Phys.org news

Phys.org / Dogs show human-like brain activity when they restrain themselves

When we tell a dog "no" and it resists temptation, what happens in its brain? New research from the Department of Ethology at ELTE and the HUN-REN Research Centre of Natural Sciences suggests that dogs may do more than respond ...

Sep 16, 2026
Phys.org / Global database reveals hidden diversity and potential of deep-sea microbes

The ocean's aphotic zone—the dark, high-pressure region below the surface, where sunlight cannot reach—is home to a vast wealth of microbial life. Yet scientists know relatively little about the genetic makeup, growth and ...

Sep 16, 2026
Phys.org / Iron, sulfur and purple light unlock greener carbon-carbon bond formation

Much of organic chemistry, including the type used to create and alter medicinal drugs, relies on modifying carbon bonds. Rice University's Julian West has been developing a less expensive, faster and more environmentally ...

Sep 16, 2026
Phys.org / A 16-minute train delay shows how a solar storm disrupted Victorian technology

A 178-year-old mystery surrounding one of the earliest recorded examples of space weather affecting technology has been solved by an international team led by Lancaster University.

Sep 16, 2026
Phys.org / New species of egg-eating snake discovered in Ethiopia's Harenna Forest

A new species of snake that feeds exclusively on birds' eggs has been discovered in the Harenna Forest in Ethiopia, one of the last substantial tracts of natural forest left in the Horn of Africa.

Sep 16, 2026
Phys.org / Well-preserved tooth from Pacific mastodon found in a creek in San Francisco Bay Area

Brigid Lynch was working along a wooded creek in a mountainous part of the San Francisco Bay Area when something that didn't look like the rocks she'd been studying caught her eye. It turned out to be the fossilized tooth ...

Sep 16, 2026
Phys.org / Microbes can produce adhesive materials from glucose instead of petroleum

KAIST researchers have demonstrated the potential of using microorganisms to produce a bio-based alternative to petroleum-derived materials for hot-melt adhesives (HMAs). These heat-activated glues are widely used in packaging, ...

Sep 16, 2026
Phys.org / Insect remains reveal Indigenous burial practices in the Canary Islands

Archaeologists have analyzed insect remains preserved in the 7th to 9th centuries AD funerary cave of Cruz de la Esquina, Gran Canaria, and found that it was used by the island's Indigenous people for food storage before ...

Sep 16, 2026
Phys.org / The local costs of remote sensing: Examining the ethics of laser scanning in tropical forests

Laser scanning, often referred to as lidar, has rapidly transformed how tropical forest regions are studied, monitored and understood across academic disciplines. The technology enables researchers to peer through dense forest ...

Sep 16, 2026
Phys.org / Brazilian sedge reproduces sexually but without DNA reshuffling, producing genetic clones

Sexual reproduction usually reshuffles genetic information, creating offspring that differ from their parents. But one small plant takes an unexpected route. In a new study published in Nature, an international team led by ...

Sep 16, 2026
Phys.org / 'Born-again' star offers rare chance to watch stellar evolution in real time

Astronomers have confirmed that one of the fastest-changing stars ever observed has entered a new stage of its evolution, offering a rare opportunity to watch a star's life unfold on human timescales.

Sep 16, 2026
Phys.org / AI struggles to decipher 'animal language' because sound doesn't equal meaning, experts say

In recent years, numerous attempts have been made to use artificial intelligence to decipher the communication of bats, whales, birds and other animals. However, a new study led by a team of researchers from Tel Aviv University ...

Sep 16, 2026