Phys.org news

Phys.org / Sound-sensing hair bundles in our ears act as tiny thermodynamic machines

The hair cells lining the inner ear are among the most sophisticated structures in the human body: capable of detecting sounds as faint as a whisper, while helping to maintain our sense of balance. Through new models detailed ...

Apr 8, 2026
Phys.org / Unique double baptistery and mysterious marble block uncovered at Byzantine cathedral in Israel

In a new article published in the Palestine Exploration Quarterly, researchers Dr. Michael Eisenberg and Dr. Arleta Kowalewska describe a recently excavated Byzantine-period cathedral at Hippos. Archaeologists revealed a ...

Apr 8, 2026
Phys.org / The oldest breath: A 300-million-year-old mummy reveals the origins of how amniotes breathe

Every breath you take is an ancient inheritance. The rise and fall of your chest, the intercostal muscles pulling your ribs outward, the rush of air into your lungs—this mechanism is so familiar it barely registers as remarkable. ...

Apr 8, 2026
Phys.org / Ecuador study finds tropical rainforest biodiversity rebounds over 90% in 30 years

Tropical rainforests are home to almost two-thirds of all vertebrate species and three-quarters of all tree species: they are the most species-rich terrestrial ecosystem on Earth. However, over half of these diverse rainforests ...

Apr 8, 2026
Phys.org / DNA evidence reveals a Stone Age population collapse in France

By analyzing DNA of ancient skeletons at a Neolithic burial site near Paris, an international team of researchers has uncovered evidence of a dramatic population replacement 5,000 years ago. The findings indicate that the ...

Apr 8, 2026
Phys.org / AMOC collapse could turn Southern Ocean into carbon source, adding 0.2°C to global warming

A shutdown of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) could trigger a substantial release of stored ocean carbon into the atmosphere over hundreds of years, according to a new study that simulated such a collapse ...

Apr 8, 2026
Phys.org / Giant jars, ancient bells, buried bones and a mystery that endures

Helping to preserve artifacts, some potentially 2,000 years old, was an irresistible privilege. Since 2016, an Australian-Lao team led by Louise Shewan, Dougald O'Reilly and Thonglith Luangkhoth has conducted archaeological ...

Apr 8, 2026
Phys.org / Summer is getting longer, and it's happening faster than we thought

Summer weather is arriving earlier, lasting longer and packing more heat than it used to—and it's happening faster than scientists had previously measured. A new study by UBC researchers has found that between 1990 and 2023, ...

Apr 8, 2026
Phys.org / Uncharted island will soon appear on nautical charts

A 93-strong international expedition team has been exploring the northwestern Weddell Sea in the Antarctic on board the Alfred Wegener Institute's icebreaker Polarstern since February 8, 2026. In this key region for global ...

Apr 8, 2026
Phys.org / Climate change may speed evolution through inherited gene regulation changes

A new paper in Molecular Biology and Evolution, finds that changes in animal development induced by climate shock persist generations after the initial event. The escalating effects of climate change are likely to, in effect, ...

Apr 8, 2026
Phys.org / Why doesn't the US recycle more plastic? Study points to lack of access

A new University at Buffalo study finds that people in the United States generate similar amounts of plastic packaging waste regardless of income, education level or where they live. Yet wealthier and more college-educated ...

Apr 8, 2026
Phys.org / 'Pinprick of light': Artemis crew witnesses meteorite impacts on moon

During their historic lunar flyby, astronauts on NASA's Artemis II mission witnessed meteorites striking the rugged surface of the moon, a sight that has piqued scientists' curiosity.

Apr 8, 2026