Phys.org news
Phys.org / Scientists find hidden individuality in viral infections
An international team of researchers developed a new way to uncover hidden differences in how viruses infect and destroy individual microbial cells—solving a biological puzzle that has persisted for more than 80 years.
Phys.org / Microplastics reach even 2,000 meters below the ocean surface, study finds
Plastic pollution has become a global environmental crisis, with an estimated 11 million tons of plastic entering the oceans each year. As larger plastic debris breaks down into microplastics, these tiny particles are transported ...
Phys.org / Deep-sea larvae travel toward sunlight before returning to hydrothermal vents 2,000 meters down
Hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor host a broad range of rare and unusual ecosystems. They can be spread far apart, yet there is often overlap among the creatures that inhabit them. Researchers, including those from the ...
Phys.org / Quantum currents turn a nano 'soccer ball' into a powerful molecular electromagnet
Driving an electric current through a molecule can create a magnetic field. Yet in practice, such fields are often too weak to be detected experimentally. Through theoretical modeling, researchers at the Institute of Science ...
Phys.org / New study reveals what drives the evolution of remarkable eyes in deep‑sea hyperiid amphipods
Hyperiid amphipods are a small but anatomically diverse group of shrimp-like crustaceans with remarkable adaptations for life in the ocean's twilight zone. A team of researchers from MBARI, the Smithsonian National Museum ...
Phys.org / Tiny water droplets convert stubborn plastic waste into valuable acids, study finds
A new way of converting stubborn plastic waste into high-value chemicals using only water and oxygen has been developed by an international team of scientists.
Phys.org / Antarctic change drives slowdown of global ocean circulation
New Antarctic research shows the deepest layer of the Southern Ocean is shrinking faster than scientists realized, with the rate of change accelerating over the past decade. This is of worldwide significance because as it ...
Phys.org / Asteroid breakup may explain inner solar system bombardment 800 million years ago
A Southwest Research Institute-led study has proposed a connection between a specific collision in the main asteroid belt and an inner-solar-system-wide bombardment episode that may have had measurable biological and geological ...
Phys.org / T. rex was likely responsible for some tooth marks on fossil bones from Cretaceous era
A collection of fossilized dinosaur bones from Wyoming features tooth marks that provide evidence that some bites were likely made by Tyrannosaurus rex, according to a study published July 15, 2026, in PLOS One by Bethania ...
Phys.org / Risks of solar storms may be underestimated, warn researchers
The effects of extreme space weather may be larger than previously thought, research in the journal Nature reveals. The paper, titled "Regression to the mean can explain saturation of geomagnetic storms," is led by Dr. Nithin ...
Phys.org / Prey accessibility, not abundance, may shape predator behavior in penguins
Large seabird colonies have a surrounding boundary known as Ashmole's halo, where food sources are depleted, forcing the birds to travel farther to gather the food they need. The reason seems obvious—the more birds, the more ...
Phys.org / Bacteria form 'herds' to survive predators, offering fresh insight into Earth's carbon cycle
Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have discovered that tiny photosynthetic bacteria band together into protective "herds" when attacked by predators—a survival strategy that could also influence how carbon is ...
