Phys.org news

Phys.org / A hidden lubricant in creeping faults? Uncovering the mysteries of aseismic slip

Geological faults hold many secrets that may help us answer important questions about the nature of our planet and what really happens deep underground. One of the biggest mysteries lies within the Atotsugawa Fault System ...

May 13, 2026
Phys.org / Molecular grappling hooks improve cancer drug targeting and effectiveness

Medications are designed to treat diseased tissues while sparing healthy ones, often by attaching the drug to something that helps guide it directly to its target. But drugs also need time to work, which means they need to ...

May 13, 2026
Phys.org / Atomic step–terrace ordering enables unprecedented precision in mechanical testing

As modern technologies shrink to the nanoscale, surfaces increasingly dictate how materials deform, yield, and fail. Yet probing this regime has long been hindered by the challenge of preparing and controlling surfaces with ...

May 13, 2026
Phys.org / Amazon's carbon clock is speeding up, and violent storms may be only part of why

Tropical forests store more than 60% of the world's vegetation biomass and are among the most important ecosystems for regulating the global carbon cycle and climate. However, their regulatory role is greatly influenced by ...

May 13, 2026
Phys.org / The cinema effect: Turning films into a gateway to science

The sci-fi film Project Hail Mary, currently in theaters, is capturing the attention of both audiences and the scientific community for its science-based content. It manages to engage viewers with complex, cutting-edge topics—from ...

May 13, 2026
Phys.org / Gravitational waves from colliding black holes may allow detection of dark matter

Dark matter is thought to make up most of the matter in the universe, but the only way it interacts with its surroundings is through gravity. If two colliding black holes spiral through a dense region of dark matter and merge, ...

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / Work songs can improve team coordination, study finds

Work songs, musical pieces designed to be performed or sung while working, have been widely documented across various cultures and in different historical periods. For instance, people in different nations have been known ...

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / Gravitational wave detectors can now 'autotune' signals to harmonize the heavens

Gravitational wave researchers working on the world's most sensitive scientific instruments have found a way to tune their detectors using a process akin to the pitch-correction used in music production.

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / Engineered exosomes reverse sleep deprivation brain damage in mice

Sleep is a vital physiological process that allows humans and other animals to restore both the mind and body, while also consolidating memories, clearing out toxins and regulating their metabolism. Several past studies showed ...

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / Bright blazar reveals 433-day optical quasi-periodic oscillation across nine years

By analyzing the data from the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (WEBT), an international team of astronomers has discovered optical quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) in a bright quasar known as 3C 454.3. It is so far one of the ...

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / Meet the whistling mice that use inflatable air sacs to sing

Mice do more than just squeak when they want to make a noise. They can also sing. And the way they do it is different from most mammals that produce sounds by vibrating their vocal cords. When Alston's singing mouse (Scotinomys ...

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / Human childbirth is not uniquely difficult among mammals

Human childbirth is commonly viewed as uniquely difficult and dangerous. The reason: The combination of bipedalism and large brains creates a tight fit between the baby and the birth canal. Research at the University of Vienna ...

May 12, 2026