Phys.org news
Phys.org / Female Galápagos seabirds have flings—and males seem OK with it
Perched on a plastic chair overlooking a colony of Nazca boobies in the Galápagos Islands, researcher David Anderson carefully studied the seabirds.
Phys.org / Platelet-inspired nanoparticles can boost brain-computer interface electrode performance
Scientists working to enhance brain-computer interface (BCI) technology—which allows people to control devices with their thoughts—have found they can improve the performance of electrodes implanted in the brain by targeted ...
Phys.org / 2025 on track to tie second hottest year on record: EU monitor
The planet is on track to log its second hottest year on record in 2025, tied with 2023 after a historic high in 2024, Europe's global warming monitor said Tuesday.
Phys.org / Geomorphological approach evaluates Galápagos watersheds
Galápagos is a living laboratory where every environmental decision matters. On Santa Cruz, the most populated island of the archipelago, freshwater is a limited and increasingly vulnerable resource due to urban growth, ...
Phys.org / Male bonobos track females' reproductive cycle to maximize mating success
Male bonobos can decipher females' unreliable fertility signals, allowing them to focus their efforts on matings with the highest chance of conception, according to a study by Heungjin Ryu at Kyoto University, Japan, and ...
Phys.org / Microneedle system delivers biofertilizer directly into plants, boosting growth with less waste
Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed dissolving microneedle patches that deliver living "biofertilizer" straight into plant tissue. In greenhouse tests, Choy Sum and Kale grew faster—by ...
Phys.org / Trust in science is low among minorities for a reason, research finds
The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a nationwide conversation in the U.S. about how much people trust scientists and trained medical professionals. But for some communities, distrust has been the norm.
Phys.org / Triturus newts reveal a genetic balancing act
An evolutionary "trap" has haunted crested and marbled newts for 25 million years: Leiden researchers have uncovered a mysterious DNA error that should not be able to arise—yet persists all the same. How is that possible? ...
Phys.org / Melatonin wakes up plants, stimulating growth and boosting stress tolerance
In an interesting turn of botanical events, University of Houston engineers report that while melatonin keeps us asleep, it wakes up plants, helping them grow.
Phys.org / Energy-efficient hydrogen: Plant waste and chromium-coated copper catalyst improve electrolysis process
Hydrogen fuel could be an important part of the clean energy revolution. But it faces some challenges. Most hydrogen today is made from natural gas using a process called steam methane reforming, which produces lots of carbon ...
Phys.org / Durable catalyst shields itself for affordable green hydrogen production
An international research team led by Professor Philip C.Y. Chow at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has unveiled a new catalyst that overcomes a major challenge in producing green hydrogen at scale. This innovation makes ...
Phys.org / Simplified lab process produces potent nerve-blocking molecules found in shellfish
Chemists have long been fascinated and frustrated by saxitoxin: a molecule that causes temporary paralysis by blocking the electrical signals that nerve cells (neurons) use to activate muscle, and which accumulates in shellfish ...
