Phys.org news

Phys.org / Physicists create optical phenomenon inspired by the quantum Hall and spin Hall effects

Researchers at the Würzburg site of the Cluster of Excellence ctd.qmat have succeeded in transferring the topological quantum Hall and spin Hall effects to a hybrid light-matter system by harnessing targeted material design. ...

Mar 27, 2026
Phys.org / Exotic harvestmen once lived in Europe

A German-Bulgarian research team led by SNSB paleontologist Christian Bartel has discovered a new species of harvestman in 35-million-year-old Ukrainian and Baltic amber. The animal is related to harvestmen that are now extinct ...

Mar 27, 2026
Phys.org / Some ticks can survive from 1 to 3 weeks on home flooring

It's fairly common for members of the public to ask bug experts if ticks that hitchhike into a house on people or dogs can actually survive indoors for any length of time. A new study provides the first scientific evidence ...

Mar 27, 2026
Phys.org / The Big Bee Project brings natural history collections into the 21st century

Museum collections have underpinned scientific research for centuries. But physical specimens in boxes and drawers don't easily lend themselves to the research techniques of the new millennium. "How can we apply these techniques ...

Mar 27, 2026
Phys.org / New technique reveals body-wide cellular processes

Understanding gene expression within the body has been a boon for 21st century biology and therapeutics, but most discoveries that use these technologies only focus on one organ or one small area of tissue. At the University ...

Mar 27, 2026
Phys.org / Unraveling the secrets of telomerase, an enzyme linked to aging and cancer

A central question in molecular biology is how cells protect their chromosomes from damage during repeated cell division. At the heart of this protective process is an enzyme called telomerase. Now an international research ...

Mar 27, 2026
Phys.org / Understanding protein motion could greatly aid new drug design

For many people, "protein" is the key element of a food order. However, beyond the preferred choice of meats or plant-based alternatives, proteins encompass a large class of complex biomolecules whose chemical structure is ...

Mar 27, 2026
Phys.org / Trade-offs between commercial and public satellite data in water mapping accuracy revealed

A new study finds that commercial satellite imagery data often outperforms public data sets when identifying surface water, but that public data sets may be better at detecting water hidden by forest cover. Satellite imagery ...

Mar 27, 2026
Phys.org / Designing proteins by their motion, not just their shape

Proteins are far more than nutrients we track on a food label. Present in every cell of our bodies, they work like nature's molecular machines. They walk, stretch, bend, and flex to do their jobs, pumping blood, fighting ...

Mar 27, 2026
Phys.org / Study in search of a tropical spring is first to show some birds flip their breeding season in response to climate

In 2014, Felicity Newell joined the Florida Museum of Natural History as a doctoral student, then promptly left the country in search of a tropical spring. It's a concept she started thinking about while doing biological ...

Mar 27, 2026
Phys.org / Global maps show alien plant invasion hotspots shifting poleward

An international research team led by the University of Vienna has produced, for the first time, high-resolution global maps of invasion risk for thousands of alien plant species under current conditions and future climate ...

Mar 27, 2026
Phys.org / Why student samples can mislead: Higher education may shift values toward Western norms

A new study published in Nature Communications finds that worldwide, people with higher levels of education are more culturally similar to those in Canada, the U.S., U.K., and other Anglo, industrialized countries and countries ...

Mar 27, 2026