Phys.org news

Phys.org / A new reference brain could make the clonal raider ant a go-to model species for neuroscience

Every clonal raider ant lives a nearly identical life. Each new generation of these blind, queenless ants is born at the same time, eats the same things, lives in the same environment, and—as an asexually reproducing species—has ...

Dec 10, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Quantum machine learning nears practicality as partial error correction reduces hardware demands

Imagine a future where quantum computers supercharge machine learning—training models in seconds, extracting insights from massive datasets and powering next-gen AI. That future might be closer than you think, thanks to ...

Dec 10, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Spending less can deliver more climate-friendly nutrition

Eating healthily can save money and also cause less greenhouse gas emissions than most people's current food choices, according to a new global study that examined food costs, nutrition, and climate impact around the world.

Dec 10, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Meet Damhán Alla—the newly christened, spider-like feature on Jupiter's moon Europa

Irish planetary scientists have christened a spider-like feature on Jupiter's icy moon Europa as "Damhán Alla," which translates to "spider" or "wall demon."

Dec 10, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Slow changes in radio scintillation can nudge pulsar timing by billionths of a second

For 10 months, a SETI Institute-led team watched pulsar PSR J0332+5434 (also called B0329+54) to study how its radio signal "twinkles" as it passes through gas between the star and Earth. The team used the Allen Telescope ...

Dec 10, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Using soccer balls to refine computational fluid dynamics research methods

If you're a soccer fan, you're familiar with this common sight: A penalty kick is in place, with a "wall" of defenders lined up in front of the goal, ready to leap to try to block the ball if it sails overhead.

Dec 10, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Fossils reveal sea cows have engineered Arabian Gulf's seagrass ecosystems for over 20 million years

Today, the Arabian Gulf is home to manatee-like marine mammals called dugongs that shape the seafloor as they graze on seagrasses. A newly described fossil site in Qatar reveals that ancient sea cows engineered aquatic ecosystems ...

Dec 10, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Black hole eats star: Student helps chart gamma-ray burst that lasted for days

A team of astronomers including George Washington University physics Ph.D. student Eliza Neights recorded an extraordinary cosmic outburst this July which likely heralds a new kind of stellar explosion. With a flood of data ...

Dec 10, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Lunar soil analyses reveal how space weathering shapes the moon's ultraviolet reflectance

Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) scientists are collaborating with researchers at UT San Antonio to study how space weathering can alter the lunar surface materials to help interpret regional and global far-ultraviolet ...

Dec 10, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / New study reveals Industrial Revolution's uneven health impacts across England

An interdisciplinary team of scientists has uncovered new evidence showing that the health impacts of the Industrial Revolution varied more widely across England than previously believed.

Dec 10, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / ALICE solves mystery of light-nuclei survival

Observations of the formation of light-nuclei from high-energy collisions may help in the hunt for dark matter.

Dec 10, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Descriptions of mollusks in the Global South are still, for the most part, the result of 'parachute science'

Between the 16th and 19th centuries, when colonialism was the prevailing order, it is not surprising that scientific expeditions, specimen deposits in natural history museums, and descriptions of species from European colonies ...

Dec 10, 2025 in Biology