Phys.org news

Phys.org / MIZ-ing in action: How much of Antarctic sea ice is affected by waves?

Using old satellite radar techniques, scientists have developed a new way of measuring the true extent of an understudied and crucial region of the Antarctic sea-ice system for the first time. The Marginal Ice Zone (MIZ) ...

May 28, 2026
Phys.org / Global food shock model reveals self-sufficiency alone may not prevent crises

Global food systems are fragile. Recent shocks such as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the Russian invasion of Ukraine have raised prices and exacerbated food insecurity. Governments are increasingly trying to shield ...

May 28, 2026
Phys.org / Chang'e-5 regolith studies reveal nanoscale space-weathering processes

On the moon, the lack of atmosphere and accompanying features such as biological activity, oxygen-rich air, flowing water and rain, wind, and most erosion allows the lunar regolith to preserve a long-term record of surface ...

May 28, 2026
Phys.org / Biologists improve biomass mapping tools to better track carbon storage

In the far north regions of Earth, where forests stretch across Alaska and Canada, climate change is unfolding at an accelerated pace. Arctic and boreal regions are warming two to four times faster than the global average, ...

May 28, 2026
Phys.org / Electrical 'knob' can switch light on, off and tune intensity at the nanoscale

Physicists from Emory University have led work to develop a microscopic, nonlinear light source that can be switched on, off or tuned to a particular intensity by an electrical "knob." The paper is published in the journal ...

May 28, 2026
Phys.org / Improved embryo freezing technique could preserve endangered species

The current practice of freezing embryos—used to assist reproduction in humans or animals or to conserve endangered species—routinely causes ice to form within the cells, ripping through cell membranes, changing the way proteins ...

May 28, 2026
Phys.org / Italians and Dutch share the same gestural instinct for teaching, research reveals

Italians are famous for speaking with their hands. But a new international study suggests that when it comes to teaching children, adults everywhere instinctively become more expressive with their gestures—even in cultures ...

May 28, 2026
Phys.org / 'Diversifying' social feeds can cut exposure to toxic content and preserve enjoyment

A new study from Northwestern University and the University of Chicago offers underlying evidence that the engagement-based algorithms used by major social media platforms amplify intergroup, moralized, emotional (IME) and ...

May 28, 2026
Phys.org / Electromagnetic noise can send migrating bats off course, with effects lasting hours

New research has unearthed new insights into the disruptive and detrimental effects that human-produced electromagnetic noise can have on the ability of bats to migrate effectively. The study, published in the journal Science, ...

May 28, 2026
Phys.org / Sensitivity of Antarctic ice to climate change sharply increased after ice age shift, study shows

A new study published in the journal Nature Geoscience by researchers at the IBS Center for Climate Physics (ICCP) at Pusan National University in South Korea shows that the Antarctic ice sheet became more sensitive to climate ...

May 28, 2026
Phys.org / Plants exhibit remarkable tolerance to protein translation errors

The precise synthesis of proteins is considered essential for cellular function. Now, a team led by LMU biologists Dr. Benjamin Brandt and Professor Hans-Henning Kunz has demonstrated for the first time that plants can cope ...

May 28, 2026
Phys.org / Hyena clan rank metrics need to be trait specific to fully explain hierarchies, scientists argue

Spotted hyenas live in hierarchically organized groups (clans). An individual's dominance over another determines priority access to resources such as food or mating partners, and thus reproductive success. However, the rank ...

May 28, 2026