Phys.org news

Phys.org / Bowhead whale recovery reflects century-old whaling patterns

An international study led by Adelaide University has found bowhead whale populations are recovering only in stocks where large areas of hazardous sea ice conditions limited devastating hunting centuries ago. The research ...

Apr 28, 2026
Phys.org / A mechanical blue LED: Stretching GaN shifts light from UV to blue without changing chemistry

A research team from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) has successfully used mechanical stretching technology to dynamically control the emission color of gallium nitride (GaN) material from ...

Apr 28, 2026
Phys.org / New microscope reveals previously hidden differences in photosynthetic light-harvesting antennae

How do photosynthetic organisms harvest light so efficiently? To help answer this question, researchers have developed an ultrafast transient absorption microscope with sensitivity approaching the single-molecule level.

Apr 28, 2026
Phys.org / Investigating the disordered heart of glass

Recent research led by the University of Trento reveals that fundamental atomic vibrations remain unchanged also in ultra-stable glasses. This discovery advances the decade-long debate on the physics of disorder and opens ...

Apr 28, 2026
Phys.org / Egg-scanning AI may let hatcheries sort life, death and sex before chicks emerge

Eggs and poultry provide important sources of protein globally, driving a major industry with large economic impacts. Challenges to hatchery operations include embryo mortality, fertility, sex determination, and eggshell ...

Apr 28, 2026
Phys.org / Deep-ocean heat has been marching closer to Antarctica, reveals long-term study

A new decades-long study of oceanographic data provides the first evidence that deep-ocean heat has moved closer to Antarctica, threatening the fragile ice shelves that fringe the continent.

Apr 28, 2026
Phys.org / Two whale groups separated by seas—but not by genes, study finds

A paper in Genome Biology and Evolution discovers that the endangered Mediterranean fin whale is not completely isolated from Atlantic groups. Both Atlantic and Mediterranean populations have declined for the past 200,000 ...

Apr 28, 2026
Phys.org / Airborne desert dust may warm climate far more than expected, new analysis shows

Atmospheric dust plays a dual role in Earth's climate: it reflects some sunlight back into space while also absorbing and retaining the planet's heat like an insulating blanket. But while dust likely cools the planet overall, ...

Apr 28, 2026
Phys.org / Organic matter diversity determines how much iron is available for marine life, study finds

How much of the essential trace element iron remains available for marine life in the ocean depends critically on the diversity of organic molecules in seawater, according to new research published in Nature Communications ...

Apr 28, 2026
Phys.org / Stick-on gel delivers drugs directly to plants to clear infections quickly

A stick-on gel for plants could one day offer a simple, safe and targeted way to treat diseases and pests. Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed an adhesive gel that can be loaded with substances, ...

Apr 28, 2026
Phys.org / Zinc–redox crosstalk: A new key to cellular protein quality control

Zinc is an essential trace element that controls myriad biological processes. The delicate balance of its concentration in the body is critical; both deficiency and excess are linked to severe pathological states such as ...

Apr 28, 2026
Phys.org / Soil, not fertilizer, is primary source of nitrogen gas loss in rice paddies, study reveals

Rice production is heavily dependent on nitrogen fertilizers, particularly in China, where application rates are two to three times the global average. At the same time, a large amount of nitrogen is lost to the environment—mainly ...

Apr 28, 2026