Phys.org news

Phys.org / Catching cow burps in real time: Methane sensor matches industry monitor in early field test

Methane is a short-lived but powerful greenhouse gas; cutting methane emissions can slow near-term warming and improve air quality by reducing harmful ground-level ozone. As ruminants digest feed, they release methane—through ...

Aug 24, 2026
Phys.org / One step closer to the ideal glass—simulations reveal hidden order at absolute zero

In the physical sense, glass is not limited to familiar window glass; it forms whenever a liquid is cooled so quickly that it cannot crystallize. As a result, glass has an amorphous structure—that is, its "building blocks" ...

Aug 24, 2026
Phys.org / Mule helps scientists build the clearest horse and donkey genomes yet

A mule has helped researchers build the most complete reference genomes to date for horses and donkeys, giving scientists access to complex regions of DNA that earlier versions could not fully capture.

Aug 24, 2026
Phys.org / Bacteria from ancestral wheat microbiomes help protect plants against root rot fungus

In the journal npj Biofilms and Microbiomes, researchers from the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) and the University of São Paulo (USP) describe the role of three bacteria in suppressing a soil-borne ...

Aug 24, 2026
Phys.org / Shell-crushing predators may have sparked early Cenozoic boom in marine snail evolution

A large-scale study of nearly 700 species reveals the evolutionary relationships and history of Neogastropoda, a diverse group of marine snails. The findings provide new evidence for their single origin, identify four new ...

Aug 24, 2026
Phys.org / New free-space optical link adds a wireless component to the nation's longest quantum network

There's a new lighthouse on Long Island. But instead of shining light to guide ships through waterways, this one transmits and receives particles of light that carry quantum information. Perched atop a seven-story building ...

Aug 24, 2026
Phys.org / Corners in focus: Metasurface enables motion tracking without digital image processing

A research team at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) has developed a new optical corner-detection imaging method that uses azimuthal Hilbert transform metasurfaces and is designed to work as a universal framework. The ...

Aug 24, 2026
Phys.org / Assembly of giant wild sunflower family genomes unlocks potential for new perennial crops

The Land Institute and HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, in collaboration with key partners, have assembled the first chromosome-scale, haplotype-phased genomes for Silphium integrifolium (rosinweed, silflower) and ...

Aug 24, 2026
Phys.org / How atmospheric dryness limits increases in typhoon rainfall

Under global warming, scientists have widely expected tropical cyclones (including typhoons and hurricanes) to bring more intense and frequent rainfall. The underlying physics seems intuitive: Rising temperatures allow the ...

Aug 24, 2026
Phys.org / A 2-degree twist creates a nanoscale grid that traps light energy at room temperature

You may have once tried taking a close-up picture of a computer screen and noticed a wavy, rippling effect. This optical effect occurs whenever two fine, repeating grids overlap and slightly misalign, such as when the pixel ...

Aug 24, 2026
Phys.org / Mapping the 'hidden highways' of Mexico's illegal wildlife trade

For decades, wildlife traffickers have illegally captured and sold hundreds of thousands of wild parrots native to Mexico. Despite changes to international wildlife laws, the conservation status of these birds has continued ...

Aug 24, 2026
Phys.org / Glacier retreat could promote the spread of diseases among bees

A study conducted in the Swiss Alps by the University of Lausanne and the University of Milan shows that glacier retreat and changing vegetation could influence the spread of certain pathogens between honeybees and wild bees.

Aug 24, 2026