Phys.org news

Phys.org / Venus flytrap's snap may come from rapid cell wall softening, not water flow

The Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is a marvel of nature, a highly effective killer that doesn't have to move an inch to capture and kill its prey. It releases a fruity nectar scent to attract flies and other insects. ...

Jun 12, 2026
Phys.org / Ancient DNA study of post-Roman Europeans reveals emergence of complex new society

A new study from the HistoGenes project, of which Patrick Geary, professor emeritus in the School of Historical Studies, is co-PI, is helping scholars frame a better picture of the early medieval people who inhabited Western ...

Jun 12, 2026
Phys.org / Why birds ignore Newton: New theory could sharpen models of flocks, crowds and cells

Birds in flocks, bacteria and cells: In many collective systems, individual elements respond to only part of their surroundings, seemingly defying Newton's third law of motion—action equals reaction. These exceptions are ...

Jun 12, 2026
Phys.org / Engineered bacterium turns potato starch into biodegradable plastic in 24 hours

Every year, hundreds of millions of tons of petrochemical-based plastics are produced, much of which ends up in the environment or is incinerated. This exacerbates greenhouse gas emissions and the environmental crisis caused ...

Jun 12, 2026
Phys.org / New findings complete first evolutionary history of all living millipede orders, dating back 460 million years

Long before vertebrates walked on land, millipedes had the place to themselves. Hundreds of millions of years before dinosaurs arrived, these early decomposers were helping establish Earth's terrestrial ecosystems. But despite ...

Jun 12, 2026
Phys.org / Gulf Stream shifted north during 12,900-year-old cold snap, first direct evidence shows

During an abrupt global cold snap nearly 13,000 years ago, the Gulf Stream ocean current shifted farther north, temporarily disrupting eastern Canada's oceanic ecosystems, a process that could happen again as the climate ...

Jun 12, 2026
Phys.org / Faster biological aging consistently linked to poverty and discrimination

By integrating findings from 140 studies and nearly 66,000 individuals, researchers from the Biosocial team at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in collaboration with Columbia University in New York have shown ...

Jun 12, 2026
Phys.org / Rare-earth-free zinc oxide achieves a first in stress-to-light conversion

Mechanoluminescent materials convert mechanical energy such as stress, strain and vibration directly into light, making them attractive as self-powered sensors that require no batteries or wiring. From biomedical sensors ...

Jun 12, 2026
Phys.org / Molecular anchors on gut phages could open new therapeutic avenues

Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that infect bacteria and are not considered human pathogens. Yet researchers at the Translational Microbiology Laboratory of the Institute of Biochemistry, HUN-REN Biological Research ...

Jun 12, 2026
Phys.org / Meltwater is causing Antarctic glaciers to flow faster toward the ocean

In a new study, Professor Shin Sugiyama of Hokkaido University and his team have directly confirmed for the first time that water from melting snow and ice, or meltwater, found at the surface of a glacier can drain to its ...

Jun 12, 2026
Phys.org / Mountainous landscapes store far more carbon than previously thought, new research shows

Hilly and mountainous landscapes have a much greater ability to store carbon in the soil than previously thought, according to a new study co-led by scientists at the University of Oregon.

Jun 12, 2026
Phys.org / Solar geoengineering could shield up to 75% of oceans from heat waves

Most people have experienced a heat wave on land. But heat waves can strike in the ocean too. And as the planet continues to warm, marine heat waves are growing longer and deadlier, hurting the seafood supply that billions ...

Jun 12, 2026