Phys.org news

Phys.org / JWST discovers a new extremely metal-poor dwarf galaxy

Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers have discovered a new dwarf galaxy, which received designation CAPERS-39810. Further investigation of CAPERS-39810 revealed that it is an extremely metal-poor galaxy. ...

Feb 3, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Global warming is speeding breakdown of major greenhouse gas, research shows

Scientists at the University of California, Irvine have discovered that climate change is causing nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas and ozone-depleting substance, to break down in the atmosphere more quickly than previously ...

Feb 3, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Weight-loss drugs are creating an environmental disaster—a new water-based method aims to change that

The world is in the middle of a peptide drug revolution. These short chains of amino acids—the building blocks of proteins—sit at the heart of some of the most successful medicines ever created, from weight-loss injections ...

Feb 3, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / New model predicts the melting of free-floating ice in calm water

A pair of US researchers have developed a new model to tackle a deceptively simple problem: how a small block of ice melts while floating in calm water. Using an advanced experimental setup, Daisuke Noto and Hugo Ulloa at ...

Feb 3, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Supermassive black holes sit in 'eye of their own storms,' studies find

Gigantic black holes lurk at the center of virtually every galaxy, including ours, but we've lacked a precise picture of what impact they have on their surroundings. However, a University of Chicago-led group of scientists ...

Feb 3, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / One-of-a-kind 'plasma tunnel' recreates extreme conditions spacecraft face upon reentry

Picture a spacecraft returning to Earth after a long journey. The vehicle slams into the planet's atmosphere at roughly 17,000 miles per hour. A shockwave erupts. Molecules in the air are ripped apart, forming a plasma—a ...

Feb 3, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / A new class of strange one-dimensional particles

Physicists have long categorized every elementary particle in our three-dimensional universe as being either a boson or a fermion—the former category mostly capturing force carriers like photons, the latter including the ...

Feb 3, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Under snowpacks, microbes drive a winter-to-spring nitrogen pulse, study finds

When snow blankets the landscape, it may seem like life slows down. But beneath the surface, an entire world of activity is unfolding.

Feb 3, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / New framework maps seven pillars for judging research trustworthiness

A new paper proposes a systems-level framework for evaluating the trustworthiness of research findings across methods and approaches. The paper, titled "A Framework for Assessing the Trustworthiness of Research Findings," ...

Feb 3, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Agave or bust! Mexican long-nosed bats head farther north in search of sweet nectar

Mexican long-nosed bats have a taste for agave, their tongues designed to lap up the famous desert plant's nectar during nightly flights. It's not just a means of satisfying taste buds. It's a matter of fueling up for an ...

Feb 3, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / AI systems could identify math anxiety from student inputs and change feedback

Math anxiety is a significant challenge for students worldwide. While personalized support is widely recognized as the most effective way to address it, many teachers struggle to deliver this level of support at scale within ...

Feb 3, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Cosmic radiation brought to light: Researchers measure ionization in dark cloud for the first time

Where starlight doesn't reach, new things are born: For the first time, an international research team has directly measured the effect of cosmic radiation in a cold molecular cloud. The observation shows how charged high-energy ...

Feb 3, 2026 in Astronomy & Space