Phys.org news

Phys.org / How H5N1 bird flu hid unrecognized for weeks in dairy cattle

When H5N1 bird flu first began infecting U.S. cattle in early 2024, diagnosis was elusive because, in cows, the disease looked completely different. Instead of affecting the lungs, as H5N1 does in other mammalian species, ...

Jun 19, 2026
Phys.org / Stressed-out soil bacteria adapt to environmental conditions

A new study from Caltech demonstrates that soil bacteria can adapt under stress, particularly when a key nutrient, phosphorus, is running low in their environment. The work is important for understanding the complex relationships ...

Jun 19, 2026
Phys.org / Unearthed bathhouse reveals a thriving Roman Nijmegen: 'The Romans did not regard this city as a backwater'

Excavations in Nijmegen-West have uncovered large sections of a Roman bathhouse. It is the largest bathhouse complex from the Roman period in the Netherlands. Radboud researcher Stephan Mols can often be found at the excavation ...

Jun 19, 2026
Phys.org / Microbial partners may help maize and sorghum respond to higher temperatures

New research suggests the microbiome near the surface of a plant's roots, known as the rhizosphere microbiome, may play a role in helping crops respond to heat stress.

Jun 19, 2026
Phys.org / New technique sharpens predictions of metal alloy behavior by capturing subtle atomic patterns

Companies working at the frontier of aerospace, energy and computing are constantly looking for new materials to improve performance. But in order to understand how those materials will actually behave once they're inside ...

Jun 19, 2026
Phys.org / Arabian Sea humpback whale's long-distance trip further highlights species' unique ecology

Off Oman's coast lives a small population of just over 80 Arabian Sea humpback whales (ASHWs). They are classified as endangered and are thought to be the only humpback whale population that doesn't undertake seasonal migrations ...

Jun 19, 2026
Phys.org / Shining light into unhatched eggs could allow for chicken 'gender reveals'

Scientists have demonstrated a noninvasive technique that uses light to reveal the hidden contents of chicken eggs, potentially helping to curb the meat industry's practice of killing billions of male chicks at birth. The ...

Jun 19, 2026
Phys.org / Molecular simulations uncover why water nanodrops spread thin on hydrophilic surfaces

Why does water roll off a duck's back but spread on clean glass? For macroscopic (millimeter-scale) drops, this behavior can be explained using continuum theory. However, when nanoscale (10–9 mm) droplets spread on surfaces, ...

Jun 19, 2026
Phys.org / Ripple-like rings of the 'Bullseye galaxy' could be explained by dark matter

Two U.S. physicists have suggested that the nine concentric rings surrounding the galaxy LEDA 1313424, also known as the Bullseye galaxy, could have emerged through the quantum behavior of particles of dark matter. Through ...

Jun 18, 2026
Phys.org / Hidden electric space waves are quietly cleaning Earth's 'killer' electrons

High above our heads, a silent battle is unfolding within Earth's magnetic shield. For decades, scientists have tracked "killer electrons"—ultrafast particles capable of piercing satellite armor and endangering astronauts ...

Jun 18, 2026
Phys.org / Fossilized babies of ancient crocodile-like predators uproot understanding of how animals adapted to the land

Life on our planet began in the water. Eventually, one branch of the fish family tree developed legs and came up on land. These early four-legged animals, the tetrapods, were the forebears of today's mammals, birds, reptiles ...

Jun 18, 2026
Phys.org / Pigeons' eyes are almost perfectly still when they're flying, study finds

When pigeons are flying through the air, they lock their eyes in a near-fixed position instead of moving them around. Researchers from Harvard University discovered this after attaching a lightweight rig of cameras and mirrors ...

Jun 18, 2026