Phys.org news

Phys.org / Chimpanzees reveal 69 socially learned behaviors, nearly doubling known cultural repertoire

Scientists have identified dozens of previously overlooked cultural behaviors in wild chimpanzees, suggesting that the great ape's culture extends far beyond complex skills like tool use. In a single community, they found ...

May 21, 2026
Phys.org / Romania dig uncovers 350-square-meter megastructure in 45-house prehistoric settlement

Researchers from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) have found new indications of how large prehistoric settlements were organized. Their research focused on a special type of building known as a megastructure. ...

May 21, 2026
Phys.org / Particle-by-particle tracking reveals uneven nanoparticle drug release

Precision medicine aims to transport therapeutic agents, such as molecules, proteins or RNA, to the exact place where they need to act within the body. One of the most promising strategies is the use of nanocarriers: nanoparticles ...

May 21, 2026
Phys.org / NASA's AWE instrument completes mission to study Earth's effect on space weather

On May 21, ground controllers powered down NASA's AWE (Atmospheric Waves Experiment) instrument, bringing the data collection phase of the mission to a successful and scheduled end, surpassing its planned two-year mission.

May 21, 2026
Phys.org / Complexity isn't subjective—the right amount results in new material properties

Complexity may seem subjective, but a quantitative measure of the complexity of nanomaterials was recently developed by a team of researchers from the University of Michigan Engineering, the University of Southern California ...

May 21, 2026
Phys.org / Television news coverage of climate policy is limited and polarized in the US, study finds

Two-thirds of Americans want action on climate change, but people vastly underestimate public support for climate solutions and policy. Historically, U.S. news outlets overrepresented views on climate change that went against ...

May 21, 2026
Phys.org / Saturn-sized exoplanet with Earth-like temperature reveals methane-rich atmosphere

A planet that is about the size of Saturn, but with a temperature more like Earth's, has an atmosphere rich in methane, according to a new study using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

May 21, 2026
Dialog / A new light-based sensor could help make ultrasensitive disease testing more portable

When we think about highly sensitive medical testing, we often imagine a hospital laboratory filled with large instruments, trained technicians, and carefully controlled conditions. This is especially true for optical biosensing, ...

May 21, 2026
Phys.org / Why promising CO₂-to-fuel catalysts keep falling short of copper

Technology that converts carbon dioxide (CO₂) into fuels and plastic feedstocks using electricity is gaining attention as a core technology in the era of carbon neutrality. In particular, ethylene and ethanol are high-value ...

May 21, 2026
Phys.org / Evolutionary arms race stretches hawkmoths and flowers to extremes

Long before his days of research, Christian Couch was just a kid marveling at the butterflies in the Florida Museum of Natural History's Butterfly Rainforest. Years later, after enrolling as an undergraduate student at the ...

May 21, 2026
Phys.org / How does gold keep its glitter? Researchers uncover why it resists tarnish

Gold has been prized for thousands of years for its enduring shine, but Tulane University researchers have discovered that gold's resistance to tarnishing depends on more than its chemistry.

May 21, 2026
Phys.org / Wildlife is watching us, too—and changing behavior in response

A new large-scale study led by a research team from the Yale Center for Biodiversity and Global Change has found that wildlife responds not only to how humans reshape their habitats, but also to the simple presence of humans—and ...

May 21, 2026