Phys.org news
Phys.org / A 'consortium' of bacteria cooperates to eat phthalate plasticizers that single microbes can't stomach
Plastic trash has reached the world's most remote locations, from the bottom of the Mariana Trench to the summit of Everest. Hundreds of plastic-eating microbes that could help us clean up have been discovered over the past ...
Phys.org / Ancient climate records reveal a wetter Levant that may have guided early humans out of Africa
For modern residents of the Levant, the "Red Sea Trough" usually brings a brief, dusty transition between seasons. But 127,000 years ago, this same weather pattern may have been the literal key to human history. A new study, ...
Phys.org / Global insect rescue plan requires new technology to ensure success
Cameras that photograph insects overnight and AI that identifies them are among a new generation of tools that could finally allow scientists to track whether the world's plan to save nature is working for its most overlooked ...
Phys.org / Integrative archaeogenetics reveal how Southern Andean communities adopted farming and endured crises
An interdisciplinary study published in Nature reconstructs over 2,000 years of population history in Argentina's Uspallata Valley (UV), a southern frontier of Andean farming spread in ancient times, with broader lessons ...
Phys.org / Drought hits gulf fisheries, sparking food security fears
A severe and prolonged U.S. drought in the late 1980s played a central role in one of the largest fisheries declines ever recorded in the Gulf of Mexico, according to a new study published in Nature Communications.
Phys.org / New study shows democracy has deep global roots—not just Greece and Rome
A new study on ancient societies from around the world is rewriting what we thought we knew about democracy. A team of researchers analyzed archaeological and historical evidence from 31 ancient societies across Europe, Asia, ...
Phys.org / How two dim stars came together to shine brightly
Brown dwarfs get a bad rap in the stellar world, often labeled as "failed stars" for their inability to sustain nuclear fusion at their cores. The mass of these objects falls between planets and stars, ranging from 13 to ...
Phys.org / Dolls beat tablets at building social understanding, six-week study suggests
Research by Cardiff University has found that playing with Barbie dolls can help reach key milestones in developing empathy and social understanding during childhood. Doll play was found to be beneficial for both boys and ...
Phys.org / Scientists turn rubber waste into new materials and capture CO₂
Researchers at the University of St Andrews have unveiled two breakthrough techniques for chemically recycling and upcycling nitrile‑rubber products, such as disposable gloves, seals, and industrial parts, into new materials ...
Phys.org / AI rebuilds molecules from exploding fragments
Researchers at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and collaborating institutions recently built a generative AI model that can recreate molecular structures from the movement of the molecule's ...
Phys.org / Study reveals hidden 'chemical currency' fueling the ocean's carbon cycle
A new study, led by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and Columbia University, identifies a diverse set of molecules released by marine phytoplankton that fuel microbial life and help drive Earth's carbon cycle. ...
Phys.org / Prodrug lipid nanoparticle could unlock universal immunotherapy for solid cancers
Engineers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a new type of lipid nanoparticle (LNP) that could one day serve as a universal immunotherapy for cancers that form solid tumors, including common variants such as ...
