Phys.org news

Phys.org / Distant exoplanets may be hiding water beyond Webb Telescope's reach, study finds

The planets that appear most common in the universe could have a lot of water—but it could be hiding where telescopes can't detect it, according to a new study led by scientists with the University of Chicago.

Jul 13, 2026
Phys.org / Melting icebergs can weaken a massive, far-off ocean current system

Melting and breaking icebergs in the far-off northeastern Pacific Ocean can weaken a massive current system in the Atlantic Ocean, according to a University of California, Davis study published in Nature Communications.

Jul 13, 2026
Phys.org / Scientists and citizens are more persuasive than government and industry in mobilizing action, study finds

In environmental, health and technology crises, Americans are more persuaded to take action by scientists and public consensus than by leaders in government and industry, according to a study in the Proceedings of the National ...

Jul 13, 2026
Phys.org / Zirconium tweak unlocks stronger cast aluminum alloy with ductility boost

Researchers at the Department of Materials Engineering (MatE), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), and collaborators have developed a new lightweight cast aluminum alloy that is both exceptionally strong and remarkably ductile, ...

Jul 13, 2026
Phys.org / Famous puzzle-solving chimps lost 20 years of life after harsh Berlin winters

A University of Auckland scientist has uncovered the fates of chimpanzees who starred in seminal psychological studies of the early 20th century.

Jul 13, 2026
Phys.org / Chemists make elusive carbon-bridged sandwich molecule once thought too strained to exist

Progress in chemistry is often gradual, with some of its most important advances taking years—sometimes decades—to unfold. A case in point is the discovery of a novel "ferrocenophane" from the class of compounds known as ...

Jul 13, 2026
Phys.org / The family tree of viruses just grew, and it paves the way for a new approach to agricultural research

Researchers have discovered that a group of viruses known to infect an agriculturally important plant pathogen has remained genetically stable for an astonishing four decades. The discovery of a disease-fighting virus that ...

Jul 13, 2026
Phys.org / Hidden in plain sight: Caribbean reef fish nestle in tube worms, revealing previously undocumented partnership

On Caribbean coral reefs, an unlikely partnership has gone largely unnoticed: Tiny fish regularly nestle within the feathery structures of tube worms. While these sensitive worms typically snap shut at the slightest disturbance, ...

Jul 13, 2026
Phys.org / Invasive aoudad pose deadly risk to native bighorn sheep

An invasive species found across West Texas may pose a greater threat to native bighorn sheep than previously understood.

Jul 13, 2026
Phys.org / Solving a 30-year-old puzzle about a mysterious superconducting material

A material made from yttrium, barium and copper oxide (better known as YBCO) has intrigued scientists since its discovery in 1987, largely because it retains its superconductive properties at a higher-than-normal temperature. ...

Jul 13, 2026
Phys.org / Study reveals how gas bubbles shaped Kīlauea's 2018 lava flow

The lava that buried entire neighborhoods during the 2018 Kīlauea eruption was composed of nearly 80% gas bubbles near its source. A recent study shows that those bubbles played a central role in controlling how fast and ...

Jul 13, 2026
Phys.org / Brazil's highland forest has been shaped by climate change and Indigenous people for 6,000 years

When you think of a South American rainforest, you probably don't imagine biting winds, heavy frosts and freezing temperatures. But in the mountains of southern Brazil, that's exactly what you can find. On this highland plateau, ...

Jul 13, 2026