Phys.org news
Phys.org / Mars auroras reveal miniature version of Earth's magnetic engine
NASA MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) mission scientists have uncovered a key puzzle piece in understanding certain types of auroras on Mars, finding that they form in a similar way to Earth–based auroras.
Phys.org / Exploring the lost golden age of language diversity before expanding empires drove a global decline
Today, people speak or sign around 7,500 languages. Yet this figure provides only a snapshot of a constantly changing history. How many languages existed before written records? Did agriculture reduce linguistic diversity ...
Phys.org / Lithium ions sprint up to 10,000 times faster when their molecular cages briefly open
An international collaborative research group led by Professor Bong June Sung of the Department of Chemistry at Sogang University and Professor Shinji Saito of the Institute for Molecular Science (IMS), National Institutes ...
Phys.org / How an iceberg may have stopped emperor penguins from breeding on Coulman Island in 2025
The number of chicks in the Coulman Island emperor penguin colony decreased by about 69% in 2025 compared with 2024, according to research published in Communications Earth & Environment. The authors suggest that a large ...
Phys.org / Not every meal has the same impact: Researchers reveal the hidden footprint of our food
Leiden environmental researchers have mapped the environmental footprint of different diets and revealed which population groups have the greatest impact through their food choices. Their findings show where efforts to make ...
Phys.org / Plant diversity boosts natural pest control in farms, while forests and grasslands follow different rules
Plant diversity has long been regarded as key to stable and resilient ecosystems. However, until now, little has been understood about why it has different effects in agricultural areas than in grasslands or forests. An international ...
Phys.org / Quantum Newton's cradle set to level up computing
Sending quantum information through a chain of qubits, like energy through a Newton's cradle, could be the key to faster operations and take quantum computing to the next level.
Phys.org / Colorado basins supplying 70% of Lake Powell's water face major midcentury shortages
If the Colorado River Basin is the lifeblood of the American Southwest, keeping the region's agricultural, ecological and economic systems thriving, Colorado's West Slope River basins could be considered the heart. Together, ...
Phys.org / Training microbes to prepare soils for the impacts of climate change
Scientists at the University of Lincoln have discovered a promising new way to help protect crops from one of climate change's growing threats to global food production—increasing soil salinity.
Phys.org / Human impacts rewrite the rules of island biodiversity around the globe
A new study reveals that human activities have fundamentally reshaped biodiversity patterns on islands across the globe, with important implications for how scientists understand ecology, evolution and conservation.
Phys.org / Spent coffee grounds reveal a route to biodiesel and other bio-based products
Coffee grounds that usually end up being thrown away can have a second life as a raw material for producing biofuels and other high-value-added products. A study by the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) has evaluated how ...
Phys.org / Universal structure of exceptional points revealed in nonlinear light‑based systems
Exceptional points, or EPs for short, are among the phenomena of modern physics. These are special points or locations at which the properties of matter, space or time change. In a new theoretical study, researchers from ...
