Phys.org news

Phys.org / How the Atlantic herring adapted to the brackish water of the Baltic Sea

When the Atlantic herring colonized the Baltic Sea thousands of years ago, it needed to adapt to the low salinity. Genes with a vital role in the functioning of sperm, eggs and embryos were crucial to this adaptation. A new ...

May 11, 2026
Phys.org / Old plant populations offer new clues to climate resilience

When scientists think about how plants will respond to climate change, they often look north. As temperatures rise, many species are expected to shift their ranges toward cooler regions with a loss of populations in warmer ...

May 11, 2026
Phys.org / An everyday sweetener offers a surprisingly powerful engine for transparent, stretchable electronics

Professor Kyungwho Choi's team of the School of Mechanical Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University, in collaboration with Professor Jinsoo Kim's team in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Kyung Hee University, have ...

May 11, 2026
Phys.org / Inland seas may face widespread heat waves by midcentury as warming accelerates

Under the lead of the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW), climate simulations were used to investigate how 19 inland seas, including the Baltic Sea, are responding to climate change. The researchers ...

May 11, 2026
Phys.org / Wildfire smoke's hidden ozone threat may be adding thousands of US deaths each year

A study that assesses the effects of wildfires over two decades shows that wildfire smoke significantly raises ground-level ozone and contributes to excess deaths from wildfire smoke in the United States each year. The research, ...

May 11, 2026
Phys.org / Smarter search for fuel-cell catalysts uses machine learning

A computational method combining generative AI with atomistic simulations can identify promising platinum alloy catalyst structures for hydrogen fuel cells, report researchers from Science Tokyo. Their approach addresses ...

May 11, 2026
Phys.org / Why gradual environmental change can trigger sudden species collapse and fragmented populations

When species are subjected to changing environments, they can survive in their current location through genetic adaptation. However, this ability is not unlimited. In a study published in PNAS, biomathematician Jitka Polechová ...

May 11, 2026
Phys.org / Hidden proton pathways emerge as ultrathin polymer film method splits interface signals

Understanding how protons move at the interface between polymers and electrode materials is essential for improving fuel cells and related energy devices. However, conventional impedance measurements under inert conditions ...

May 11, 2026
Phys.org / Looped polymers unlock stronger, faster molecular binding through entropy, model suggests

Entropy gets a bad rap. Typically associated with randomness and chaos, it can also correlate with freedom and diversity. Cornell researchers have found that, thanks to the latter qualities, entropy can help bind certain ...

May 11, 2026
Phys.org / Cut marks on 1.6 million-year-old bones reveal early humans moved prized meat

There is an old adage that goes, "you are what you eat," meaning that the food you consume helps build your body and fuel your mind. The same is true now as it ever was. When it comes to early humans, studying what they ate ...

May 10, 2026
Phys.org / Radio telescopes confirm 3.3-million-light-year halo in unusually quiet galaxy cluster

Astronomers have employed the upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (uGMRT) and the MeerKAT radio telescope to observe a galaxy cluster known as RXCJ0232–4420. Results of the new observations, published April 29 on the ...

May 10, 2026
Phys.org / Under mushroom caps, 17-plus bacterial species help drive stubborn blotch disease

A University of Florida study has made a key discovery in understanding a disease that for over a century has plagued the white button mushroom—a nutrient-dense vegetable that is valued for its versatility and health benefits. ...

May 10, 2026