Phys.org news

Phys.org / Tomatoes get flavor boost from green bin compost

Commercially farmed tomatoes taste sweeter when food and garden waste compost is added to their soil, a University of Queensland study has found. Researchers in the School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability grew tomatoes ...

Aug 27, 2026
Phys.org / When the dust settles: Field experiments measure how everyday activity resuspends hazardous particles

Being prepared for an emergency is key to keeping people safe. This means more than just having supplies such as food, water and first-aid kits. Sometimes, the most important preparation is having the right data to help first ...

Aug 27, 2026
Phys.org / Species discoveries reveal emerging biodiversity hotspots worldwide

We share our planet with millions of plants and animals. This variety of life is known as biodiversity, a term encompassing everything from microscopic genes to entire ecosystems, such as deserts and vibrant coral reefs.

Aug 27, 2026
Phys.org / Degraded DNA reveals two extinct Galapagos giant tortoise lineages

Using a new combination of computational tools to analyze ancient DNA, Yale researchers have discovered two ancient, extinct giant tortoise lineages that once lived on the Galapagos Islands.

Aug 27, 2026
Phys.org / Geomimicry offers a new framework for engineering sustainable materials

When engineers look to nature for inspiration, they often turn to living systems. The flight of birds has influenced aircraft design, gecko feet inspired new adhesives and lotus leaves led to the development of self-cleaning ...

Aug 27, 2026
Phys.org / Cellular 'glue' helps epithelial tissues engulf dead cells while staying sealed

A protein that sticks cells and tissues together has been found to have a surprising second job: helping cells that are packed into a continuous sealed layer, also known as epithelial cells, engulf nearby dead cells.

Aug 27, 2026
Phys.org / Some Galápagos 'yellow' sea turtles remain homebodies, surprising scientists

Sea turtles are famous for being prodigious wanderers. Guided by Earth's magnetic field, ocean currents and the sun, they tend to crisscross the seas in search of food, returning to the region of their birth every few years ...

Aug 27, 2026
Phys.org / Fleeting sugar pairs may help curb abnormal cell-growth signals

Acting as armor, a scaffold and a communication platform in one, our cells' plasma membrane lies at the heart of many crucial cellular processes. Traditionally, it has been thought to function through interactions among its ...

Aug 27, 2026
Phys.org / Virtual cell model could accelerate protein-degrader therapy design

A team of Weill Cornell Medicine investigators has developed a computer model that will help scientists more efficiently develop protein-destroying therapies, a newer type of treatment that is particularly promising for cancer. ...

Aug 27, 2026
Phys.org / The crisis in cosmology continues: Critical problems in a recent defense of cosmic acceleration

Doubts about the standard model of cosmology are deepening after a new study identified fundamental problems in a recent analysis that defended the conventional view that the universe is currently undergoing accelerated expansion ...

Aug 26, 2026
Phys.org / Reconstructed Jurassic insect calls evoke a 165-million-year-old forest soundscape

The sights and sounds of the Jurassic era are long gone, and we will never know for sure what that ancient world looked and sounded like. Fossils can offer clues, and reconstructions can give us a sense of the noises some ...

Aug 26, 2026
Phys.org / Dogs may use blinking as a subtle social signal

Blinking keeps eyes moist, sweeps away bits of dirt and dust, and helps the brain rest when processing visual information. But in dogs, it may also serve another function as a subtle social signal. That was one of the conclusions ...

Aug 26, 2026