https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Amber from the Kachin region of Myanmar has preserved a wealth of fossils, offering insights into the diversity of the Cretaceous fauna of a 100-million-year-old forest ecosystem. The site continues to yield previously unknown species. LMU researchers have now discovered the fossil of a true bug (Heteroptera) with an unusual morphological feature for insects—large claws on its front legs which recall the grasping appendages of crabs. These so-called chelae, which function like pincers or forceps, are extremely rare in insects. The finding is reported in the journal Insects. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ancient-amber-reveals-true-bug.html Evolution Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:30:03 EDT news696093481 Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) rank among the most powerful explosions in the universe, releasing immense energy in intense flashes of gamma rays. The most distant GRBs originate from the era when the first stars and galaxies formed. Detecting them allows astronomers to probe the early universe and understand how the first heavy elements formed and how the earliest stellar populations lived and died. Missions like HiZ-GUNDAM, a satellite planned for launch in the 2030s by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), aim to detect these distant explosions in real time. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-distant-gamma-ray-explosions-precisely.html Astronomy Tue, 14 Apr 2026 18:30:01 EDT news695404202 Common human painkillers also work on Norway lobsters, according to research from the University of Gothenburg. This is further evidence that crustaceans may feel pain and that more humane methods of killing them need to be developed. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-painkillers-pain-responses-norway-lobsters.html Plants & Animals Mon, 13 Apr 2026 09:20:02 EDT news695289050 Researchers from the University of Maine, in partnership with the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR), are analyzing more than 20 years of fishery survey data from the Gulf of Maine to examine how environmental change is reshaping marine ecosystems. The work aims to understand how changes impact the effectiveness of long-running DMR surveys that inform fishery management. It will also provide a model for evaluating and adapting survey methods to inform effective, science-based assessment and management of culturally and economically important marine resources like lobster, herring, and shrimp. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-analysis-tracks-years-coastal-species.html Ecology Wed, 01 Apr 2026 15:00:03 EDT news694260961 Solutions for a sustainable future can sometimes be found in centuries-old traditions. Indonesia's Blue Economy Roadmap is about driving economic growth through the sustainable use of ocean resources, while protecting marine ecosystems for the future. One promising way to achieve this goal is to integrate regional fishing practices based on Indigenous knowledge. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-indigenous-wisdom-indonesia-efforts-sustainable.html Ecology Sun, 22 Mar 2026 10:00:03 EDT news693050801 On July 2, 2025, the China-led Einstein Probe (EP) space telescope detected an exceptionally bright X-ray source whose brightness varied rapidly during a routine sky survey. Its unusual signal immediately set it apart from ordinary cosmic sources, triggering rapid follow-up observations by telescopes worldwide. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-einstein-probe-black-hole-white.html Astronomy Tue, 10 Feb 2026 10:27:44 EST news689941621 A dome-fronted submersible sinks beneath the waves off Indonesia, heading down nearly 1,000 meters in search of new species, plastic-eating microbes and compounds that could one day make medicines. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-submersibles-revealing-deep-sea.html Earth Sciences Mon, 26 Jan 2026 02:08:01 EST news688615583 In the shallow waters of the Florida Keys, juvenile Caribbean spiny lobsters are unwittingly meeting their doom by stumbling into naturally occurring ecological traps, according to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-juvenile-lobsters-fall-deadly-natural.html Plants & Animals Fri, 02 Jan 2026 11:10:01 EST news686572696 Researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, have already leveraged the vast troves of geolocation data from vessel-tracking systems to pinpoint where whales and other large marine species are endangered by ship traffic and industrial fishing. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-fishing-fleet-tracking-reveal-shifts.html Plants & Animals Mon, 22 Dec 2025 15:00:03 EST news685359002 Food brings people together. It serves as a tool to communicate political stances, to cultivate cross-cultural comprehension or, if necessary, create tensions. Menus can reflect these intentions by using food to create specific psychological effects and convey symbolic messages. But how exactly is it done? https://phys.org/news/2025-11-years-menus-food-diplomatic-tool.html Social Sciences Fri, 14 Nov 2025 00:00:01 EST news682238761 In the inky depths of the Central Pacific Ocean, nearly 2,400 meters below the surface, scientists have discovered a new species of deep-sea limpet clinging to a sunken log. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-depths-discovery-tiny-limpet-reveals.html Plants & Animals Thu, 06 Nov 2025 09:26:04 EST news681643561 The Gulf of Maine is warming faster than 99% of the world's oceans, raising concerns for its $2 billion-a-year American lobster fishery. Scientists at William & Mary's Batten School & VIMS have been studying the impacts of ocean acidification and warming on lobster reproduction, and the results of their most recent research suggest the rising temperatures pose the greatest risk. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-gulf-maine-pose-threat-american.html Plants & Animals Fri, 03 Oct 2025 12:14:09 EDT news678712443 This dramatic scene captured by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope looks like a fantastical tableau from J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. But truth is even stranger than fiction. In reality, what appears to be a craggy, starlit mountaintop kissed by wispy clouds is actually a cosmic dust-scape being sculpted by the scorching radiation and punishing winds of massive newborn stars. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-pismis-webb-glittering-glimpse-star.html Astronomy Thu, 04 Sep 2025 13:01:03 EDT news676209661 Researchers at the University of Sharjah have developed an innovative method to transform shrimp waste, which is typically discarded in large quantities by the seafood industry, into a valuable carbon product capable of capturing carbon dioxide (CO₂). https://phys.org/news/2025-08-scientists-sustainable-carbon-capture-shrimp.html Materials Science Tue, 26 Aug 2025 04:28:15 EDT news675401284 Rick Clough spent some four decades fishing for lobsters and sea urchins off the Maine coast before spotting one of the ocean's most recognized predators—a great white shark. