Phys.org news

Phys.org / Animals were sharpening their senses long before the Cambrian explosion, ancient tracks reveal

Tracks left by some of the earliest complex animals are giving new insights into how they experienced the world. New research reveals how these creatures started to understand their surroundings, paving the way for animal ...

Jun 2, 2026
Phys.org / UN warns world to prepare for El Nino extreme weather

There is an 80% chance of the warming El Niño phenomenon developing between June and August, increasing the risk of extreme weather events, the World Meteorological Organization said Tuesday.

Jun 2, 2026
Phys.org / Proteins can be selectively controlled with radio waves

In a significant advance in biological quantum sensing, a research team led by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has discovered and tested a new mechanism of action in which proteins can be controlled with radio waves. ...

Jun 2, 2026
Phys.org / First human SMUG1 atomic snapshots reveal how cells repair DNA

Researchers have captured the first atomic structures of human SMUG1, an enzyme that helps cells repair damaged DNA. The findings provide new insight into how cells recognize and remove harmful DNA bases, and may support ...

Jun 2, 2026
Phys.org / Twilight hunt reveals falcon feasting on unusual prey at Greek lagoon

Falcons are lauded for their speed and agility. The Eurasian Hobby (Falco subbuteo), skilled at snagging birds and insects out of the air, is no exception. However, during twilight on one day in October, researcher Apostolos ...

Jun 2, 2026
Phys.org / Ancient altercations between musk turtles and alligator gar recorded in Florida's fossil record

Sometime between 5.5 and 5.6 million years ago, two shell crushers squared off in the languid currents of an ancient Florida river. The fossils they left behind, discovered by paleontologists at the Florida Museum of Natural ...

Jun 2, 2026
Phys.org / Why the Arctic's rivers are rusting now and where toxic orange water could spread next

Scientists have identified the two biggest reasons that once-pristine rivers across the Arctic are growing cloudy with toxic orange iron particles that smother insects and suffocate fish.

Jun 2, 2026
Phys.org / Faster lower-cost PFAS testing could reshape how US drinking water is monitored

A new investigation from the University of Kansas improves detection of PFAS, a family of so-called "forever chemicals" in drinking water supplies. The method, which can measure trace pollution levels of PFAS in water more ...

Jun 2, 2026
Phys.org / Canadian forest fires are losing their climate cooling power, says study

Diminishing periods of snow cover in northern forests, shortened by climate change, are poised to disrupt a delicate balance in some of the planet's most climate-sensitive regions—according to new research from McMaster University, ...

Jun 2, 2026
Phys.org / Environmental engineers reshape understanding of airborne pollution particles

From sizzling bacon in the kitchen to wildfire smoke in the sky, cooking and pollution release microscopic particles that affect humans' health, the air they breathe, and even weather and climate. New research from Virginia ...

Jun 2, 2026
Phys.org / Robot fish could unravel how our ancient ancestors first learned to walk

Researchers have developed a fish-like robot that shows how some species of modern fish are able to walk on land, and could help unravel how early vertebrates evolved similar abilities hundreds of millions of years ago.

Jun 2, 2026
Phys.org / 'Mini-Neptune' exoplanets may have smoggy atmospheres similar to diesel exhaust

The astronauts circling Earth on the Artemis mission sent back beautiful clear photos of the continents, clouds, and oceans. But we might be the exception. Many planets in the universe may be hazed in clouds of soot, according ...

Jun 2, 2026