Phys.org news

Phys.org / Long-term study of COVID lockdown and family life shows unexpected, lasting effects on fatherhood

In the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, much has been said about how the lockdowns created conditions for dual-parent families to spend more time at home with their children. In an ideal vision of family life, this ...

May 1, 2026
Phys.org / Azide-to-diazo reaction unlocks safer path to versatile nitrogen-rich compounds

In the world of organic chemistry, nitrogen-containing organic compounds are ubiquitous, forming the backbone of pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, dyes, and functional materials. To build these important molecules, chemists ...

May 1, 2026
Phys.org / After flames strip hillsides bare, the next storm can unleash something far more destructive downstream

Wildfires can increase flooding risks in and downstream of burned areas by removing vegetation and disturbing hydrologic processes. As the climate changes, the severity of both wildfires and heavy rainfall events is increasing, ...

May 1, 2026
Phys.org / Frozen-in gravity: A new way to understand the evolution of spacetime dynamics

The concept of spacetime, first described in Einstein's theory of general relativity, has since been widely studied by many physicists worldwide. Spacetime is described mathematically as a four-dimensional (4D) continuum ...

Apr 30, 2026
Phys.org / A lost galaxy called 'Loki' may be hiding inside the Milky Way

The Milky Way galaxy grew into its current form with the help of smaller galaxies over time, which it has "consumed" or merged with. Astronomers are able to pick out which stars in the Milky Way came from other galaxies by ...

Apr 30, 2026
Phys.org / Evolution has reused the same genes for 120 million years, study shows

Scientists have shown that evolution has been using the same genetic "cheat sheet" for over 120 million years, suggesting that life on Earth may be more predictable than first imagined. The international team, led by scientists ...

Apr 30, 2026
Phys.org / A physics explanation shows why US elections keep ending 50:50—and why more spending won't change that

A physics-inspired model calibrated on 40 years of US congressional data pinpoints a spending threshold of roughly 1.8 million USD at which campaigns stop influencing who wins and start fueling polarization instead.

Apr 30, 2026
Phys.org / Room-temperature multiferroic could pave way to low-energy computing

A team of researchers at Rice University has engineered a new version of a well-known multiferroic that exhibits orders of magnitude higher performance at room temperature than its parent material. The study, published in ...

Apr 30, 2026
Phys.org / Sudden quantum jolts may not break adiabatic behavior after all

In thermodynamics, an "adiabatic process" is a system change that transfers no heat in or out of the system. Any and all energy change in that system are therefore accomplished by doing work on the system, work being action ...

Apr 30, 2026
Phys.org / A silent robot shadows sperm whales by listening to their clicks

An autonomous underwater glider is giving us a new and effective way to track sperm whales by tuning into their clicks and silently following them. To study these large oceanic predators, researchers need to monitor their ...

Apr 30, 2026
Phys.org / GP Com observations sharpen picture of a rare ultracompact binary system

Using the Rozhen National Astronomical Observatory, Bulgarian astronomers have conducted optical photometric observations of an ultracompact binary known as GP Com. Results of the observational campaign, presented in the ...

Apr 30, 2026
Phys.org / How temperature swings impact the growth of young songbirds

Climate change threatens to cause increasingly extreme and variable temperature swings, affecting everything from urban infrastructure to global food supplies. In the animal kingdom, the hardest hit may be the youngest and ...

Apr 30, 2026