Phys.org news

Phys.org / When the Schuylkill swallowed the city: Lessons from Hurricane Ida's historic flood

New Penn research shows that Hurricane Ida wasn't a once-in-a-century anomaly but a preview of how climate change, urbanization, and aging infrastructure are rewriting flood risk.

May 1, 2026
Phys.org / Long-term study of COVID lockdown and family life shows unexpected, lasting effects on fatherhood

In the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, much has been said about how the lockdowns created conditions for dual-parent families to spend more time at home with their children. In an ideal vision of family life, this ...

May 1, 2026
Phys.org / After flames strip hillsides bare, the next storm can unleash something far more destructive downstream

Wildfires can increase flooding risks in and downstream of burned areas by removing vegetation and disturbing hydrologic processes. As the climate changes, the severity of both wildfires and heavy rainfall events is increasing, ...

May 1, 2026
Phys.org / Frozen-in gravity: A new way to understand the evolution of spacetime dynamics

The concept of spacetime, first described in Einstein's theory of general relativity, has since been widely studied by many physicists worldwide. Spacetime is described mathematically as a four-dimensional (4D) continuum ...

Apr 30, 2026
Phys.org / A lost galaxy called 'Loki' may be hiding inside the Milky Way

The Milky Way galaxy grew into its current form with the help of smaller galaxies over time, which it has "consumed" or merged with. Astronomers are able to pick out which stars in the Milky Way came from other galaxies by ...

Apr 30, 2026
Phys.org / Evolution has reused the same genes for 120 million years, study shows

Scientists have shown that evolution has been using the same genetic "cheat sheet" for over 120 million years, suggesting that life on Earth may be more predictable than first imagined. The international team, led by scientists ...

Apr 30, 2026
Phys.org / A physics explanation shows why US elections keep ending 50:50—and why more spending won't change that

A physics-inspired model calibrated on 40 years of US congressional data pinpoints a spending threshold of roughly 1.8 million USD at which campaigns stop influencing who wins and start fueling polarization instead.

Apr 30, 2026
Phys.org / Sudden quantum jolts may not break adiabatic behavior after all

In thermodynamics, an "adiabatic process" is a system change that transfers no heat in or out of the system. Any and all energy change in that system are therefore accomplished by doing work on the system, work being action ...

Apr 30, 2026
Phys.org / How temperature swings impact the growth of young songbirds

Climate change threatens to cause increasingly extreme and variable temperature swings, affecting everything from urban infrastructure to global food supplies. In the animal kingdom, the hardest hit may be the youngest and ...

Apr 30, 2026
Phys.org / Room-temperature multiferroic could pave way to low-energy computing

A team of researchers at Rice University has engineered a new version of a well-known multiferroic that exhibits orders of magnitude higher performance at room temperature than its parent material. The study, published in ...

Apr 30, 2026
Phys.org / A silent robot shadows sperm whales by listening to their clicks

An autonomous underwater glider is giving us a new and effective way to track sperm whales by tuning into their clicks and silently following them. To study these large oceanic predators, researchers need to monitor their ...

Apr 30, 2026
Phys.org / In good spirits: Why haunted houses are perfect places to connect with others

A pounding heart, shaking limbs, chills and a churning stomach—it's no wonder that fear is an emotion we usually try to avoid. At least most of the time. We may not like having the wits scared out of us in a real-life crisis, ...

Apr 30, 2026