Phys.org news
Phys.org / Chitosan-nickel biomaterial becomes stronger when wet, and could replace plastics
A new study led by the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) has unveiled the first biomaterial that is not only waterproof but actually becomes stronger in contact with water. The material is produced by the incorporation ...
Phys.org / Marriage or moving in? Study explains what lifts happiness after 50
Who says that butterflies in the stomach are only for the young? A new study by psychologist Iris Wahring from the University of Vienna and her international team shows that when people over 50 enter into a new relationship ...
Phys.org / A clearer future: Researchers unveil transparent, plastic-free wood
Researchers at the University of Osaka have developed a highly transparent material made entirely from natural wood without adding plastic and uncovered why some wood becomes clearer than others. Their study reveals that ...
Phys.org / Antibiotic resistance is rising: A membrane protease could be E. coli's weak spot
A University of Alberta research team has identified a new drug target to treat harmful E. coli bacteria—which cause nearly 250,000 deaths a year from urinary tract infections (UTI) and are becoming increasingly resistant ...
Phys.org / Eclipse research finds turbulent times in the sun's corona
Researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi have uncovered new clues about how energy moves through the sun's outer atmosphere, using one of nature's rarest events as their window: total solar eclipses. Drawing on more than ...
Phys.org / Solving a longstanding mystery about complex life's origin—oxygen-tolerant Asgard archaea may explain eukaryotes' rise
The most widely accepted scientific explanation for the arrival of all complex life on Earth has had an unsolved mystery at its heart. According to the theory, all plants, animals and fungi, known collectively as eukaryotes, ...
Phys.org / The making of doting dads may involve a specific gene
Male caregiving is rare. Of the nearly 6,000 mammalian species, fewer than 5% of fathers stick around to raise their own young. Most are even instinctively hostile. Even among the mammals that pitch in with caregiving duties, ...
Phys.org / An 'electrical' circadian clock balances growth between shoots and roots
Plants don't just respond to light and water, they also run on an internal daily timekeeper known as the circadian clock. Researchers have now discovered that the plant circadian clock can regulate electrochemical signals ...
Phys.org / Feeling worse about money? Climate change may be part of the reason
Climate change is not just reshaping the planet, it's already affecting how people feel about their lives, their health and their financial security, according to a new study from the Universities of Portsmouth and Dundee. ...
Phys.org / Colonists dredged away Sydney's natural oyster reefs. Now, scientists know how best to restore them
New research has identified optimal design for artificial habitats to support restoration of oyster reefs, based on a detailed understanding of natural oyster reef geometry. Published in the global journal Nature, the Sydney-based ...
Phys.org / Cracks in snow propagate faster than expected
Since 10 January 2026, the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF) has received reports of hundreds of "whumpfs" (i.e., sounds indicating a collapse in the snowpack) and of remote triggering events—unmistakable ...
Phys.org / Cosmic predators: How supermassive black holes slow star growth in nearby galaxies
Intense radiation emitted by active supermassive black holes—thought to reside at the center of most, if not all, galaxies—can slow star growth not just in their host galaxy, but also in galaxies millions of light-years ...