Phys.org news
Phys.org / How the social lives of magpies shape their call repertoire
Communication is central to the survival of most animals, including humans. Yet animals of different species communicate differently, and the complexity of their communication skills varies greatly. One characteristic of ...
Phys.org / Do you see faces in the clouds? Researchers examine pareidolia
Humans are masters of seeing faces in any old thing—a handbag, TV static, toasted white bread. Scientists want to know why. A few years ago, as the category 5 Hurricane Milton bore down on the Florida coast, the internet ...
Phys.org / Experiment indicates new type of mesic nuclei that could reveal how matter acquires mass
Nearly every object we interact with in our lives has a mass, but where does this mass come from? Modern physics says matter acquires its mass from interaction with a physical vacuum—it is not an empty space, but contains ...
Phys.org / New spider species in the Amazon mimics parasitic fungus
An international research team, including the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), has described a new species of spider from the Ecuadorian Amazon: Taczanowskia waska. The species is characterized ...
Phys.org / Early humans in South Africa were quarrying stone as far back as 220,000 years ago
As long as 220,000 years ago—far earlier than previously thought—people quarried rocks for their tools in places they specifically sought out. An international research team led by the University of Tübingen has demonstrated ...
Phys.org / This protein helps cancer cells survive treatment—and points to new treatments
Researchers at Umeå University have contributed new insights into how cancer cells protect themselves from cell death. The study provides a deeper understanding of how key proteins interact within the cell and could, in the ...
Phys.org / Who got the meat? What 10,000 years of European bones suggest about diet inequality
Access to nutritious food is a fundamental pillar of human success, but such access has been unequal throughout history. In pre-industrial European societies, meat was a highly sought-after food, and access to it was often ...
Phys.org / African frogs haven't forgotten the ice ages. Scientists can tell by where they live.
Why are frogs diverse in some parts of Africa's rainforests and less so in others? The patterns of cooling and glaciation during the last ice age would probably not have been your first answer or even your last-ditch guess, ...
Phys.org / Researchers clarify how cells remove damaged endoplasmic reticulum
The cell's endoplasmic reticulum (ER) plays a central role in protein synthesis, folding, and calcium (Ca²⁺) storage. When damaged, ER-phagy (self-eating) removes affected ER regions via double-membrane vesicles called autophagosomes. ...
Phys.org / More than a pretty picture, star-shaped nanomaterial changes energy storage
When created at the nanoscale, materials can resemble shapes like stars, rods or even pyramids. These particle shapes, also known as the morphologies of a solid, make for more than just interesting images under a microscope—they ...
Phys.org / Parabolic flight test shows lasers can propel graphene aerogels in microgravity
Lasers could one day steer solar sails and adjust a satellite's position in outer space, thanks to graphene. An experiment on a gravity rollercoaster ride showed how this innovative material has the potential to revolutionize ...
Phys.org / When trees get 'sunburn': Study shows how young trees can handle the heat
Can our forests adapt to a hotter and drier future climate? Temperatures are predicted to rise up to 5°C compared to pre-industrial times. Forest management needs to adapt to these conditions, which requires a better understanding ...
