Phys.org news

Phys.org / Improved weather forecasts could reduce heat deaths as climate warms

When extreme weather looms, timely and accurate warnings can give people the chance to adjust their plans, brace for danger and, in the most severe cases, make decisions that keep them safe. Does that mean improving weather ...

Apr 13, 2026
Phys.org / Small talk surprises: Nine experiments show 'boring' topics feel more enjoyable

The small talk you try to avoid because you think it will be boring may actually be more enjoyable than you think, and good for you as well, according to research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

Apr 13, 2026
Phys.org / Gold nanorod makes spinning light when struck off-center by an electron beam

Light, as we usually conceive of it, is defined by the astonishing velocity at which it moves from one point to another. For example, in just one second, light can travel most of the distance between Earth and the moon. This ...

Apr 13, 2026
Phys.org / A cheaper, more sustainable way to manufacture breakthrough HIV drug Lenacapavir

Researchers at the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB) have used engineering biology—an emerging technology that uses nature's own processes to manufacture everyday chemicals and materials—to dramatically simplify ...

Apr 13, 2026
Phys.org / Of gray whales that enter San Francisco Bay, nearly 18% die there, scientists find

Gray whales migrate from Arctic waters full of food to the lagoons of Baja Mexico—but as the climate crisis gathers pace, they have been sighted foraging in unexpected places. Recently, some have begun to explore the dangerously ...

Apr 13, 2026
Phys.org / Disrupting genome architecture selectively impairs developmental genes

Weill Cornell Medicine researchers have found that temporarily disabling a protein complex that organizes DNA into loops inside the cell's nucleus drastically disrupted the three-dimensional structure of the genome, but surprisingly, ...

Apr 13, 2026
Phys.org / These nanotweezers grab thousands of tiny cell packets in seconds and expose their hidden cargo

Justus Ndukaife, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and Chancellor Faculty Fellow, and his team have developed next generation nanotweezers that better analyze extracellular vesicles and aid in unraveling ...

Apr 13, 2026
Phys.org / Future-proofing livestock vaccines by anticipating viruses' next moves

The wave-shaped chart Ratul Chowdhury pulls up on a computer monitor in his office captures the evolutionary cat-and-mouse game his research lab is up against. The undulating curves track variants of the porcine reproductive ...

Apr 13, 2026
Phys.org / Painkillers prevent pain responses in Norway lobsters, intensifying the case against boiling them alive

Common human painkillers also work on Norway lobsters, according to research from the University of Gothenburg. This is further evidence that crustaceans may feel pain and that more humane methods of killing them need to ...

Apr 13, 2026
Phys.org / Nanodiscs capture HIV and Ebola surface proteins in lifelike membranes for vaccine design

Viruses are masters at invading cells thanks to specialized proteins that coat their surfaces. When scientists design vaccines, they often create versions of these viral surface proteins to study how the immune system might ...

Apr 13, 2026
Phys.org / Cacti fungal endophytes may help cacao tolerate drought

Beans of the cacao plant, Theobroma cacao, are used in chocolates, pharmaceuticals and other products, but they're under threat. Increased drought associated with climate change has already begun to stress cacao-growing regions ...

Apr 13, 2026
Phys.org / Astronomers find the strongest evidence yet for the universe's first stars

For decades, astronomers were only able to study the universe's very first stars using theoretical models. Now, observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have revealed what may be the most compelling evidence ...

Apr 12, 2026