Phys.org news

Phys.org / Triassic inferno: Fires raged across Europe for millennia during past global warming

The end-Triassic mass extinction, 201 million years ago, is linked to volcanism that resulted from the break-up of Pangea and which pumped out vast amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere, causing extreme global warming of 5 to ...

Jul 21, 2026
Phys.org / Decades-old strains reveal Brakhagea, a budding bacterial genus with bioactive potential

Some microorganisms that hold great promise for research have long lain dormant in historical collections. But only through new methods are their diversity and potential becoming apparent. The team led by Professor Christian ...

Jul 21, 2026
Phys.org / Extreme precipitation in Central Asia connected to drought in mainland Southeast Asia

In much of Asia, the effects of climate change are felt through an increased frequency of extreme weather events, especially water-related ones. Droughts are becoming more common in mainland Southeast Asia, while periods ...

Jul 21, 2026
Phys.org / Mars's 2018 planetwide dust storm hints at possible solar influence on its weather

Solar storms may affect weather on Mars when they strike at the same time as major Martian dust storms, a new study suggests for the first time. Researchers found evidence of rising temperatures in the red planet's lower ...

Jul 21, 2026
Phys.org / Sleeping sickness parasite reveals enzyme weak spot that could guide safer drugs

African sleeping sickness and related diseases can be treated only with toxic and sometimes ineffective drugs. Now, University of Connecticut researchers show in Nucleic Acids Research that a crucial enzyme could be the key ...

Jul 21, 2026
Phys.org / Record fires killed nearly 1 in 5 mature giant sequoias, but controlled burns can boost survival

A new study found that giant sequoias were nearly four times as likely to survive extreme wildfires in forests managed with prescribed burns, which decrease tree mortality. The work is published in the journal Nature Communications.

Jul 21, 2026
Phys.org / Vapor-controlled supramolecules can switch color, glow and phase

Controlling interactions between molecules and their functions from the molecular level to the macroscopic scale is challenging in supramolecular and materials chemistry. To this end, a research team led by associate professor ...

Jul 21, 2026
Phys.org / New 'demon' cavefish lineage discovered in Alabama cave

For decades, scientists have crawled through Bobcat Cave on Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, searching its dark pools and underground passages for rare life. The cave is home to the endangered Alabama cave shrimp, making it ...

Jul 21, 2026
Phys.org / Indigenous knowledge key to building healthier and more sustainable food systems

Traditional and Indigenous knowledge could play a vital role in addressing some of the world's most pressing challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss and poor health and nutrition, according to a new review ...

Jul 21, 2026
Phys.org / New wasp species named after Ernest Hemingway amid efforts to control destructive sugar beet pest

Earth remains full of undiscovered species and unexplored interactions that continue to fascinate us, including, in the most ordinary places, the fields where our food is grown.

Jul 21, 2026
Phys.org / How sea anemone cells reform into an organism

Researchers at the University of Vienna have discovered a key mechanism that enables sea anemones to regenerate into fully developed organisms from disorganized clusters of cells. The study, published in Nature Communications, ...

Jul 21, 2026
Phys.org / Shroud of Turin DNA sheds light on its biological history

New research has uncovered the complex biological history preserved within DNA traces found on the Shroud of Turin, offering fresh insights into one of the world's most studied and debated historical artifacts.

Jul 20, 2026