Phys.org news
Phys.org / Beyond wrinkles: New rule explains why growing shapes suddenly crumple
Scientists have discovered a previously unknown law of geometry that explains why some growing surfaces, whether in nature or in engineered materials, suddenly stop being able to stay smooth and instead form dimples and folds. ...
Phys.org / Two antibody gene systems may help explain vesper bats' unusual viral tolerance
It is a mystery that has puzzled scientists for years. How can the world's only winged mammals carry viruses that cause severe disease while rarely becoming seriously ill themselves?
Phys.org / Five-year study finds rewilded elephants develop successful coping mechanisms, with individual differences
Ex-captive elephants released into the wild adapt well to wild environments, according to a study published July 29, 2026, in the journal PLOS One by Tenisha Roos and Tamara Eggeling of the Elephant Reintegration Trust of ...
Phys.org / Flexible DNA directs proteins into atomically ordered crystals, overturning crystallization assumptions
For decades, scientists have largely relied on painstaking trial and error to coax proteins into crystalline forms. Crystallization enables scientists to determine the molecular structures of proteins, which can provide a ...
Phys.org / Shipwreck cargo reveals surprising global trade secrets of the 1600s
Using cargo recovered from one of Australia's most infamous shipwrecks, new Curtin University-led research has revealed how surprisingly sophisticated global supply chains helped source and transport construction materials ...
Phys.org / Problematic internet users are crabbier, more stressed and more tempted than the rest of us
People described as "problematic" internet users report higher stress, worse mood and greater neglect of other activities than those who surf the web sparingly, according to a study published in PLOS One by Silke M. Müller ...
Phys.org / Antarctic storms are becoming more frequent and intense, affecting sea ice
Winters in Antarctica's Ross Sea have become stormier in recent decades, affecting sea-ice conditions and field operations, new University of Otago—Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka research shows.
Phys.org / In seconds, fiber optic cables detect earthquake size
Scientists have discovered a new way to determine how big an earthquake may become just seconds after it begins. In a new study published in Nature Communications, researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Cal ...
Phys.org / In biology of cells, octopus has another trick up its sleeve
The octopus is a biological oddity. It can use tools, open jars, and its complex nervous system supports as many neurons as a small primate. Now Harvard biologists have discovered a mysterious distinction in octopuses' core ...
Phys.org / Biofilm clue opens route to anti-infection treatments of the future
A multidisciplinary study has uncovered a critical component in the formation of biofilms, the complex structures used by bacteria to colonize surfaces. The research may have implications for future infection treatments, ...
Phys.org / Two attosecond flashes capture electrons in motion
Electronic motion sets the stage for virtually every light-induced process in nature, from the first step of a chemical reaction to the flow of charge in a solid. Yet these processes unfold so rapidly that they can be observed ...
Phys.org / Finding order in the inner chaos of our cells: Shape-shifting proteins get a design tool
The vast majority of proteins in our bodies contain regions that are in a constant state of wiggling, shape-shifting every few nanoseconds to completely change how they look. Information on how these shape-shifting proteins ...
