Phys.org news

Phys.org / Traces of nearly 4 million coins reveal how Rome achieved economic integration

For centuries, the study of ancient history relied primarily on interpreting classical texts and examining inscriptions and archaeological remains at their sites of origin or in museums. In recent years, however, a little-known ...

6 hours ago
Phys.org / Ig Nobel Prize winners reveal why babies smell better than teenagers

Babies smell wonderful—at least to their parents. An international research team of Ilona Croy, Tomasz Frackowiak, Thomas Hummel and Agnieszka Sorokowska investigated why teenagers lose this special olfactory advantage and ...

6 hours ago
Phys.org / 'Green thumb' molecule helps leaf stalks grow in crowded conditions

Potassium (K) is one of the three essential nutrients for plants. It plays a critical role in a wide range of processes, including cell growth, photosynthesis and regulation of water balance. Plants take up K from the soil ...

7 hours ago
Phys.org / Farewell black spruce? How climate change and pests are reshaping North America's forests

More than 80% of North American forests could face greater threats from pests and diseases by midcentury, a University of British Columbia-led study finds. If global emissions continue unchecked, rising temperatures and shifting ...

15 hours ago
Phys.org / When panic freezes people: Virtual quake tests capture real-time fear and injury risk

Growing up, many of us were taught to drop, cover and hold on during an earthquake. The guidance is straightforward, but how people actually respond when the ground starts shaking can be far more complicated. Now, UC Berkeley ...

15 hours ago
Phys.org / Heavy water's atmospheric fingerprints boost weather forecasts for up to five days

Weather forecasts rely on many different kinds of data, including temperature, humidity and wind. For the first time, researchers, including those at the University of Tokyo, have demonstrated that a long-theorized improvement ...

19 hours ago
Phys.org / Electron spin unlocks magnetic control of hydrogen surface reactions

Chemical reactions at surfaces play a central role in many processes, including catalysis and materials synthesis. It is well known that the outcome of these reactions is influenced by the translational, vibrational and rotational ...

19 hours ago
Phys.org / Underwater meadows sustain millions in extreme poverty

A study provides the first large-scale empirical evidence that seagrass meadows act as a critical safety net for millions of coastal people living in extreme poverty across the Indo-Pacific.

20 hours ago
Phys.org / Biodegradable 'nanobone' could one day help regrow bone without painful grafts

For children born with cleft lip and palate, repairing gaps in the jawbone often means waiting until they are 10 to 12 years old before undergoing invasive bone graft surgery. University of Sydney researchers have developed ...

23 hours ago
Phys.org / Scientists observe Einstein's gravity in the quantum world

An international team including Nobel Prize-winning physicist Professor Sir Roger Penrose has observed a long-predicted effect of gravity on a falling quantum object for the first time. The result shows that a fundamental ...

Sep 2, 2026
Phys.org / Physicists test the weak equivalence principle in an orbiting space station

The weak equivalence principle (WEP) is central to Einstein's general relativity. It posits that gravity must accelerate everything equally, regardless of what it is made from. For the first time, a team led by Ming-Sheng ...

Sep 2, 2026
Phys.org / Sorry, this neutrino laser won't work, physicists say

Neutrinos are pervasive yet intangible particles that permeate the universe, streaming through whole planets, stars and our bodies by the trillions each second. The elementary particles are often described as "ghostly" for ...

Sep 2, 2026