Phys.org news

Phys.org / Radio waves enable energy-efficient AI on edge devices without heavy hardware

As drones survey forests, robots navigate warehouses and sensors monitor city streets, more of the world's decision-making is occurring autonomously on the edge—on the small devices that gather information at the ends of ...

Jan 10, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / NASA says targeting ISS medical evacuation for January 14

NASA crewmembers aboard the International Space Station (ISS) could return to Earth as soon as Thursday, the US space agency said, after a medical emergency prompted the crew to return from their mission early.

Jan 10, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / How personality traits influence the way we flirt with others

Flirting is often seen as playful behavior that signals interest to a potential partner. But according to new research, there is much more to the teasing, light-hearted conversation and coquettish glances than meets the eye. ...

Jan 9, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / New Zealand's rare flightless parrot begins breeding again

New Zealand's critically endangered flightless parrot, the kakapo, started breeding last week for the first time in four years, the government conservation department said.

Jan 9, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / The 'Age of Fishes' began with mass death, fossil database reveals

Some 445 million years ago, life on Earth was forever changed. During the geological blink of an eye, glaciers formed over the supercontinent Gondwana, drying out many of the vast, shallow seas like a sponge and giving an ...

Jan 9, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / System can diagnose infections in 20 minutes, aiding fight against drug resistance

A new technique which slashes the time taken to diagnose microbial infections from days to minutes could help save lives and open up a new front in the battle against antibiotic resistance, researchers say.

Jan 9, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Hybrid parasites threaten progress against one of the world's most widespread neglected diseases

New research led by Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) warns that hybrid forms of the parasites that cause schistosomiasis are undermining existing disease control strategies and could accelerate the spread of infection ...

Jan 9, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / What past global warming reveals about future rainfall

To understand how global warming could influence future climate, scientists look to the Paleogene Period that began 66 million years ago, covering a time when Earth's atmospheric carbon dioxide levels were two to four times ...

Jan 9, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Commercially viable biomanufacturing: Designer yeast turns sugar into lucrative chemical 3-HP

Using a tiny, acid-tolerant yeast, scientists have demonstrated a cost-effective way to make disposable diapers, microplastics, and acrylic paint more sustainable through biomanufacturing.

Jan 9, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Single-cell testing shows which antibiotics actually kill bacteria, not just stop growth

Drugs that act against bacteria are mainly assessed based on how well they inhibit bacterial growth under laboratory conditions. A critical factor, however, is whether the active substances actually kill the pathogens in ...

Jan 9, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Most people believe climate change primarily affects others

Research conducted by researchers at the University of Gothenburg shows that people tend to rate their own risk of being affected by climate change as lower than that of others. This perception may reduce individuals' willingness ...

Jan 9, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Engines of light: New study suggests we could increase useful energy obtained from sunlight

Physicists from Trinity College Dublin believe new insights into the behavior of light may offer a new means of solving one of science's oldest challenges—how to turn heat into useful energy.

Jan 9, 2026 in Physics