Phys.org news

Phys.org / Rock on: How crushed stone could help fight climate change

From sugar plantations in Brazil to tea estates in India, crushed rock is being sprinkled across large stretches of farmland globally in a novel bid to combat climate change.

Jun 24, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Study casts doubt on 'incestuous royalty' in Neolithic Ireland

New research has cast doubt over suggestions that an incestuous social elite ruled over the ancient people of Ireland more than 5,000 years ago. The study is published in the journal Antiquity.

Jun 24, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Brains over bots: Why toddlers still beat AI at learning language

Even the smartest machines can't match young minds at language learning. Researchers share new findings on how children stay ahead of AI—and why it matters.

Jun 24, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Astronomer models radio pulsar nulling fractions

A study published in Astronomy & Astrophysics by a researcher from the Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory (XAO) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has provided new insights into the phenomenon of "pulse nulling"—a sudden ...

Jun 24, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Droughts can reduce the caloric value of flower nectar by up to 95%, study finds

A study indicates that projected droughts by the end of this century could reduce the caloric value of flower nectar by up to 95%. This would harm pollinators, such as bees, as well as plants that depend on cross-pollination ...

Jun 24, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Hidden hunting strategies of leopard seals reveal their impact on Antarctic ecosystems

A new study led by researchers at Baylor University and University of Rhode Island has uncovered surprising details about leopard seals' hunting habits, revealing that while the species is broadly considered a generalist ...

Jun 24, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Global survey investigates views on excessive wealth and morality

Is excessive wealth immoral? Most people do not think so, but members of societies that are more equal and wealthy than average are more likely to believe it is wrong to have too much money.

Jun 24, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Reading skills—and struggles—manifest earlier than thought

Experts have long known that reading skills develop before the first day of kindergarten, but new research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences from the Harvard Graduate School of Education says ...

Jun 24, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / People delay returning to enjoyable activities to make the experience 'special,' study suggests

People often delay returning to lost pleasures, according to a study. When people are unable to engage in enjoyable activities, from catching up with friends to going to the movies, one might think that they would jump at ...

Jun 24, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / An evolutionary trade-off has limited how fish catch their prey

A trade-off between tooth size and jaw mobility has restricted fish evolution, Nick Peoples at the University of California Davis, US, and colleagues report in the open-access journal PLOS Biology .

Jun 24, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Most tree species face serious climate threat even under modest warming, study reveals

Trees are essential to life on Earth. They support ecosystems, store carbon, provide clean water, improve our health, and offer countless benefits to people and nature. In a new study, researchers modeled the future climate ...

Jun 24, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Model tackles key obstacle to efficient plastic recycling at molecular and reactor scales

Most people who separate their plastic waste for recycling assume the bulk of it will in fact be recycled. But current recycling methods, which "require sorting, grinding, cleaning, remelting and extrusion to obtain plastic ...

Jun 24, 2025 in Chemistry