Phys.org news

Phys.org / Five new wasp species discovered in Cyprus, including one named after Aphrodite

Scientists have described five new species of parasitoid wasps from Cyprus, more than doubling the number of chalcid wasps known to be found nowhere else on the island. The wasps, all belonging to the family Pteromalidae, ...

5 hours ago
Phys.org / Robotic ocean glider reveals giant phytoplankton chains in the Mediterranean Sea

Scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego and the Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography in Marseille, France, have discovered something surprising in the Mediterranean Sea: giant chains of phytoplankton.

6 hours ago
Phys.org / How only a few tree species drive Amazon forest recovery

When a destroyed section of the Amazon rainforest begins to recover, nature deploys only a few tree species that can withstand poor soil conditions and blazing sun and grow rapidly, a Brazilian study has shown.

6 hours ago
Phys.org / New bone analysis challenges long-held theory on farming's arrival in Ireland and Great Britain

New research led by University College Dublin has rewritten a key chapter in Irish prehistory, revealing that bones long thought to mark the beginning of farming in Ireland belong to bear and wild boar, not cattle.

6 hours ago
Phys.org / How body size and habitat shape the vocal repertoires of primates

Biologists, zoologists and psychologists have been trying to trace the origins of human language for centuries. One well-known theory, known as the social brain hypothesis, suggests that increasingly complex social lives ...

12 hours ago
Phys.org / Fiber-optic cable reveals hidden crevasses that could destabilize glaciers

In recent years, the Alps have experienced devastating glacier collapses: In September 2023, a section of the Marmolada glacier in the Dolomites collapsed, resulting in the deaths of seven mountaineers. Just over a year and ...

6 hours ago
Phys.org / Double spiral inside narwhal tusks may explain their resistance to bending

The narwhal's impressive tusk has long been the subject of myths. In the Middle Ages, they were sold as unicorn horns believed to possess magical powers. Now, an international team of researchers led by Aarhus University ...

7 hours ago
Phys.org / Dynamic surface reconstruction explains how copper sulfide catalysts tune CO₂ reduction

Copper sulfide (CuS) catalysts continuously reconstruct their surface during electrochemical CO2 reduction, reports a study from the Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan. By uncovering the mechanism behind the dynamic surface ...

7 hours ago
Phys.org / Loud snoring—simulation reveals the physical mechanism that keeps so many of us awake at night

Anyone who has had to share a room—or worse, a bed—with a loud snorer knows the effect unchecked snoring can have on sleep, sanity and emotional stability. An entire industry of products, technologies and treatments claims ...

7 hours ago
Phys.org / Why Korean 'aegyo' speech sounds cute: Adults raise vocal resonances to sound younger and smaller

In Korean, the term "aegyo" denotes a playful cuteness put on by adults to win someone's affection, typically in romantic contexts. This is usually accomplished with bashful expressions or a childlike manner of speaking sometimes ...

7 hours ago
Phys.org / 'Snooping' on dolphins offers acoustic clues to hotspots for food and friends

For dolphins, the ocean is a world of sound. Their whistles carry social information, helping them communicate and stay connected, while echolocation—rapid-fire clicks—functions like underwater sonar, helping them navigate ...

8 hours ago
Phys.org / Long-range magnetic interactions govern how a ferrimagnet approaches its phase transition

Close to a phase transition, very different materials can follow the same mathematical rules. The concept of universality, which groups seemingly distinct systems based on their common properties, was developed to describe ...

8 hours ago