Phys.org news
Phys.org / ESA analyzing fireball over Europe on 8 March 2026
At approximately 18:55 CET (17:55 UTC) on Sunday, March 8, 2026, a very bright fireball moving from the southwest to the northeast was observed by many people in Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.
Phys.org / Scientists trace crop viruses back to the last Ice Age
Long before humans cultivated crops or sailed between continents, a group of plant viruses was already evolving among wild plants in Eurasia. According to a new international study published in Plant Disease, the ancestors ...
Phys.org / Pathogenic virus infects and structurally reorganizes human cells, finds new study
Orthohantaviruses, such as the Puumala virus, are widespread in Europe, causing flu-like illnesses and severe kidney damage in those infected. It is increasingly considered a zoonotic threat. Researchers from the Medical ...
Phys.org / Microbes hitchhiking on marine snow could limit how deep carbon sinks
In some parts of the deep ocean, it can look like it's snowing. This "marine snow" is the dust and detritus that organisms slough off as they die and decompose. Marine snow can fall several kilometers to the deepest parts ...
Phys.org / Study finds teens spend nearly a third of the school day on smartphones: Frequent checking linked to poorer attention
A new study from researchers at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill finds that middle and high school students spend nearly one-third of the school day on their smartphones, checking them dozens of times, often for ...
Phys.org / Mapping 3D-super-enhancers with machine learning to pinpoint regulators of cell identity
Scientists usually study the molecular machinery that controls gene expression from the perspective of a linear, two-dimensional genome—even though DNA and its bound proteins function in three dimensions (3D). To better ...
Phys.org / Ocean carbon removal looks promising, but nutrient cycling could curb long-term gains
There is growing interest in the scientific community and private sector in biological approaches to marine carbon dioxide removal—strategies designed to enhance the ocean's natural ability to absorb carbon from the atmosphere. ...
Phys.org / Baltic herring fishing rules may need an update after new genetic mapping
Herring from different parts of the Baltic Sea belong to distinct populations genetically adapted to local differences in salinity and temperature. However, these populations can also mix with each other, according to a new ...
Phys.org / From carp to crocodilians: Why deliberately introduced freshwater giants may bring hidden risks
More than 40% of extant large freshwater animals (megafauna), including carp, salmonids, crocodilians, turtles, beavers, and hippopotamuses, have been deliberately introduced outside their natural range, often for economic ...
Phys.org / Narrow-ridged finless porpoises are more social than assumed, study finds
A well-established fact of infancy in mammals is that the mother is the primary adult with whom an infant will interact. This holds true across species, from the tiniest shrew to the most massive blue whale. However, infants ...
Phys.org / Ancient hydrothermal carbon fuels microbes and crabs off Taiwan, study reveals
How is carbon metabolized and processed in different ecosystems? In a study published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, researchers led by Joely Maak, the study's first author and researcher in the Cluster ...
Phys.org / AI disclosure labels may do more harm than good, study warns
The growing use of AI-generated scientific and science-related content, especially on social media, raises important concerns: these texts may contain false or highly persuasive information that is difficult for users to ...
