Phys.org news

Phys.org / New study into humans' closest ape relatives suggests physical touch can promote social harmony

Physical touch may be an important evolutionary tool to help manage social tension and keep the peace. That is according to a new study led by Durham University in the UK, analyzing behaviors of our closest ape relatives, ...

Jul 21, 2026
Phys.org / Animals in prehistoric paintings reveal hidden pattern across nine Basque caves

Iñaki Intxaurbe, a researcher at the EHU-University of the Basque Country, analyzed the distribution of images in nine caves in the Basque Country using network-based analysis and statistical techniques.

Jul 21, 2026
Phys.org / Zoo elephant survival has improved substantially over 6 decades, international study finds

Elephants living in modern zoos are living significantly longer than they did half a century ago, according to a study published in the journal Scientific Reports. The research—led by ZSL (the Zoological Society of London) ...

Jul 21, 2026
Phys.org / Gig platforms can simply 'wait out' workers to slash wages, research reveals

Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (MPI-IS), the Tübingen AI Center and Ellis Institute Tübingen have conducted a study that uncovers a mathematical strategy explaining how digital labor platforms ...

Jul 21, 2026
Phys.org / Atomic channels can separate rare earth elements from each other without using toxic chemicals

Rare earth elements like lanthanum, neodymium and dysprosium are used to build the electric motor in your car, the LED lights in your house and the MRI machine at your doctor's office. But first, they have to be mined and ...

Jul 21, 2026
Phys.org / Ruthenium nanoparticles convert captured perchlorate into harmless chloride in water treatment waste

For decades, water utilities have relied on giant tanks filled with ion-exchange resin beads to remove perchlorate, a harmful industrial pollutant, from drinking water. The system works by attracting negatively charged perchlorate ...

Jul 21, 2026
Phys.org / New radio-burst method helps locate universe's missing ordinary matter

Stars and galaxies make up much of the universe's ordinary, observable matter. But for decades, scientists have wrestled with a cosmic conflict: There should be much more.

Jul 21, 2026
Phys.org / Black hole jet may be stirring gas cloud containing early 'red potato' galaxy

A black hole may be stirring a "pot" of gas containing a neighboring galaxy in the early universe, according to a new study published in Astronomy & Astrophysics that used observations from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. ...

Jul 21, 2026
Phys.org / Students unearth rare, centuries-old pot at Florida Spanish mission site

Some 400 years ago, a member of the Indigenous Potano-Timucua tribe scooped up some clay and carefully molded it into a modest vessel, small enough to rest in the palm of their hand. You can imagine their fingers pressing ...

Jul 21, 2026
Phys.org / Quantum sensing microscope illuminates transistor design

Artificial intelligence faces an energy crisis stemming from a physical traffic jam inside modern computer chips. Processors must continually shuffle data, such as the billions of parameters in complex models, between separate ...

Jul 21, 2026
Phys.org / Ancient stone tools reveal complex nomadic lifestyles in Armenian Highlands

A team of international scientists led by Dr. Ariel Malinsky-Buller, together with Ph.D. students David Nora, Ioannis Oikonomou and Dominik Rogall from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has uncovered new insights into the ...

Jul 21, 2026
Phys.org / Hawaiian stilt reclassified from endangered to threatened after 50 years of conservation efforts

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the reclassification of the Aʻeo, or Hawaiian stilt (Himantopus mexicanus knudseni), from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act, a rare and hopeful milestone ...

Jul 21, 2026