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-great-white-sharks-north-alarming.html Ecology Mon, 25 Aug 2025 02:11:54 EDT news675306693 New research finds that Marine Protected Areas can boost the recovery of globally important kelp forests following marine heat waves. The findings are published in the Journal of Applied Ecology. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-kelp-forests-marine-areas-resilient.html Plants & Animals Tue, 19 Aug 2025 00:10:05 EDT news674731561 Hydrogen-producing hydrothermal systems in the deep ocean are rare but critical to understanding Earth's internal processes and the conditions that may have fostered life's origins. Now scientists from the Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOCAS) have discovered a massive hydrogen-rich hydrothermal system beneath the western Pacific seafloor, offering a new glimpse into deep-sea serpentinization—a process in which iron- and magnesium-rich rocks chemically react with water to form serpentine minerals and release hydrogen. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-rare-deep-sea-hydrothermal-western.html Earth Sciences Tue, 12 Aug 2025 11:21:03 EDT news674216461 Researchers from the University of Maine and Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences have demonstrated a new approach to understanding the diet of newly hatched American lobsters, opening doors for better understanding the role they play in the Gulf of Maine's ecosystem. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-methods-complement-revealing-diet-larval.html Ecology Thu, 26 Jun 2025 09:16:10 EDT news670148165 The fundamental building blocks for planet formation can exist even in environments with extreme ultraviolet radiation, according to a new study by an international collaboration led by Penn State astronomers. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-unveiling-secrets-planet-formation-environments.html Astronomy Wed, 21 May 2025 11:59:04 EDT news667047541 Hidden beneath the Antarctic ice lies a system of lakes and watercourses. A research team, including ETH researchers, has for the first time directly observed the subglacial streams of West Antarctica. Their study, published in Nature Geoscience, shows how individual flood events influence the melting of the ice. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-antarctic-puzzle-contributes-ice.html Earth Sciences Mon, 12 May 2025 10:08:04 EDT news666263281 Marine heat waves that seemed extreme just a decade ago will become commonplace by the end of this century in waters favored by giant kelp, researchers have found. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-fishing-kelp-forests-marine.html Plants & Animals Tue, 22 Apr 2025 11:24:05 EDT news664539841 A new species of fossil from 444 million years ago that has perfectly preserved insides has been affectionately named "Sue" after its discoverer's mom. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-fossil-reveals-species-interior.html Paleontology & Fossils Thu, 27 Mar 2025 16:49:55 EDT news662312989 In our warming oceans, marine species are moving into new areas and "re-engineering" or often destroying those ecosystems, but scientists say the paradox of overfishing sustainably can help. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-overfishing-urchins-paradoxical-path-marine.html Ecology Thu, 13 Mar 2025 11:06:05 EDT news661082762 A new analysis from researchers at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History reveals that nearly half of the genus Heliconia, a group of tropical plants popular for their bright, beak-shaped flowers, are threatened with extinction. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-popular-tropical-groups-birds-paradise.html Plants & Animals Fri, 07 Mar 2025 11:41:04 EST news660570061 Lobster-eye satellite Einstein Probe captured the X-ray flash from a very elusive celestial pair. The discovery opens a new way to explore how massive stars interact and evolve, confirming the unique power of the mission to uncover fleeting X-ray sources in the sky. The work is published on the arXiv preprint server and forthcoming in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-celestial-odd-couple-massive-star.html Astronomy Tue, 18 Feb 2025 12:31:04 EST news659104262 Freshwater ecosystems cover less than 1% of Earth's surface, but are vital for life on this planet. New research reveals that damage to these environments is pushing freshwater animals to the edge of extinction, with 24% of species in danger of being wiped out. https://phys.org/news/2025-01-extinction-threatens-quarter-freshwater-species.html Plants & Animals Sat, 18 Jan 2025 10:30:02 EST news656090818 Giant isopods of the genus Bathynomus, which can reach more than 30 cm in length, are known as bọ biển or "sea bugs" in Vietnam. For the first time, one such species was described from Vietnamese waters and named Bathynomus vaderi. The name "vaderi" is inspired by the appearance of its head, which closely resembles the distinctive and iconic helmet of Darth Vader, the most famous Sith Lord of Star Wars. https://phys.org/news/2025-01-dark-side-ocean-giant-sea.html Plants & Animals Tue, 14 Jan 2025 09:10:01 EST news655979641 A team of biologists in Montana and Germany has found that, regardless of type, those insects that express a protective stick- or leaf-like appearance all evolved the same basic body parts. In their study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Romain Boisseau, Douglas Emlen and Sven Bradler measured and compared characteristics from 1,359 stick insects covering 212 stick and leaf species and assessed the possibility of predicting evolutionary change. https://phys.org/news/2024-12-convergent-evolution-leaf-insects-body.html Plants & Animals Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:33:50 EST news654514425 Researchers from the University of Gothenburg are the first to prove that painful stimuli are sent to the brain of shore crabs, providing more evidence for pain in crustaceans. EEG-style measurements show clear neural reactions in the crustacean's brain during mechanical or chemical stimulation. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-crabs-pain.html Plants & Animals Tue, 26 Nov 2024 08:45:04 EST news651833101 PFAS are in Miami's rainwater. And it is the latest evidence the synthetic "forever chemicals"—that have raised health concerns for people and wildlife—hitch a ride on the water cycle, using the complex system to circulate over greater distances. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-rainwater-samples-reveals-literally-chemicals.html Environment Mon, 04 Nov 2024 13:27:51 EST news649949266