Phys.org news

Phys.org / Tiny ancient fish fossil with preserved brain offers clues to early fish evolution

Over 300 million years ago, a minnow-sized fish died and fell to the bottom of a prehistoric swamp near the village of Trawden, Lancashire, in northwest England. The remains of this tiny fish—known as Trawdenia planti—became ...

Jun 30, 2026
Phys.org / A cataclysmic collision in space provides new clues on astronomy's biggest stalemate

Second only to black holes, neutron stars—incredibly dense star remnants—are the densest objects in the universe. When neutron stars collide, they create ripples in the fabric of space and time that we can detect on Earth.

Jun 30, 2026
Phys.org / Houston power plant emerges as dominant source of cloud-forming aerosols

Research by atmospheric scientists at UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography and colleagues pinpointed an individual coal-fired power plant in Houston as the main source of particles most likely to encourage the ...

Jun 30, 2026
Phys.org / The largest digital camera ever built begins decade-long survey of the universe

The largest digital camera ever built is starting to capture images of unseen corners of the universe.

Jun 30, 2026
Phys.org / Gut parasite alters honey bee smell as infection progresses, potentially changing hive behavior

Honey bees infected with a gut parasite smell different, which could allow bee colonies to detect disease and influence behavior inside the hive, new research finds.

Jun 30, 2026
Phys.org / New research reveals the motivations and tactics used by call center fraudsters

A new study led by the University of Portsmouth lifts the lid on the tactics used by call center fraudsters in India, while revealing the shocking scale of the industry within the country. Published in the Journal of White ...

Jun 30, 2026
Phys.org / The invasive fern that science misidentified for decades

Salvinia molesta can double its biomass in 36 hours. It spreads across ponds, lakes and slow-moving waterways in a smothering green mat, blocking sunlight, consuming oxygen and collapsing the ecosystems beneath it. Now present ...

Jun 30, 2026
Phys.org / The little red galaxies that may be sending us neutrinos

Peering far into the distant, high-redshift universe, the James Webb telescope has discovered an abundance of small red galaxies known as the Little Red Dots. From their observations, astronomers believe that at least some ...

Jun 30, 2026
Phys.org / New way to clean up environmental pollution using phage bioaugmentation

The ability of bacteria to remove pollutants from soil, water, mine waste and other environments could be supercharged by a "friendly" compatible virus, according to a study led by Flinders University. The new insights, published ...

Jun 30, 2026
Phys.org / Rice grown on the moon? Air-to-fertilizer technology helps rice grow in lunar soil simulant

Securing sustainable food supplies is a key challenge for long-term human exploration and potential habitation of the moon. The moon's soil contains no organic material, and essential plant nitrogen sources like ammonia and ...

Jun 30, 2026
Phys.org / A severe El Niño could threaten something essential to half of humanity—rice

Forecasters expect the El Niño now underway in the tropical Pacific to strengthen into a strong or very strong climate driver later this year.

Jun 30, 2026
Phys.org / Human activity has not always harmed biodiversity—quite the opposite

For millennia, farming in Switzerland did not reduce plant diversity but helped increase it, University of Basel researchers have shown in a detailed reconstruction covering the past 7,000 years. Only recent decades paint ...

Jun 30, 2026