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Phys.org / Researchers find microplastics in hedgehogs—then trace them back to pet food

When colleagues and I found microplastics in hedgehog droppings, we wanted to know where they were coming from. One answer was surprisingly close to home: pet food.

Jun 23, 2026
Phys.org / Our ovary blueprint is ancient, according to sea stars

At first glance, bat sea stars, the nubbly, orange, many-footed creatures often found on the seafloor, seem about as far from humans as one can get. Appearances can be deceiving, however. Scientists have found evidence showing ...

Jun 23, 2026
Phys.org / Poo emoji, earthworm castings and pasta all obey the same coiling theory, physicists find

Ask a child to draw some poo, and the shape will invariably be the same: a coil, broad at the base and pointy at the top, similar to a spiral swirl of soft-serve ice cream. In fact, the often-used poo emoji has this exact ...

Jun 22, 2026
Medical Xpress / Coordinated brainstem slow waves may determine when it's time for REM sleep

Sleep is one of the most widely studied states of consciousness, known to play a role in physical recovery, the processing of memories and the regulation of immune functions. During sleep, the brain transitions between light ...

Jun 22, 2026
Phys.org / Zebrafish and fruit flies share the same internal compass mechanism in a case of convergent evolution

Even in darkness, many animals retain a sense of orientation because their nervous system sustains a memory of heading encoded by the activity of head-direction (HD) cells. Animals continuously update this internal compass ...

Jun 23, 2026
Phys.org / New AI tool identifies wild animals by their unique patterns in real time

Patterns reveal the individual: A novel AI algorithm equips researchers with a powerful new tool to accurately identify individual jaguars, zebras and giraffes in real time based on their unique coat patterns. Biologists ...

Jun 23, 2026
Phys.org / Horseshoe bats use echolocation to separate background echoes from those of fluttering prey

Many bat species emit echolocation calls and use the returning echoes to find their way, detect the presence of fluttering insects, and locate and catch them. A new study investigated this behavior in greater horseshoe bats ...

Jun 23, 2026
Phys.org / 500-million-year fossil record reveals corals' symbiotic advantage shifted with changing environments

Coral reef ecosystems, widely seen as a climate change bellwether, are more complex than previously understood. A new international study by the universities of Bristol, Wuhan in China, and Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany reveals ...

Jun 23, 2026
Phys.org / Although woodland salamanders have looked the same for millions of years, their physiology has evolved rapidly

For her doctoral dissertation, Yale's Nathalie Alomar decided to study a small amphibian that appeared to have eluded the forces of evolution. She found that there is more to its evolution than meets the eye.

Jun 23, 2026
Medical Xpress / Low testosterone linked to cancer risk in men

New research shows men with very low testosterone levels are at higher risk of both fatal and nonfatal cancer later in life. But while the research found men with low testosterone were 18% more likely to die of cancer years ...

Jun 23, 2026
Tech Xplore / Ultraefficient chip could help tiny robots traverse complex environments

A new chip developed by MIT researchers could help tiny, low-power UAVs avoid obstacles as they zip around tight corners inside an industrial HVAC system to check for gas leaks. The chip allows small autonomous robots and ...

Jun 23, 2026
Phys.org / Sawdust, cellulose binders and beeswax combine into eco-friendly foam

Polystyrene—common in packing peanuts and box inserts—is manufactured from fossil fuels. To develop a sustainable alternative, researchers reporting in ACS Applied Polymer Materials tested an unconventional starting material: ...

Jun 23, 2026