Phys.org news

Phys.org / Unsupervised free time increases the likelihood that adolescents will engage in violent behavior, 21-country study finds

A study involving more than 58,000 adolescents from 21 countries found that "unstructured free time"—defined as periods without adult supervision or activities guided by educational, cultural or athletic goals—is strongly ...

Aug 12, 2026
Phys.org / Unfamiliar with rattlesnakes, blackbirds still avoid striking them while defending nests

In a rare study of snakes as nest predators, scientists found nesting birds were loath to strike rattlesnakes even though they likely had no previous experience with vipers.

Aug 12, 2026
Phys.org / Severe weather now a key predictor of where bird species occur in North America

Scorching heat waves, severe cold snaps and other extreme weather events are limiting where species can exist—and affecting biodiversity estimates—for more than 500 North American bird species, according to a new, Yale–led ...

Aug 12, 2026
Phys.org / Europe's worst medieval flood highlights risk of successive extreme events

New research involving the University of Liverpool has provided comprehensive insights into the largest flood event in Europe over the past millennium—the flood traditionally known as "St. Mary Magdalene's Flood" of 1342.

Aug 12, 2026
Phys.org / New evidence helps solve how earliest birds took flight

The first bird to inhabit Earth used its robust hind legs to make two or three powerful leaps while flapping its way to flight, according to a study by the University of Southampton published in Developmental Biology.

Aug 12, 2026
Phys.org / Graphene nanowrinkles could reshape electricity in future ultrathin devices

Rice University researchers have shown that tiny wrinkles in graphene can change the material's electrical properties, providing evidence for flexoelectricity, a phenomenon in which a material generates an electric charge ...

Aug 12, 2026
Phys.org / African grasslands expanded 5 million year earlier than previously thought, molecular fossils suggest

The iconic grassland savannas of Africa are geographically extensive and important for both local fauna and the global climate. But where did they come from, and how will they change in the future? Ongoing warming, rising ...

Aug 12, 2026
Phys.org / Drug-carrying nanoparticles shrink venous malformations by 70% in mice

Venous malformations are abnormally shaped veins that develop when the cells lining blood vessels grow too fast when they aren't supposed to. Children can be born with them, and as the child grows, the venous malformations ...

Aug 12, 2026
Phys.org / Microbes turn CO₂ into protein and vitamin B9 at commercially viable prices

Researchers are developing biotechnological processes that enable microbes to produce proteins and vitamins for human consumption using basic chemical ingredients, such as carbon dioxide, hydrogen and oxygen—entirely bypassing ...

Aug 12, 2026
Phys.org / Stellar stream beyond Milky Way offers new tool to map dark matter

In the image above, a faint trail of stars can be seen stretching across the galaxy. These structures, known as globular cluster stellar streams, are coherent stellar structures that retain a record of their dynamical history ...

Aug 12, 2026
Phys.org / Space travel doesn't affect the strength of heart muscle cells, study finds

It's common to see images of astronauts on the International Space Station exercising, running on special treadmills and pedaling cycles designed for tight quarters.

Aug 12, 2026
Phys.org / Pain isn't the point: European viper venoms may have evolved to subdue prey

For many people, the fear of venomous snakes is linked to one thing: pain. Yet new research led by scientists at Bangor University suggests that, for Europe's vipers, at least, causing pain may never have been a driving force ...

Aug 12, 2026