Phys.org news

Phys.org / How biodiversity loss could raise borrowing costs and deepen debt risks worldwide

Financial markets are blind to the economic costs of biodiversity loss, leaving several countries at risk of defaulting on debt, according to new research published in Nature. While environmental degradation is recognized ...

Jun 10, 2026
Phys.org / Giant kelp's microscopic light antenna could inspire innovative climate solutions

New research reveals the microscopic machinery that helps giant kelp turn sunlight into energy, providing inspiration for innovative climate solutions. The study, published in Nature Communications, mapped one of the tiny ...

Jun 10, 2026
Phys.org / Retreating glaciers increase iceberg sightings and reshape deep-sea habitats

The number of icebergs in the Arctic has increased sharply since the 2000s. This is due to the destabilization of large glaciers in northeast Greenland and parts of the Russian Arctic, as well as the increasing mobility of ...

Jun 10, 2026
Phys.org / Dead organisms have a lasting ecological legacy, new research shows

Trees, grasses, corals, and oysters are foundational to the structure of an ecosystem while they are alive. But new research led by the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University ...

Jun 10, 2026
Phys.org / Acoustic environment may explain why some bird songs outlast others

From melodic morning choruses to territorial songs that echo through forests and grasslands, birds rely on vocalizations to communicate, attract mates and defend valuable habitat. For songbirds, these vocal displays are not ...

Jun 10, 2026
Phys.org / Acidic nanoparticles target Parkinson's at cellular source

Inside every human cell, a tiny structure called a lysosome acts like a recycling center, breaking down toxic waste, clearing damaged proteins and helping keep the cell functioning properly. When that recycling center stops ...

Jun 10, 2026
Phys.org / How Argonaute, a key protein for RNA therapeutics, becomes activated

RNA therapeutics have emerged as one of the most promising new classes of medicines. Eight small interfering RNA (siRNA) drugs have already been approved worldwide for the treatment of genetic diseases, yet scientists have ...

Jun 10, 2026
Phys.org / Deep sea an untapped 'evolutionary engine' as dataset yields 500 million unique genes

The deep sea is a unique "evolutionary engine," with one of the richest and most unexplored sources of genetic diversity on Earth, according to a major new study that assessed its potential to transform biotechnology and ...

Jun 10, 2026
Phys.org / Radar data can help protect birds from wind turbines

Wind turbines generate climate-friendly electricity, but they can pose a danger to migratory birds. A study led by the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) published in Nature Sustainability ...

Jun 10, 2026
Phys.org / Stretchy, soft, and sticky: Advancing the next generation of wearable and implantable sensors

Wearable and implantable biosensors have the potential to revolutionize health care by diagnosing, monitoring, and even treating a wide range of health conditions. Recent innovations in the lab of Wei Gao, professor of medical ...

Jun 10, 2026
Phys.org / Quantum witness technique reveals spinons in quantum spin liquid candidate

Physicists at University College Cork have developed a new approach in the search for a quantum spin liquid, a long-sought state of quantum matter resembling a magnetic liquid whose quantum properties mean it never freezes. ...

Jun 10, 2026
Phys.org / Why plastic lingers: Water chemistry slows nature's cleanup

Scientists have long known that sunlight helps break down plastic. So, why do plastic products linger for decades and even centuries in rivers, lakes, and oceans—even when bathed in direct sunlight? Northwestern University ...

Jun 10, 2026