Phys.org news

Phys.org / Red flowers have a 'magic trait' to attract birds and keep bees away

For flowering plants, reproduction is a question of the birds and the bees. Attracting the right pollinator can be a matter of survival—and new research shows how flowers do it is more intriguing than anyone realized, and ...

4 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Global health impacts of plastics systems set to double by 2040

The adverse health impacts associated with emissions across the full life cycle of plastics could double by 2040 unless immediate action is taken, new research suggests. The study identified health harms at every stage of ...

12 hours ago in Earth
Phys.org / Ancient Martian beach discovered, providing new clues to red planet's habitability

New findings from NASA's Perseverance rover have revealed evidence of wave-formed beaches and rocks altered by subsurface water in a Martian crater that once held a vast lake—considerably expanding the timeline for potential ...

4 hours ago in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Ocean fronts revealed as key players in Earth's carbon cycle

Narrow bands of ocean covering just over one-third of the world's seas are responsible for absorbing nearly three-quarters of the carbon dioxide that oceans pull from the atmosphere, new research shows. The study, published ...

5 hours ago in Earth
Phys.org / Hafted stone tools in China suggest early hominins were more inventive than thought

A newly excavated archaeological site in central China is reshaping long-held assumptions about early hominin behavior in Eastern Asia. Led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, an international team of researchers conducted ...

5 hours ago in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Footprint tracker identifies tiny mammals with up to 96% accuracy

It might be less visible than dwindling lion populations or vanishing pandas, but the quiet crisis of small mammal extinction is arguably worse for biodiversity. These species are crucial indicators of environmental health, ...

16 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Oddball flower challenges long-held rule about how new plant species evolve

Lipstick vines get their name from their bright red, tube-shaped flowers. But one member of this group of plants has lost its lipstick-like appearance—its flowers are shorter, wider, and yellowish green in color. It also ...

6 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / AI model accelerates defect-based material design

Across the physical world, many intricate structures form via symmetry breaking. When a system with inherent symmetry transitions into an ordered state, it can form stable imperfections known as topological defects. Such ...

7 hours ago in Nanotechnology
Dialog / The hidden physics of watersheds: Why some are more sensitive to climate variability than others

Water is everywhere, from the snowpack in the mountains to the tap in our kitchens. But while we often think about rainfall and snow as the main drivers of our water supply, it turns out that something we rarely see has just ...

22 hours ago in Earth
Phys.org / Nanoplastics in water help bacteria form stronger, disinfectant-resistant biofilms

Human health risks from direct consumption of toxic nanoplastics are already scary, but researchers have confirmed that nanoplastics in water give rise to an additional threat: They strengthen bacteria.

23 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / High-resolution map shows dark matter's gravity pulled normal matter into galaxies

Scientists have created the highest resolution map of the dark matter that threads through the universe—showing its influence on the formation of stars, galaxies and planets.

Jan 26, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Mapping cell development with mathematics-informed machine learning

The development of humans and other animals unfolds gradually over time, with cells taking on specific roles and functions via a process called cell fate determination. The fate of individual cells, or in other words, what ...

Jan 26, 2026 in Biology