Phys.org news

Phys.org / Why conversation is more like a dance than an exchange of words

Think about the last time you told a story to a friend. You probably adjusted it halfway through. You saw their eyebrows lift. You noticed them lean in, or glance away. You clarified a detail. You sped up the ending. That ...

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / Using individual atoms to achieve fossil-free chemistry

Every chemical reaction faces a barrier: For substances to react with one another, it is first necessary to supply energy. In many cases, this energy barrier is low—such as when striking a match. For many key reactions ...

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / Smarter mangrove protection: Study links a 7.3% area boost to 13.3% resilience gain

A global study of mangroves has found that a modest boost in conserved areas could significantly increase their ability to adapt to the changing climate, including rising sea levels. University of Queensland Ph.D. candidate ...

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / Irrigation gaps in weather models could skew air quality forecasts, study finds

Outdoor air pollution is estimated to contribute to more than 100,000 premature deaths in the United States each year, according to the National Weather Service. Accurate air quality forecasts—designed to protect public ...

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / The sea is higher than we thought and millions more are at risk, study finds

Climate change's rising seas may threaten tens of millions more people than scientists and government planners originally thought because of mistaken research assumptions on how high coastal waters already are, a new study ...

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / Simulation makes it possible to study movements of cell's largest protein complexes without supercomputers

Large protein machines in the body carry out many of the cell's most essential tasks, from energy production to the regulation of signal transmission. Although they can now be imaged in great detail using cryo-electron microscopy, ...

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / SWOT satellite takes stock of world's river water

In a first, a space mission led by NASA and France has tracked Earth's rivers swelling and shrinking from month to month over the course of a year and found significantly less of a swing than previous model-based estimates. ...

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / Influenza's molecular theft caught in action—how the virus steals the cap of host RNA in order to replicate

The cold season is in full swing, throats are scratchy and noses are running. We feel ill and hope it is not the flu. The influenza virus continues to pose a threat to our health. It triggers seasonal epidemics and, from ...

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / NA62 Collaboration refines measurement of rare particle decay

The NA62 Collaboration has dramatically reduced the uncertainty in its measurement of an extremely rare particle decay, in results just presented at the 2026 La Thuile conference.

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / Drinking water at risk long after wildfires, study warns

Canada's drinking water can remain at risk long after wildfires burn out, according to a UBC-led global review that found water-quality impacts often emerge months or years later—not just immediately after a fire. Researchers ...

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / Just three molecules can launch gene-silencing condensates in stem cells

A new study has uncovered how an exceptionally scarce protein can orchestrate the assembly of large-scale gene-silencing structures inside cells, and what happens when that process breaks down. The findings, published today ...

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / Black soldier fly larvae show promise for safe organic waste removal

People and animals create lots of waste that is usually sent to landfills, incinerated, or stored in engineered ponds such as manure lagoons. Now, researchers report a potential removal method using insects, specifically ...

Mar 4, 2026