Phys.org news

Phys.org / Cochlea network model reveals how inner ear may sort sound from noise

Over 70 million people in the U.S. are impacted by hearing loss, and age-related hearing loss is the second most common health problem in older adults, according to the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health. However, ...

Jun 29, 2026
Phys.org / Table sugar could hold a cheaper, quicker key to making vital drugs

Pioneering research has developed a new way of creating carbohydrate-based medicines that could ultimately replace costly drugs for common health conditions, using two cheap basic ingredients—table sugar and vinegar.

Jun 29, 2026
Phys.org / Urban growth may slow by 2100, leaving big cities smaller than expected

The world is urbanizing fast. In 1975, about 11% of the global population lived in cities with more than 1 million inhabitants. "Today, we estimate that share to be about 24%," says Andrea Musso, junior fellow at the Complexity ...

Jun 29, 2026
Phys.org / Why people worldwide see some mental abilities as inborn and others as learned

When does a child begin to reason? When do they develop self-control? Are some mental abilities present from birth, while others are acquired through experience? Questions like these have fascinated philosophers, educators ...

Jun 29, 2026
Phys.org / New cellular model for rare and deadly melanomas enables study of immunotherapy resistance

A research team at the University of Turku in Finland has developed a reliable laboratory model to study BAP1-deficient melanomas, which are a rare type of melanoma that evade the immune system once they have metastasized ...

Jun 29, 2026
Phys.org / When mitochondria grow abnormally long, leaked RNA may activate anti-tumor immune responses

Researchers from the University of Osaka have demonstrated that mitochondrial hyperfusion, when induced by low levels of DRP1 or cellular stress, activates an immune response through the RIG-I–MAVS pathway. Dependent on the ...

Jun 29, 2026
Phys.org / UV light patterns thermochromic crystals without damage, unlocking color-changing designs

Color-changing mood rings, forehead fever strips and car-shade indicators all change hues as they warm and cool, thanks to a phenomenon called thermochromism. On a smaller scale, thermochromism is used in nanotechnologies ...

Jun 29, 2026
Phys.org / Spiders benefit from seemingly monotonous forests

In ecology, the principle holds that the more diverse and heterogeneous a habitat is, the more different species it supports. To promote species diversity in forests, clearings are therefore created for nature conservation ...

Jun 29, 2026
Phys.org / Nova V612 Scuti's light curve becomes audio, revealing how stellar shocks evolved

Researchers in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at Texas Tech University recently used audio to represent the spectacular explosion of a star in deep space while also delving into the data to better understand how the ...

Jun 29, 2026
Phys.org / Nanopore technology identifies proteins molecule by molecule

Proteins are responsible for most functions in the human body. However, their analysis, which is essential for understanding diseases, developing drugs and discovering new biomarkers, remains highly complex. Using a technology ...

Jun 29, 2026
Phys.org / Cyclic sealing and drainage on the Gofar Oceanic Transform Fault revealed

Oceanic transform faults are strike-slip boundaries—faults that move horizontally rather than up and down and connect offset mid-ocean ridge segments. They have long been regarded as simple "conservative" plate boundaries ...

Jun 29, 2026
Phys.org / Uncovering the trigger behind slow earthquakes

New research led by the University of New England's Dr. Timothy Chapman has uncovered the trigger behind slow earthquakes, providing valuable answers for those living in disaster-prone areas. The research has been published ...

Jun 29, 2026