Phys.org news

Phys.org / Ancient mosquitoes developed a taste for early hominins, research reveals

The preference of some mosquitoes in the Anopheles leucosphyrus (Leucosphyrus) group—including those that transmit malaria—for feeding on humans may have evolved in response to the arrival of early hominins in Southeast ...

20 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Will melting glaciers slow climate change? A prevailing theory is on shaky ground

For scientists who study the Southern Ocean, a long-standing silver lining in the gloomy forecast of climate change has been the theory of iron fertilization. As temperatures rise and glaciers in Antarctica melt, ice-trapped ...

Feb 26, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Wildfire smoke linked to rise in violent assaults, 11-year study finds

A new study spanning 11 years of data has revealed a clear link between wildfire smoke pollution and an increase in violent assaults in Seattle. These findings represent the first direct causal evidence that short-term exposure ...

Feb 26, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / A puddle that jumps: What bubble bursts reveal about water on lotus-like surfaces

Water droplets have a unique ability: They can leap from a surface on their own. This can happen for a variety of reasons, such as when a surface repels water or when heat is involved, such as a water or oil droplet skittering ...

Feb 26, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Scientists identify ARK1 protein that stops malaria parasite growth

An international team of scientists has shed light on the development of the malaria parasite and has identified a unique protein essential for its survival and transmission, which offers a promising new target for antimalaria ...

Feb 26, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Forget flatfooted lumbering T. rex. New research shows it walked on tiptoes

Powerful, fierce and the king of the Cretaceous world, Tyrannosaurus rex was the ultimate apex predator. But it was also surprisingly dainty on its feet, according to new research. Findings published in the journal Royal ...

Feb 25, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / How a one‑eyed creature gave rise to our modern eyes

There is a tiny cyclops among your oldest ancestors, and humans share these remarkable ancestral roots with all other vertebrates. Researchers from Lund University and University of Sussex have found that all vertebrates ...

Feb 25, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / First plesiosaurian fossil discovered in Algeria fills a Cretaceous gap

In a study published in Historical Biology, Dr. Mohammed Naimi and his colleagues report the discovery of the first plesiosaurian remains from Algeria. Additionally, the fossil, dated to the Late Coniacian, is one of only ...

Feb 25, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Why plants may bloom earlier: Tiny dew droplets are triggering early flowering in plants

Plants around the world are flowering earlier in the year, a trend attributed to climate change. But there could be another hitherto hidden trigger. Scientists led by researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences suggest ...

Feb 25, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / 2D memristors could help solve AI's energy problem

New generations of memristors could reliably store information directly within the molecular structures of graphene-like materials. In a new review published in Nanoenergy Advances, Gennady Panin of the Russian Academy of ...

Feb 25, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / A protocol to realize near-perfect atom-photon entanglement

Quantum technologies, devices and systems that operate leveraging quantum mechanical effects, could tackle some tasks more reliably and efficiently than any classical technology could. In recent years, some researchers have ...

Feb 25, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / ALMA explores giant molecular clouds in nearby galaxy NGC 1387

An international team of astronomers has employed the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to investigate molecular gas in a nearby galaxy known as NGC 1387. Results of the observational campaign, published ...

Feb 25, 2026 in Astronomy & Space