Phys.org news

Phys.org / Sharper brains switch to a 'not what you know, but who you know' mindset online and on social media, study shows

Forming social connections online and via social media reduces how much people engage with and learn from the content posted but significantly boosts their networking performance, according to new research. The study, published ...

May 7, 2026
Phys.org / Mechanical method unlocks sunlight-driven wastewater cleanup

University of Birmingham researchers have demonstrated a new method to break down toxic pollutants in wastewater, using sunlight and molecular-thin catalysts created using an innovative "mechanical" approach. Non-degradable ...

May 7, 2026
Phys.org / Photonics advance could enable compact, high-performance lidar sensors

Lidar systems use pulses of infrared light to measure distance and map a 3D scene with high resolution, allowing autonomous vehicles to rapidly react to obstacles that appear in their path. But traditional lidar sensors are ...

May 7, 2026
Phys.org / Ancient soil temperatures may have steered millet farming across Neolithic East Asia

Millet has been an important crop in East Asia for much of the Holocene, a period beginning about 11,700 years ago. To better understand how environmental conditions may have shaped the development of millet agriculture, ...

May 7, 2026
Phys.org / Pilot whales are already 'shouting' at full volume, but one busy waterway is pushing them to the edge

With over 60,000 ships passing through the Strait of Gibraltar each year, this stretch between the Atlantic and Mediterranean is one of the busiest waterways on the planet. This narrow strip of water is also home to a critically ...

May 7, 2026
Phys.org / Researchers combine five metals to build a better nanocrystal

A nanocrystal is an extraordinarily tiny piece of material—composed of anywhere from a few to a few thousand atoms—in which atoms are arranged in a precise, ordered structure. Think of it like taking a piece of gold and shrinking ...

May 7, 2026
Phys.org / Harmless viruses trap Salmonella on flexible polymer in portable microfluidic sensor

Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) have developed a solid polymer coated with harmless viruses to detect the bacteria Salmonella enterica (S. enterica), an advance that could lead to new ways of finding ...

May 7, 2026
Phys.org / How soil bacteria help plants defend themselves against disease

A study led by researchers at the University of Liège reveals the mechanism by which surfactin, a molecule produced by beneficial soil bacteria, activates plants' immune defenses. This mechanism, distinct from the classical ...

May 7, 2026
Phys.org / Climate-driven extreme fire danger cannot be prevented by carbon neutrality alone, study warns

A new study warns that unless atmospheric carbon is reduced immediately, future summers will become even hotter and future wildfires even more destructive. A research team led by Professor Seung-Ki Min of the Department of ...

May 7, 2026
Dialog / Scientists uncover hidden parasite diversity in barb fish from the Sea of Galilee

When most people think about biodiversity in lakes and rivers, they imagine fish, plants, or perhaps birds and amphibians. But beneath the surface exists another world that often goes unnoticed: microscopic parasites that ...

May 7, 2026
Phys.org / Gaming monkeys' curiosity: Japanese macaques actively explore moderately uncertain stimuli

The intrinsic information-seeking impulse we call curiosity is independent of extrinsic rewards, such as food or mating opportunities. Curiosity is purely the pursuit of understanding the unknown, driving both humans and ...

May 7, 2026
Phys.org / Myanmar's devastating quake could reshape how California and other fault zones gauge future risk

A devastating earthquake in Myanmar is giving scientists new insight into how major quakes start, spread, and grow. The findings could improve risk estimates for dangerous faults around the world. A new study, published in ...

May 7, 2026