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Phys.org / Cities change storms, but the impacts depend on the storm itself

Cities don't just change the landscape, they change the weather. According to a new study analyzing tens of thousands of rain events in Texas, whether urban areas make rain worse, lighter or simply different depends strongly ...

May 20, 2026
Medical Xpress / Smartphone data predict smoking cravings and lapses, with potential to treat addiction and other conditions

Minuscule movement patterns collected from smartphones and often undetectable to humans have been used to predict cravings and compulsive behaviors with groundbreaking accuracy—potentially offering timely and bespoke treatment ...

May 21, 2026
Phys.org / Better helium reporting to improve fission and fusion materials modeling

Standardizing calculations of the helium byproducts generated in advanced fission and fusion energy system materials can increase reactor safety and longevity, according to a study led by University of Michigan Engineering ...

May 20, 2026
Phys.org / Amazonian cocoa has a new edge: Two standout cultivars could change how growers fight witches' broom

Witches' broom disease, caused by the fungus Moniliophthora perniciosa, decimated cocoa crops in southern Bahia state, Brazil, in the 1990s. It was even the subject of a local soap opera and continues to plague the chocolate ...

May 19, 2026
Phys.org / Scientists solve 50-year mystery of plant immunity by unlocking debneyol's blueprint

In a silent war that has raged for millions of years, plants have evolved a sophisticated chemical arsenal to fight back against invading pathogens. Now, a team of researchers from Peking University and Tsinghua University ...

May 20, 2026
Phys.org / Food and drink plastics dominate marine litter across 112 nations, research reveals

Plastic food packaging, caps and lids, and plastic bottles are the planet's predominant items of marine litter, according to the world's first overview of marine litter by usage type.

May 20, 2026
Phys.org / Neanderthals gathered shellfish using the same strategies as modern humans, study finds

Neanderthal populations in southern Europe collected shellfish throughout the year, with a marked preference for the colder months, according to a new international study led by researchers from the Institute of Environmental ...

May 18, 2026
Phys.org / Integrated solar reactor paves way to make 'clean' chemicals, plastics and food using solar energy

A new study led by Dr. Lin Su of Queen Mary University of London, published today in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, describes a new integrated solar reactor in which engineered Escherichia coli (E. coli) are ...

May 19, 2026
Phys.org / Forbidden friends become former friends after moms voice disapproval

It's a tale as old as time: parents don't like the company their children keep—and don't hesitate to say so. Often, parents openly state their disapproval, hoping that children will abandon unwelcome affiliates and seek out ...

May 20, 2026
Phys.org / New chip offers way to make use of quantum system 'imperfections'

Quantum technologies promise powerful new kinds of computers, giving scientists new tools to mimic and explore nature at its tiniest scales. At those levels, everything in nature—from atoms and electrons to light itself—follows ...

May 19, 2026
Phys.org / Wildfire risk is now spreading to cool climates like the Scottish Highlands and Irish uplands

The most destructive wildfire season on record in Europe was in 2025, with more than 1 million hectares burned and tens of thousands of people displaced by fires across the continent.

May 22, 2026
Phys.org / The fungus that spoils nearly everything: Gray mold secret revealed

Even if you haven't heard of Botrytis cinerea, you've likely seen it—slowly growing in your store-bought blueberries, tomatoes or even on your beautiful orchids. Commonly known as gray mold, the fungus attacks hundreds of ...

May 20, 2026