Phys.org news

Phys.org / Out-of-plane ice bridges reveal new way to suppress frost spreading

A research team led by Professor Nenad Miljkovic in The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has published a breakthrough study in Nature Physics. The work reports the first experimental ...

Jun 3, 2026
Phys.org / Integrating citizen science with experimental data uncovers how switchgrass adapts flowering by region

In its native habitat, switchgrass flowered earlier when growing farther north. In experiments with diverse genetic samples, it flowered earlier in the south.

Jun 3, 2026
Phys.org / Traditional, patriarchal Japanese terms for husband and wife may now be perceived as neutral

A new study suggests that, for modern Japanese speakers, two traditional, patriarchal words for "husband" ("shujin," literally meaning "master") and "wife" ("kanai," "inside-the-house") may be losing their original meanings, ...

Jun 3, 2026
Phys.org / Climate change may shift hailstorms toward Earth's poles—new study

Everyone has a storm story—whether it's that time you just escaped a downpour, or the hailstorm that wrote off your car. Even though hailstorms are relatively rare, they cause significant damage. Two new studies shed light ...

Jun 3, 2026
Phys.org / Abortion restrictions associated with lower female medical school applicant numbers

States with restrictive abortion policies saw slower growth in the proportion of female medical school applicants following the 2022 reversal of Roe v. Wade, according to a new study published in the open-access journal PLOS ...

Jun 3, 2026
Phys.org / Spider webs capture hidden fungal diversity in Thai rice fields

A new study published in the open-access Biodiversity Data Journal suggests that spider webs—particularly those incorporating environmental debris—can serve as natural, non-destructive collectors of fungal material in agricultural ...

Jun 3, 2026
Phys.org / Hail conditions on the move as winter crops face rising risk

A hailstorm can undo a season's work in minutes. It can strike quickly and unevenly, shredding wheat, bruising fruit, flattening crops—while also leaving neighboring paddocks untouched. In a new Nature Climate Change study, ...

Jun 3, 2026
Phys.org / Cleaner recycling method unlocks reusable plastics from mixed packaging

Scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed a new method to recycle mixed plastic packaging without using harmful chemical solvents—an approach that could make one of the world's ...

Jun 3, 2026
Phys.org / Dead Sea archaea sport reinforced swimming tail for hypersalty waters

Living in the Dead Sea would be a very unpleasant experience for most creatures. With salt concentration above 30% and temperatures ranging from 10–50°C, it takes unique environmental adaptations to survive in such harsh ...

Jun 3, 2026
Phys.org / Cells have a built-in 'seatbelt' against sudden stress

When cells experience sudden physical stress, like stretching or pressure, they can activate a fast, protective mechanism that shields their nuclei from destruction, according to a new study published in the Biophysical Journal. ...

Jun 3, 2026
Phys.org / Cutting a photon in two creates an infinite swarm of particles

By definition, elementary particles can't be broken into smaller pieces. But in a new theoretical study published in Physical Review Letters, Johannes Skaar and colleagues have revealed what would happen if you tried anyway ...

Jun 2, 2026
Phys.org / Plate tectonics shaped the Cradle of Civilization by merging two ancient rivers, study suggests

The Euphrates River is the longest river in Western Asia and runs through the eastern side of the Fertile Crescent. Flowing over 1,700 miles from Turkey through Syria and Iraq, the river played a crucial role in sustaining ...

Jun 2, 2026