Phys.org news

Phys.org / Men embodying women in VR report strong emotional reactions to verbal harassment

Unfortunately, many women and girls know all too well what it means to be victims of verbal harassment. They are familiar with its emotional and psychological impact. What about men? What would they feel if they were in the ...

Dec 29, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Fungus disarms bark beetle chemical shields by converting their plant-derived toxins

Spruce bark is rich in phenolic compounds that protect trees from pathogenic fungi. A research team at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena has investigated how these plant defenses function within the food ...

Dec 29, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Bison return to Illinois' Kane County after 200 years, a crucial step for conservation and Indigenous connection

From their cozy homes in suburban Burlington, children curiously watch their new neighbors through windows and brainstorm nicknames.

Dec 29, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / How do I make clear ice at home? A food scientist shares easy tips

When you splurge on a cocktail in a bar, the drink often comes with a slab of aesthetically pleasing, perfectly clear ice. The stuff looks much fancier than the slightly cloudy ice you get from your home freezer. How do they ...

Dec 29, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Researchers develop efficient, reusable compound for capturing carbon dioxide from air

A new method to capture carbon dioxide from the air has been developed at the University of Helsinki's chemistry department.

Dec 29, 2025 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Josephson junction behavior observed with only one superconductor and iron barrier

Separate two superconductors with a thin layer of material and something strange happens.

Dec 29, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / These Illinois dairy and beef farms make raising methane-belching cows part of the climate solution

Illinois is a top agricultural state, generating billions of dollars annually, but even where stalks of corn and acres of soybean vastly outnumber its 400,000 head of cattle, cows raised for beef and dairy account for an ...

Dec 29, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Ancient microfossils reveal a moving North Pacific Ocean 5 million years ago

A research team led by scientists at Kumamoto University has discovered a new genus of microscopic crustaceans from northern Japan, offering rare insights into how ocean currents in the North Pacific shifted during a key ...

Dec 29, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Genetic study reveals two killer whale ecotypes near Hokkaido waters

The species Orcinus orca, generally known as orcas or killer whales, is made up of many genetically distinct populations called ecotypes. Each ecotype indicates an ecological specialization with its own ecological and phylogenetic ...

Dec 29, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Researchers discover a new superfluid phase in non-Hermitian quantum systems

A stable "exceptional fermionic superfluid," a new quantum phase that intrinsically hosts singularities known as exceptional points, has been discovered by researchers at the Institute of Science Tokyo.

Dec 29, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / What was the Christmas star? Astronomy might hold the answer

In the run up to Christmas, carols fill the air. Many have an astronomical twist, singing of the "Christmas Star" from the story of the nativity. Described in the Gospel of Matthew, the star guided the three wise men to the ...

Dec 29, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / How a bacteria-busting spray could help solve a meaty problem

University of Otago scientists are harnessing the power of peptides—the body's own tiny protein molecules—for a spray to help the red meat industry solve headaches around bacterial contamination and spoilage.

Dec 29, 2025 in Biology