Phys.org news

Phys.org / AI deciphers fish grunts, knocks and growls to identify eight species

University of Victoria (UVic) biologists have discovered that even closely related fish species make unique and distinctive sounds and determined that it's possible to differentiate between the sounds of different species. ...

Dec 19, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Uncovering how parasitic plants avoid attacking themselves to improve crop protection

Parasitic plants are notorious agricultural pests that drain nutrients from crops and cause economic losses of more than USD 1 billion due to yield losses every year. Yet these plants almost never attack themselves or closely ...

Dec 19, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Roman soldiers defending Hadrian's Wall were infected by parasites, study finds

A new analysis of sewer drains from the Roman fort of Vindolanda, close to Hadrian's Wall, has shown that the occupants were infected by three types of intestinal parasite—roundworm, whipworm, and Giardia duodenalis.

Dec 18, 2025 in Other Sciences
Dialog / Hidden threats in the dark: Alarming levels of human-made debris in Mediterranean sea caves

Just when we thought we had described all the possible marine environmental recipients of plastic pollution, new research comes in to overturn the picture.

Dec 18, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Private donors pledge $1 billion for world's largest particle accelerator

Europe's physics lab CERN on Thursday said private donors had pledged $1 billion toward the construction of a new particle accelerator that would be by far the world's biggest.

Dec 18, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Bazinga! Physicists crack a 'Big Bang Theory' problem that could help explain dark matter

A professor at the University of Cincinnati and his colleagues have figured out something two of America's most famous fictional physicists couldn't: how to theoretically produce subatomic particles called axions in fusion ...

Dec 18, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Urban birds' beak shape rapidly changed during COVID-19 lockdowns, suggesting human-driven transformations

When the world slowed down during the COVID-19 pandemic, its effects extended beyond humans. A recent study found that it reshaped urban ecosystems to such an extent that certain city-dwelling birds even began to develop ...

Dec 18, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Hubble captures rare collision in nearby planetary system

In an unprecedented celestial event, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope (HST) captured the dramatic aftermath of colliding space rocks within a nearby planetary system.

Dec 18, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Scientists build a quantum computer that can repair itself using recycled atoms

Like their conventional counterparts, quantum computers can also break down. They can sometimes lose the atoms they manipulate to function, which can stop calculations dead in their tracks. But scientists at the US-based ...

Dec 18, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Archimedean screw inspires new way to encode chirality into magnetic materials

In physics and materials science, the term "spin chirality" refers to an asymmetry in the arrangement of spins (i.e., the intrinsic angular momentum of particles) in magnetic materials. This asymmetry can give rise to unique ...

Dec 18, 2025 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Silicon atom processor links 11 qubits with more than 99% fidelity

In order to scale quantum computers, more qubits must be added and interconnected. However, prior attempts to do this have resulted in a loss of connection quality, or fidelity. But, a new study published in Nature details ...

Dec 18, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Good listeners connect more easily with strangers, study finds

With many people now heavily relying on electronic devices to communicate with others, connecting on a deeper level with others, particularly face-to-face, can prove challenging. Recent nationwide surveys and psychological ...

Dec 18, 2025 in Other Sciences