Phys.org news

Phys.org / Why one famous predator shrank two ways: Fossils reveal distinct growth strategies in early Permian Dimetrodon

The sail-backed predator Dimetrodon is one of the most iconic animals of the early Permian—long before dinosaurs dominated Earth. Most known species of this early relative of mammals reached large body sizes, sometimes up ...

22 hours ago
Phys.org / A flexible graphene-based neural interface can 'speak and listen' to the brain

Neural interfaces are devices that can detect or modulate neuronal activity when placed in contact with the brain. They are already used to treat various conditions related to the nervous system. However, current technologies ...

22 hours ago
Phys.org / RNA barcoding approach reveals previously unknown virus–host relationships

An interdisciplinary team of Rice University researchers has uncovered previously unknown relationships between bacteriophages—viruses that infect bacteria—and their bacterial hosts, offering a powerful new tool for next-generation ...

22 hours ago
Phys.org / A new explanation for the mystery death of Botticelli's Birth of Venus model, Simonetta Vespucci

A paper on new research into the cause of death of Simonetta Vespucci, model for the world-renowned Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli, has been published by researchers at Queen Mary University of London, Universita Campus ...

23 hours ago
Phys.org / AI system evaluates chemical spectra in minutes

A research team has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) system that proposes suitable molecular structures from the raw data of spectroscopic measurements and assesses their plausibility. The system is openly accessible ...

22 hours ago
Phys.org / Female chickadees seek cognitively skilled males for extra‑pair matings, study shows

Female chickadees living in monogamous mating systems will proactively seek out males that have better cognitive skills than their nest mate, according to new findings.

23 hours ago
Phys.org / Random deformation lets glassy materials store precise mechanical memories, simulations reveal

Amorphous materials such as glass are solids whose internal structure lacks a repeating pattern. Their molecules are arranged in a random and irregular way. Surprisingly, these disordered materials can "remember" past mechanical ...

21 hours ago
Phys.org / Chemists uncover new metal carbene radical cross-coupling by merging two catalytic cycles

In an effort to open the door to new and useful products, chemistry researchers are on the continual lookout for processes that unlock important molecules and the bonds that can put them together. Such is the case for UC ...

22 hours ago
Phys.org / A heat sensor for living cells could offer new views of cell metabolism, rapid antibiotic testing

When living cells grow, divide or respond to drugs, they give off tiny amounts of heat that offer information about what the cells are doing. But because these heat signals are so vanishingly small, they have traditionally ...

Jun 16, 2026
Phys.org / Darkness unlocks more ordered nanotubes in light-responsive molecular assemblies, study suggests

Life on Earth has evolved under an uninterrupted rhythm of day and night. While light provides the energy that powers countless molecular processes, periods of darkness often allow biological systems to reorganize, recover ...

23 hours ago
Phys.org / Could Earth have sent life to Jupiter's moon Europa?

Could Earth have seeded Jupiter's moon Europa with bacterial life, where it could have taken hold in Europa's ocean and perhaps evolved into something more? That's the hypothesis of a new paper in the International Journal ...

Jun 16, 2026
Phys.org / Powerful UFO spotted blasting from a distant black hole

Astronomers have detected one of the most powerful ultra-fast outflows ever seen from a distant supermassive black hole. Using XMM-Newton and NuSTAR, a team studied a hyper-luminous quasar at cosmic noon and found two distinct ...

Jun 16, 2026