Phys.org news

Phys.org / 'Switch' behind flash drought in Puerto Rico uncovered

In Puerto Rico, drought doesn't always arrive slowly. Sometimes, it appears in days. That speed can leave producers scrambling, reservoirs dropping, and communities facing water restrictions before they can react. In a place ...

Apr 6, 2026
Phys.org / Structural color can now be printed with an inkjet printer

While traditional printer pigments fade and most structural color can't be printed, Kobe University material engineer Sugimoto Hiroshi has been working on nothing short of a revolution in the way color is produced.

Apr 6, 2026
Phys.org / Robotic floats uncover hidden ocean chemistry in low-oxygen zones

Scientists have found a new way to detect subtle chemical signatures in seawater, revealing previously invisible details about the ocean's chemistry from data continuously collected by thousands of autonomous robotic floats ...

Apr 6, 2026
Phys.org / Improving air temperature forecasts one to five weeks in advance without new model simulations

Researchers at the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo and George Mason University's College of Science have developed a new method that improves air temperature forecasts one to five weeks in advance—without ...

Apr 6, 2026
Phys.org / More dives, fewer reef sharks: Caribbean study links tourism pressure to shark sightings

Reef sharks are observed less frequently on Caribbean reefs that have high levels of diving activity and greater coastal development, according to new research published in the Journal of Applied Ecology. Even recreational ...

Apr 6, 2026
Phys.org / Cell 'snowball' may be answer to large-scale tissue engineering

Cell cultures—single layers of cells grown in a small dish—have enabled researchers to study biological growth, develop or test drugs and even discover what causes some diseases. Cell spheroids, 3D versions of cell cultures ...

Apr 6, 2026
Phys.org / Dual-drug nanotherapy crosses blood–brain barrier, improving survival in preclinical glioblastoma models

Mayo Clinic researchers developed an experimental nanotherapy that delivers two cancer drugs directly to brain tumors, according to a study published in Communications Medicine. The strategy extended survival in preclinical ...

Apr 6, 2026
Phys.org / Longer wildfire seasons pose an increasing threat for species under climate change

Wildfires are becoming more frequent and are ravaging new parts of the world due to global warming. A study led by researchers from the University of Gothenburg shows that this change is increasing the vulnerability of thousands ...

Apr 6, 2026
Phys.org / Stitching precise patterns—with lasers

Just as embroiderers, with needle and thread, can transform plain fabric into an intricate pattern, engineers can use lasers and polymers to create flexible, complex structures that could transform life-saving sensing technology. ...

Apr 6, 2026
Phys.org / A secret odorant code patches a problematic relationship between pollinators and flowers

A plant uses a rare scent to guide its pollinator to male flowers first and to female flowers later, finds a study led by Kobe University. The work, appearing in Current Biology, uncovers a precise chemical system that not ...

Apr 6, 2026
Phys.org / Spring cold snaps harm nesting tree swallows, but some show resilience

Warming temperatures from climate change cause tree swallows to nest up to two weeks earlier than they did in the 1970s, but early spring cold snaps can hinder nestlings' growth and survival, according to a new study that ...

Apr 6, 2026
Phys.org / Fish 'steals' glowing protein: Genome sequencing proves unique survival strategy

In a striking example of nature's ingenuity, a collaborative research team has revealed that a bioluminescent fish glows not by producing its own light-emitting molecules, but by "stealing" them from its prey. Details of ...

Apr 6, 2026