Phys.org news
Phys.org / Of gray whales that enter San Francisco Bay, nearly 18% die there, scientists find
Gray whales migrate from Arctic waters full of food to the lagoons of Baja Mexico—but as the climate crisis gathers pace, they have been sighted foraging in unexpected places. Recently, some have begun to explore the dangerously ...
Phys.org / Small talk surprises: Nine experiments show 'boring' topics feel more enjoyable
The small talk you try to avoid because you think it will be boring may actually be more enjoyable than you think, and good for you as well, according to research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
Phys.org / Improved weather forecasts could reduce heat deaths as climate warms
When extreme weather looms, timely and accurate warnings can give people the chance to adjust their plans, brace for danger and, in the most severe cases, make decisions that keep them safe. Does that mean improving weather ...
Phys.org / Gold nanorod makes spinning light when struck off-center by an electron beam
Light, as we usually conceive of it, is defined by the astonishing velocity at which it moves from one point to another. For example, in just one second, light can travel most of the distance between Earth and the moon. This ...
Phys.org / First Proba-3 science: Surprisingly speedy solar wind found in inner corona
Since July 2025, the European Space Agency's pair of Proba-3 satellites has already created 57 artificial solar eclipses. So far, the mission has collected more than 250 hours of high-resolution videos of the sun's atmosphere, ...
Phys.org / Rapid method uncovers hidden structures in materials—including elusive quasicrystals
An international team of scientists, including researchers from Loughborough University, has developed a method to dramatically speed up the discovery and design of advanced materials. The study, published in Physical Review ...
Phys.org / Designing better membrane proteins by embracing imperfection
Scientists at the VIB–VUB Center for Structural Biology have uncovered a counterintuitive principle that could reshape how membrane proteins are designed from scratch: Sometimes, making a protein less stable helps it fold ...
Phys.org / Vitamin B12 drives inherited behavioral changes across generations in roundworms
It has long been known that environmental conditions can shape how traits are inherited, a phenomenon known as transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. However, the molecular signals responsible for encoding this biological ...
Phys.org / Oxide-based sensor opens door to greener, faster, more accurate quality testing of food
An electrochemical sensor developed at Oregon State University holds promise for making food quality testing faster, more accurate, more environmentally friendly, and less expensive. The novel sensor, which also has potential ...
Phys.org / A cheaper, more sustainable way to manufacture breakthrough HIV drug Lenacapavir
Researchers at the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB) have used engineering biology—an emerging technology that uses nature's own processes to manufacture everyday chemicals and materials—to dramatically simplify ...
Phys.org / Painkillers prevent pain responses in Norway lobsters, intensifying the case against boiling them alive
Common human painkillers also work on Norway lobsters, according to research from the University of Gothenburg. This is further evidence that crustaceans may feel pain and that more humane methods of killing them need to ...
Phys.org / Future-proofing livestock vaccines by anticipating viruses' next moves
The wave-shaped chart Ratul Chowdhury pulls up on a computer monitor in his office captures the evolutionary cat-and-mouse game his research lab is up against. The undulating curves track variants of the porcine reproductive ...
