

Mar 9, 2026
Phys.org / Recent pandemic viruses jumped to humans without prior adaptation, study finds

A new University of California San Diego study published in Cell challenges a long-standing assumption about how animal viruses become capable of sparking human epidemics and pandemics. Using a phylogenetic, genome-wide analysis ...

Mar 9, 2026
Phys.org / How changes on the Y chromosome may make species reproductively incompatible

When closely related species mate, their offspring sometimes survive but cannot reproduce. This pattern often affects males first, with hybrid males frequently failing to produce functional sperm even when hybrid females ...

Mar 9, 2026
Phys.org / Antarctic sea ice rebounds in 2026, nearing average after four years

Antarctic sea ice coverage has likely rebounded this year, coming closer to its annual summer average after four years of extreme lows, US scientists said Monday.

Mar 9, 2026
Phys.org / 'Peculiar' crocodile ancestor started life on four legs before learning to walk on two

A "peculiar" ancient relative of the crocodile which experts believe began life on four legs before, in adulthood, it learned how to walk on just two has been revealed in a new study. Named Sonselasuchus cedrus, this archaic ...

Mar 9, 2026
Phys.org / Raccoons solve puzzles for the fun of it, new study finds

They raid compost bins, outsmart latches and sometimes look gleeful doing it. A new study in Animal Behaviour suggests raccoons may not just be opportunistic—they may be genuinely curious.

Mar 9, 2026
Phys.org / Multi-wavelength observations track bright gamma-ray blazar's three-year cycle

By analyzing the data from various space observatories and ground-based telescopes, European astronomers have performed a multiwavelength study of a bright gamma-ray blazar known as S5 1044+71. The new study, published Feb. ...

Mar 9, 2026