Phys.org news

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 / 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
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 / Lost page of the Archimedes Palimpsest identified in Blois, central France

A page long believed to have been lost from the Archimedes Palimpsest, one of the most important surviving manuscripts of antiquity, has been identified at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Blois, central France, by a CNRS researcher. ...

Mar 9, 2026
Phys.org / A brighter future may not suit everyone: Polar cod face difficulties due to warming

Under the Arctic sea ice, fish and plankton live in complete darkness, even in midsummer. Ice floes stop the sun's rays, especially if they are covered by snow. As the ocean heats up, the sea ice thaws, and new regions are ...

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 / Record-energy neutrino may have begun its journey in blazars

Three years ago, in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, the passage of an "ultra-energetic" cosmic neutrino was observed—the most energetic ever detected. The event drew international attention from the scientific community ...

Mar 9, 2026
Phys.org / Strontium optical clock accurate to within 1 second over 30 billion years

Researchers from the University of Science and Technology of China have achieved a major breakthrough in optical clock technology, developing a strontium optical lattice clock with stability and uncertainty both surpassing ...

Mar 9, 2026
Phys.org / Microbes hitchhiking on marine snow could limit how deep carbon sinks

In some parts of the deep ocean, it can look like it's snowing. This "marine snow" is the dust and detritus that organisms slough off as they die and decompose. Marine snow can fall several kilometers to the deepest parts ...

Mar 9, 2026
Phys.org / Baltic herring fishing rules may need an update after new genetic mapping

Herring from different parts of the Baltic Sea belong to distinct populations genetically adapted to local differences in salinity and temperature. However, these populations can also mix with each other, according to a new ...

Mar 9, 2026
Phys.org / Ocean carbon removal looks promising, but nutrient cycling could curb long-term gains

There is growing interest in the scientific community and private sector in biological approaches to marine carbon dioxide removal—strategies designed to enhance the ocean's natural ability to absorb carbon from the atmosphere. ...

Mar 9, 2026
Phys.org / From carp to crocodilians: Why deliberately introduced freshwater giants may bring hidden risks

More than 40% of extant large freshwater animals (megafauna), including carp, salmonids, crocodilians, turtles, beavers, and hippopotamuses, have been deliberately introduced outside their natural range, often for economic ...

Mar 9, 2026