Phys.org news

Phys.org / Historical DNA connects 1.3 million living relatives to 17th-century Maryland settlers

As the United States prepares to mark its 250th anniversary, researchers from 23andMe Research Institute, Harvard University, and the Smithsonian Institution have teamed up to study one of the country's founding settlements: ...

May 14, 2026
Phys.org / Hairy new fish species discovered in the Great Barrier Reef

Swimming among the corals of the Great Barrier Reef is a fish that could be a doppelganger for the famous Sesame Street character Mr. Snuffleupagus. This bright orange-red, hairy, long-snouted ghost pipefish is a new species ...

May 14, 2026
Phys.org / Why emus can't fly: A 'time switch' in bird embryos holds the answer

Why can eagles soar through the skies while emus are bound to the earth? One secret lies in a skeletal structure called the keel, a blade-like ridge on the breastbone that anchors the flight muscles needed for powered flight. ...

May 14, 2026
Phys.org / A fresh approach to peppermint: 250 new variants could boost flavor and fight disease

The genomics of peppermint are not as fresh as their flavor but scientists from the University of California, Davis, have found a way to breathe new genetic variation into the species. The findings, published in the Proceedings ...

May 14, 2026
Phys.org / Mitochondrial fission helps immune cells kill bacteria and could counter resistance

Alternative therapies that aid the body's immune system to fight bacteria have shown promise in addressing the global threat of antibiotic resistance. University of Queensland researchers have found when under attack, the ...

May 14, 2026
Phys.org / Indonesia may soon lose its last glaciers

Asia's last tropical glaciers can be found near Puncak Jaya, Papua, the highest peak in Southeast Asia. But it is unlikely that they will survive until the end of this decade. Over the past 44 years, the peak has lost 97% ...

May 14, 2026
Phys.org / Engineered proteins store digital files with 30 times density at one-tenth cost

Massive volumes of digital data are generated every day from AI training, big data analytics and smart devices. As conventional hard drives and cloud storage are increasingly constrained by high costs, limited capacity, high ...

May 14, 2026
Phys.org / Autonomous underwater robot discovers hidden coral reef 'hotspots'

Researchers have developed an autonomous system for seeking out and mapping hotspots of biodiversity on coral reefs with unprecedented precision, offering a powerful new tool for studying and protecting some of the ocean's ...

May 14, 2026
Phys.org / Discovery of antimicrobial peptides in ant venom has far-reaching implications

In addition to serving as biochemical weapons for offense and defense, the venoms produced by ants in the subfamily Formicinae also fulfill additional roles. For example, the ants use it to protect their nests from pathogens. ...

May 14, 2026
Phys.org / Silk made into strong plastic-like materials with 6G potential

Silk threads can be fused into transparent, plastic-like materials that twist terahertz frequencies of light, according to research led by Imperial College London, University of Michigan Engineering and Tufts University. ...

May 14, 2026
Phys.org / Mathematicians prove existence of Kaleidocycles then unlock their exact motion

Kaleidocycles are flexible polyhedral structures composed of rigid tetrahedra connected along their edges to form rotating rings. Each tetrahedron is a solid 3D polygon with four triangular faces (like a triangular pyramid), ...

May 14, 2026
Phys.org / Researchers uncover chemical origins of the Perseus cluster of galaxies

An international team of researchers has developed new stellar and supernova models to explain the mysterious elemental abundance patterns left by billions of supernova explosions around the Perseus constellation, which have ...

May 14, 2026