Phys.org news
Phys.org / Insects in the city: Flowers alone may not be enough to sustain them
What renders a city garden attractive to insects such as solitary bees, bumblebees and hoverflies? And how well do they pollinate plants in urban areas? A study by the Federal Research Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape ...
Phys.org / How city life changes bird song and why many species do not adapt
Urbanization is rapidly transforming natural habitats and poses growing challenges for wildlife. One lesser-known consequence is its potential impact on bird song, which plays a crucial role in communication, reproduction, ...
Phys.org / Overturning a 200-year belief: New surface design enables two distinct wetting states on a single substrate
NIMS discovered a phenomenon in which droplets on a single solid surface exhibit both a "sticky" and "repellent" state simultaneously. Namely, the wetting behavior branches into two states. This is a discovery that overturns ...
Phys.org / Tiny sea creature Porpita porpita may live adrift at sea for years longer than previously thought
A new study of the blue button (Porpita porpita), a small and elusive sea creature which lives on the surface of the ocean, has found that it may live for several years adrift at sea, much longer than previously estimated.
Phys.org / New field evidence from Canada shows old wells can leave a hidden leakage footprint
Old oil and gas wells may continue to affect the environment long after they have stopped producing, with new field evidence showing that their leakage footprint can be broader and more persistent than surface methane measurements ...
Phys.org / Lab fish cycles are hours out of sync with natural ones, researchers discover
When researchers moved medaka—a fish commonly used in experiments—out of the lab and into more natural conditions, their reproductive clock shifted by hours, suggesting that laboratory findings may not fully capture their ...
Phys.org / How face-building genes get ready early: Genome folding may prime crucial DNA switches
Early in development, a group of migrating cells called cranial neural crest cells go on to form many different parts of the face, including the nose, jaw, ears, and throat. To build these structures correctly, genes must ...
Phys.org / Rare seals hide in underwater bubble caves to escape tourists
The uninhabited islet of Formicula in Greece's Inner Ionian archipelago is a popular tourist draw for its clear waters, swimming spots, and marine diversity. A major attraction is the Mediterranean monk seal, one of the world's ...
Phys.org / How a 4,000-year-old city defied history's 'rules' by becoming more equal as it became more successful
For decades, historians have generally agreed that the progress of small villages as they evolved into cities came at the price of widening inequality. A small group of leaders, kings and priests, would inevitably seize control ...
Phys.org / Consistency check casts doubt on evolving dark energy
Cosmologists have long struggled to determine whether the universe's accelerating expansion is being driven by a simple cosmological constant, or whether dark energy's influence is evolving over time. In a new analysis published ...
Phys.org / Less low cloud cover lets in more heat from the sun—and may lock in centuries of sea level rise
According to NOAA, the global average sea level has risen 8–9 inches (21–24 centimeters) since 1880. The rate at which the sea level is rising is increasing, threatening coastal cities and ecosystems around the world.
Phys.org / Tritium-infused graphene could sharpen the hunt for neutrino mass
While neutrinos are some of the most abundant particles in the universe, they remain among the least understood. One of the biggest puzzles is their mass: although experiments have shown that neutrinos must have some mass, ...
