Phys.org news

Phys.org / How cucumbers got longer, and why it's a big deal for farming

Cucumbers, a summer staple of salads and sandwiches, are a valuable commercial crop. They also have a less well-known role as valuable model plants which are helping researchers to extend the boundaries of genomic discovery.

Jul 2, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Shape-shifting particles allow temperature control over fluid flow and stiffness

Imagine a liquid that flows freely one moment, then stiffens into a near-solid the next, and then can switch back with a simple change in temperature. Researchers at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular ...

Jul 2, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Emoji use may impact relationship outcomes, study reveals

The use of emojis in text messaging improves perceived responsiveness and thereby enhances closeness and relationship satisfaction, according to a study published in the open-access journal PLOS One by Eun Huh from the University ...

Jul 2, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Small tools, big animals: 430,000-year-old butchery investigated in new study

An international research team has published a new study on one of the oldest known sites for the processing of animal meat by humans in the southern Balkans. At Marathousa 1, an archaeological site in the Greek Megalopolis ...

Jul 2, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / AI-powered ChronoFlow uses stellar rotation rates to estimate stars' ages

Figuring out the ages of stars is fundamental to understanding many areas of astronomy—yet, it remains a challenge since stellar ages can't be ascertained through observation alone. So, astronomers at the University of ...

Jul 2, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Regional disparities exist in US media coverage of archaeology research, finds study

What archaeological discoveries are considered newsworthy by U.S. media outlets and audiences? A new analysis of "pop-science" reporting reveals topical and regional disparities, including an apparent underrepresentation ...

Jul 2, 2025 in Other Sciences
Dialog / Edible microlasers made from food-safe materials can serve as barcodes and biosensors

If you've ever consumed food made with olive oil, there's a good chance you've unknowingly ingested materials capable of producing lasers. Researchers have recently demonstrated edible microlasers—tiny lasers made entirely ...

Jul 2, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Bioplastic shelters support algae growth in Mars-like conditions for space habitats

If humans are ever going to live beyond Earth, they'll need to construct habitats. But transporting enough industrial material to create livable spaces would be incredibly challenging and expensive. Researchers at the Harvard ...

Jul 2, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Old aerial photos give scientists a new tool to predict sea level rise

On 28 November 1966, an American airplane flies over the Antarctic Peninsula just south of the southernmost tip of Chile. On board is a photographer, probably from the U.S. Navy, whose job is to map the Antarctic landscape. ...

Jul 2, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Junggar Basin sediments reveal interplay between solar system chaos and Earth's carbon cycle

Researchers from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Columbia University, along with their collaborators, have analyzed sediments from the terrestrial Sangonghe Formation ...

Jul 2, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Scientists reveal rapid electric current evolution during solar X-class flare

A research team led by Dr. Shen Jinhua from the Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory (XAO) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has investigated rapid spatiotemporal vertical electric currents (VECs) during an X-class flare.

Jul 2, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Coherent, not chaotic—surprising order found in Brahmaputra-Jamuna River channel migration

Compared to single-channel meandering rivers, multichannel braided rivers are often found in environments with sparse vegetation and coarse, shifting bars of sediment. Past research has called the way in which the paths of ...

Jul 2, 2025 in Earth