Phys.org news

Phys.org / Christmas in July: Engineers capture gigapixel 3D video of snowflakes

For the first time, researchers can witness nanometer-scale thickness changes across a melting snowflake with a compact, lensless chip that captures gigapixel video at 30 frames per second across centimeter-scale fields.

Jul 27, 2026
Phys.org / Exploring why societies around the world no longer bury their dead at home

There are countless cultures and societies around the world, spanning thousands of years. One thing they all have in common is that death is a part of everybody's life. Examining how different societies commemorate their ...

Jul 27, 2026
Phys.org / How changing environments can preserve an ancient microbial survival strategy

A research group led by Tetsuhiro Hatakeyama from the Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) at the Institute of Science Tokyo has revealed how a seemingly self-destructive survival strategy could persist in yeast for hundreds ...

Jul 27, 2026
Phys.org / Invasive species hit the Global South significantly harder than previously assumed

Invasive alien species are among the world's leading drivers of species extinction. However, previous global assessments of the geographic distribution of this damage suffered from a systematic "research bias": Because significantly ...

Jul 27, 2026
Phys.org / Research cautions that sometimes working together can actually spur inequality

Encouraging people to contribute to a common good can have a surprising drawback: a risk that rewards become concentrated among a smaller group, putting the rest at a disadvantage. Put more simply, "equality and cooperation ...

Jul 27, 2026
Phys.org / Light reveals transient electronic step behind a hidden state in metal-organic framework

A fleeting photoinduced electronic state and the subsequent formation of a photoinduced hidden state in a metal–organic framework were captured in just 30 femtoseconds by researchers at Science Tokyo, Tohoku University and ...

Jul 27, 2026
Phys.org / Virtual reality fish platform offers insights into the impact of artificial light on aquatic life

A virtual reality (VR) platform has given researchers new insights into how artificial light at night alters the way coral reef fish respond to predators. The study brings together, for the first time, the metabolic expertise ...

Jul 27, 2026
Phys.org / Burning soil and peat drove most emissions in Canada's record 2023 wildfire season, study finds

Most of the carbon released during Canada's record-breaking 2023 wildfire season came from burning soil and peat, rather than trees, according to new research from McMaster University.

Jul 27, 2026
Phys.org / Biodegradable implant can deliver targeted cancer immunotherapy while protecting healthy tissue

Scientists at Houston Methodist Research Institute have developed a biodegradable implant designed to deliver cancer-fighting immunotherapy drugs directly into tumors over an extended period, a strategy that could improve ...

Jul 27, 2026
Phys.org / Hidden DNA copying may give bacteria a faster route to antibiotic resistance

The dangers of antibiotic overuse have become increasingly clear in recent decades. Excessive use accelerates the evolution of bacterial resistance to antibiotics, raising the alarming prospect of infections that no longer ...

Jul 27, 2026
Phys.org / First 3D views explain how primate cone pigments distinguish red from green

Human color vision depends on three types of cone cells in the retina. Although all three contain the same light-absorbing molecule, 11-cis-retinal, differences in the surrounding protein determine sensitivity to red, green ...

Jul 27, 2026
Phys.org / Plants know when to grow—and when to hold back, study finds

Researchers have uncovered a surprising mechanism that allows plants to carefully coordinate the formation and growth of new leaf parts. The study shows that the hormone auxin regulates different phases in organ formation ...

Jul 27, 2026