Phys.org news

Phys.org / Environmental engineers reshape understanding of airborne pollution particles

From sizzling bacon in the kitchen to wildfire smoke in the sky, cooking and pollution release microscopic particles that affect humans' health, the air they breathe, and even weather and climate. New research from Virginia ...

Jun 2, 2026
Phys.org / Robot fish could unravel how our ancient ancestors first learned to walk

Researchers have developed a fish-like robot that shows how some species of modern fish are able to walk on land, and could help unravel how early vertebrates evolved similar abilities hundreds of millions of years ago.

Jun 2, 2026
Phys.org / 'Mini-Neptune' exoplanets may have smoggy atmospheres similar to diesel exhaust

The astronauts circling Earth on the Artemis mission sent back beautiful clear photos of the continents, clouds, and oceans. But we might be the exception. Many planets in the universe may be hazed in clouds of soot, according ...

Jun 2, 2026
Phys.org / Icy moons' ability to host life could be revealed through an ecology-based method

New observatories and spacecraft missions are probing environments in our solar system that could potentially host life but have long remained hidden. Icy moons like Saturn's Enceladus and Jupiter's Europa likely contain ...

Jun 2, 2026
Phys.org / Leafy camouflage reshapes katydid love songs, making males more attractive to females

New research from the University of St Andrews has discovered that insects who conceal themselves as leaves also use their leafy camouflage to amplify mating calls, making themselves more attractive to the opposite sex. The ...

Jun 2, 2026
Phys.org / Climate-based tool predicts coral bleaching months in advance, offering critical lead time for reef protection

Researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) have developed a new method to predict coral bleaching five to six months before it occurs, giving reef managers valuable time to protect vulnerable ecosystems. ...

Jun 2, 2026
Phys.org / Predicting physics without parameter tuning: A faster computational approach

Numerical simulations in physics often require estimating a multitude of parameters, making the process computationally expensive and complex. Researchers at University of Tsukuba have introduced a new method called the multiparameter ...

Jun 2, 2026
Phys.org / Nine decades of changing insect diversity in Switzerland expose a striking divide

Thanks to a historical data archive, Swiss researchers are able to draw conclusions about the changes in the diversity of two insect groups over the past 90 years. The study, led by Agroscope, identified a significant decline ...

Jun 2, 2026
Phys.org / Six roads to safety: A critical threshold for wildfire survival

If your community was threatened by a wildfire, would you be able to quickly evacuate? A new study from UC Santa Barbara reveals that the number of roads out of a community may be one of the strongest predictors of wildfire ...

Jun 2, 2026
Phys.org / Antarctic 'sky rivers' deliver up to 90% of snowfall, 3D algorithm suggests

Atmospheric rivers act like "rivers in the sky," shuttling intense bands of warm, heavy moisture from lower to higher latitudes. When an atmospheric river encounters cold air or mountainous terrain, the moisture it carries ...

Jun 2, 2026
Phys.org / Nanoparticles boost delivery of lung cancer drugs 30-fold

Lung cancer remains one of the world's deadliest cancers, yet despite decades of effort to develop new drugs, many fail because they don't stay in the body long enough to be effective or because they damage healthy organs. ...

Jun 2, 2026
Phys.org / Embryonic tissues can behave like fluids or solids to reshape cell fate signals

Embryonic development is one of the most dynamic biological processes in nature. Cells and tissues organize and reorganize themselves following incredibly precise patterns, while remaining flexible and robust. Scientists ...

Jun 2, 2026