Phys.org news

Phys.org / Two decades of blazar observations, and the mysteries keep piling up

Narrow jets of luminous matter may be emitted toward Earth from the nuclei of active galaxies billions of light-years away. The galaxy then appears as a point source and is called a blazar. A Polish-German team of scientists ...

Aug 6, 2026
Phys.org / One-third of agricultural land accounts for two-thirds of global impact, study reveals

Agriculture covers more than 40% of Earth's habitable land and plays a central role in both climate change and biodiversity loss. Yet the impact of agriculture is far from evenly distributed across space.

Aug 6, 2026
Phys.org / Bacterial enzyme switch could weaken antibiotic defenses in MRSA and other pathogens

If you ask Vijay Parashar, associate professor of medical and molecular sciences (MMSC) at the University of Delaware College of Health Sciences, human bodies are bags of bacteria. "It sounds gross, but not all bacteria are ...

Aug 6, 2026
Phys.org / Super-Earths may be solid deep inside their mantles

Deep inside super-Earths—rocky planets with masses between 1 and 10 times that of Earth—high pressure can cause familiar minerals to take forms rarely seen on Earth. Understanding more about the temperature and pressure conditions ...

Aug 6, 2026
Phys.org / How 'smart' hydrogel packaging tells you if your food is still fresh

The cuts of meat in a supermarket case can look perfectly fresh even as bacteria are already multiplying inside the package. Is there a way to know before you open it?

Aug 6, 2026
Phys.org / Trillion-mile gas streamer may explain tilt of triple-star system's outer planet-forming ring

A team of astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has captured a massive stream of gas—one trillion miles, or 0.2 light-years, long—feeding the young triple-star system GW Orionis. These ...

Aug 6, 2026
Phys.org / First complete songbird genome exposes missing genes and chromosome architecture

The zebra finch is one of the best-studied songbirds and a model for understanding the biology and neuroscience of vocal learning. Now, researchers have produced the first complete genome assembly of the species, revealing ...

Aug 6, 2026
Phys.org / Siberia's growing methane threat could offset 20% of global methane reduction targets by 2050

The Arctic is warming at an accelerating pace. As permafrost thaws across vast areas and wildfires become more frequent, large amounts of methane (CH4) are being released. Together, these changes are reshaping the region's ...

Aug 6, 2026
Phys.org / One ant can trigger colony-wide activity bursts, mathematical model suggests

Scientists have long known that ant colonies sometimes seem to move as one. A nest that appears quiet can suddenly erupt into activity, with workers throughout the colony springing into motion almost simultaneously before ...

Aug 6, 2026
Phys.org / Sugars may have helped fuel the evolution of the human brain, new research suggests

Fruit, honey and other naturally sweet foods may have helped fuel the evolution of the human brain, according to new research from the University of Sydney and the University of Glasgow.

Aug 6, 2026
Phys.org / Powerhouses for fake meat: Muscle protein can now be grown in chloroplasts of lettuce and tobacco plants

Livestock farming requires valuable land to grow fodder, uses vast amounts of freshwater and contributes to global warming through methane and nitrous oxide emissions. And, for many consumers it is important to prevent animal ...

Aug 6, 2026
Phys.org / AI and 'Ramanomics' could eliminate a major obstacle to studying living cells

Fluorescent dyes have long been used in biological research to identify and visualize structures within living cells. Although effective, they have several drawbacks, including altering the cells under study, limiting the ...

Aug 6, 2026