Phys.org news

Phys.org / Discovery of furtivovirus advances understanding of giant virus evolution

In evolutionary biology, all life on Earth is theoretically part of a single phylogenetic tree, indicating common ancestry. This model suggests that every living organism can be traced back to a distant common ancestor. However, ...

May 26, 2026
Phys.org / Rattlesnakes among most vulnerable to fungal disease and parasitic lung infection

Snakes are threatened with extinction in many places around the globe. Disease, often caused by parasites or fungi, is thought to be one of the key factors alongside habitat destruction. Prominent among fungal diseases is ...

May 26, 2026
Phys.org / Imaginary-time technique speeds X-ray scattering simulations by 50-fold for extreme matter

Researchers at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) have developed a new procedure, enabling them to speed up elaborate computer simulations that analyze matter under extreme conditions. In particular, this work ...

May 26, 2026
Phys.org / Single-step 8-9x expansion reveals nanoscale centrioles without electron microscopy

In a study published in ACS Nano, researchers from National Taiwan University report a new expansion microscopy strategy termed high-fold homogeneous expansion microscopy (hiHomoExM), capable of achieving approximately 8–9× ...

May 26, 2026
Phys.org / Data-driven model captures dynamics of turbulence at scale

Whether the dust borne on the violent winds of a tornado or the sugar grains in a swirled cup of coffee, the behavior of particles carried along in turbulence is subject to some similarities—all of them difficult to predict ...

May 26, 2026
Phys.org / Dog daycare leptospirosis outbreak in Los Angeles reveals broader public health risks

A 2021 outbreak of leptospirosis that sickened more than 200 dogs in Los Angeles County reveals critical gaps in vaccination practices and raises broader concerns about the spread of the disease between animals and people, ...

May 26, 2026
Phys.org / Collective vibrations unlock fast ion flow in superionic crystals

In the race to develop safer, faster-charging solid-state batteries and more efficient thermoelectric conversion technologies, engineers and scientists have long faced a fundamental challenge: how to ensure ions move through ...

May 26, 2026
Phys.org / Timing in early brain growth may explain why closely related mammals build strikingly different cortexes

The outer regions of the brain, the cortex, have specific layers of different cells—neurons—that are similarly ordered among all mammals, from tiny mouse brains to huge elephant brains. However, the proportions of different ...

May 26, 2026
Phys.org / Low pH outside cells rewires transport network and displaces Golgi apparatus, study finds

A new study led by the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) describes the mechano-chemical mechanism by which the acidity of the cellular environment destabilizes microtubules, the "avenues" that organize internal cellular ...

May 26, 2026
Phys.org / DNA reveals hidden UV defense network that dissipates energy in femtoseconds

New details of how DNA protects itself from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation show a hidden network of ultrafast molecular reactions that help prevent damage before it can trigger mutations that might lead to cancer, according ...

May 26, 2026
Phys.org / Stretching and squeezing drive the timing of glacial meltwater release

As meltwater drains through and beneath a glacier, it can alter how the ice flows and whether it breaks apart. Meltwater can also cause feedback that leads to more ice loss. Understanding when and how glacial meltwater drains ...

May 26, 2026
Phys.org / Ice may release more iron than climate models predict

Most people think of ice as frozen and lifeless, but research at Umeå University shows the opposite. A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences demonstrates that ice actively speeds up the ...

May 26, 2026