Phys.org news

Phys.org / Study demonstrates neurotransmitter communication in immune cells directly for the first time

Researchers at the University of Münster and Ruhr University Bochum have demonstrated for the first time in real time that the body's own defense cells use catecholamines—neurotransmitters such as dopamine and adrenaline—to ...

Jul 3, 2026
Phys.org / Colony connections determine ant wound care: Transitional workers treat injured nestmates

Patients in hospitals generally trust the nursing staff. After all, they have undergone training and, in some cases, have several years of professional experience. In the case of carpenter ants, it is not nursing expertise ...

Jul 3, 2026
Phys.org / Bottlenose dolphins in the Adriatic Sea seem to be heavily reliant on trawlers for food

Bottlenose dolphins in the Adriatic Sea are spending much of their time following trawlers to scavenge for food, scientists say. The Adriatic seabed has been plowed by bottom trawlers for decades, resulting in ecosystem damage. ...

Jul 3, 2026
Phys.org / Paleontological study shows climate change makes marine animals shrink

Whether mussels, crustaceans or fish, marine animals have been responding to environmental crises with a reduction in body size for hundreds of millions of years. A new study by Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg ...

Jul 3, 2026
Phys.org / Two centuries on, experts unlock secrets of Red Sea and Gulf of Aden sailing chart

Experts have unlocked secrets hidden for two hundred years in a beautiful navigational chart made for 18th century seafarers negotiating the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The paper scroll is evidence seafaring communities in ...

Jul 3, 2026
Phys.org / Visual map of 20,000 words reveals why lip-readers confuse common look-alikes

New research from the University of Kansas uses network science to determine why people make mistakes when lip-reading. Michael Vitevitch, professor of speech-language-hearing at KU, and his co-authors created a visual map ...

Jul 3, 2026
Phys.org / A holoparasitic plant replaces its own genes with host DNA to survive

All living organisms are known to inherit genes, DNA sequences that contain instructions for producing specific proteins and performing biological functions, from their parents. In some cases, however, genes can also shift ...

Jul 2, 2026
Phys.org / Spontaneous current loops in a kagome metal point to hidden quantum order

Quantum materials, materials exhibiting physical behavior governed by the laws of quantum mechanics, have proved promising for the development of numerous advanced technologies, including quantum technologies, memory devices ...

Jul 2, 2026
Phys.org / Swimming crab trapped in plastic bottle survives two months at sea

How did a large crab end up trapped inside a plastic bottle with an opening smaller than its body? Hiroshima University researchers investigated this unusual marine mystery, revealing a lesser-known impact of marine plastic ...

Jul 2, 2026
Phys.org / Airborne AI spots underwater munitions in shallow seas with high precision

A new airborne imaging approach can reliably detect unexploded weapons that lie in shallow coastal waters and remain an ongoing hazard to public safety, marine ecosystems and infrastructure worldwide. By combining advanced ...

Jul 2, 2026
Phys.org / More Canadian than the beaver? Scientists discover a western toad found only in Canada

The beaver and moose may be enduring symbols of Canadian wildlife, but neither is uniquely Canadian from a genetic perspective. But a team of researchers from the University of Ottawa has now discovered something rare: a ...

Jul 2, 2026
Phys.org / Zero-waste plastic and color recycling: The end of colored plastic downgrading could be near

In the world of market competition, having the best and brightest package could send company sales into the millions. On the other hand, the amount of colored plastic waste increases, adding to the growing challenge of recycling ...

Jul 2, 2026