Phys.org news

Phys.org / Did elephant energetics decide Hannibal's Alpine crossing route?

A new analysis sheds light on the most likely route for the Carthaginian general's famous crossing of the Alps. The study, led by the University of Oxford and iDiv/Friedrich Schiller University Jena, reveals that the Col ...

Jul 6, 2026
Phys.org / A last dance before death: Binary stars and the origins of interacting supernovae

When massive stars die, they unleash some of the most powerful explosions in the universe. Yet not all supernovae are created equal. Some continue to shine brightly for months or even years as their expanding debris crashes ...

Jul 6, 2026
Phys.org / Earth's deepest rocks help define upper limit for viscosity beyond which materials effectively become rigid

Viscosity is one of the most fundamental physical properties used to describe how materials flow. It governs the movement of liquids, molten rocks and even slowly deforming regions deep inside the Earth. While scientists ...

Jul 6, 2026
Phys.org / Bees reveal emotion-like reactions, from 'lip licking' to head shaking, in new videos

New research proving bumblebees exhibit emotion-like behaviors—previously thought to exist only in mammalian species—has implications for how scientists understand the consciousness of insects.

Jul 6, 2026
Phys.org / South Australian algal bloom species the world's most toxic harmful microalga yet recorded

The marine microalgae responsible for the most devastating effects of the South Australian harmful algal bloom (HAB) has now been shown to be the most toxic species of its kind ever studied.

Jul 6, 2026
Phys.org / Atomic 'domino effect' found to drive phase changes in a two-dimensional crystal

Phase transformations—in which a material changes from one crystal structure to another, thereby acquiring dramatically different properties—are ubiquitous in nature. Understanding the microscopic mechanisms of these transformations ...

Jul 6, 2026
Phys.org / Unexpected discovery yields new graphene oxide production method

Researchers in the Texas A&M University J. Mike Walker '66 Department of Mechanical Engineering have developed a new method for producing graphene oxide, a high-value carbon nanomaterial used in batteries, electronics and ...

Jul 6, 2026
Phys.org / Engineers discover 'unexpected motion' in drug-delivery robots

One day, tiny swimming robots may travel through the human body to deliver drugs. The medication would target only areas of need—chemotherapy drugs for a tumor, for example—avoiding healthy tissue and minimizing side effects. ...

Jul 6, 2026
Phys.org / Soil thickness controls landslide occurrence, study finds

Researchers at University of Tsukuba analyzed high-resolution topographic data from airborne LiDAR to examine the relationships among landslide area, depth, and slope gradient.

Jul 6, 2026
Phys.org / Fighting the world's deadliest infection with PAC-MAN and AI

Tuberculosis, caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), is the world's deadliest single-agent infection, responsible for 1.23 million deaths in 2024, according to the World Health Organization. The bacterium's ...

Jul 6, 2026
Phys.org / Detecting neutron sources by borrowing inference tools from cosmology

Neutron sources can be directly identified from measured spectra rather than proxies using inference tools adapted from cosmology, according to a University of Michigan Engineering study published in Physical Review Applied. ...

Jul 6, 2026
Phys.org / Electrical imbalances at grain boundaries help explain solid-state battery failure

Next-generation batteries that use new electrolyte materials could achieve far higher energy density than today's lithium-ion batteries, without many of the safety concerns. But advanced batteries, such as those that use ...

Jul 6, 2026