Phys.org news

Phys.org / Machine-learning method maps the uncertainty of biodiversity scenarios: The Bigfoot connection

To effectively protect biodiversity in an era of climate change, ecologists first have to know where animal and plant species are located and then be able to predict what habitats will be available to them in the future. ...

May 14, 2026
Phys.org / We keep thanking machines and forests for one strange reason, and it is reshaping human bonds

Whether it's artificial intelligence programs or the Amazon rainforest, people often experience gratitude or protectiveness toward non-human entities because they perceive these entities as having good intentions, according ...

May 14, 2026
Phys.org / Large-scale eDNA survey reveals hidden factors that affect regional fish communities

As climate change and human activities continually ramp up, fish are forced to find ways to adapt. As fish move around to find more suitable habitats as ocean conditions shift, regional fish distributions change—which can ...

May 14, 2026
Phys.org / Sex-related differences in hoverfly eyes give insight into their aerodynamic powers

Many male hoverflies have bigger eyes than females, giving them the advantage of better optics and faster photoreceptors in high-speed pursuits to find a preferred partner to breed.

May 14, 2026
Phys.org / Baby bugs must play 'game of roulette' to find survival partners before time runs out

Symbiosis, or the interaction of two unalike species, is common and often necessary for survival. In insects, symbiotic microbes often facilitate and promote the growth of hosts. Before the symbiotic collaboration can begin, ...

May 14, 2026
Phys.org / A history of containers, an ancient technology hundreds of thousands of years in the making

We hardly give them a second thought, but everyday objects like bags and backpacks belong to a long technological tradition that may stretch back hundreds of thousands of years.

May 13, 2026
Phys.org / Neanderthal dentists used stone drills to treat cavities nearly 60,000 years ago, ancient molar suggests

Neanderthals had the know-how to identify a tooth infection and the motor skills to drill out the damage, according to a study published May 13, 2026, in the open-access journal PLOS One by Alisa Zubova of Peter the Great ...

May 13, 2026
Phys.org / Strange 500-million-year-old marine fossils reveal a feeding strategy that still shapes oceans today

More than 500 million years ago, during what is known as the Cambrian period, the seas and oceans on Earth were filled with a myriad of marine animals, many of which have now become extinct. This evolutionary burst in new ...

May 13, 2026
Phys.org / Atomic bands in two transition metal dichalcogenides hint at long-theorized quantum state

Insulators are materials in which electrons cannot move freely. Past theoretical studies predicted the existence of an unusual insulating state dubbed obstructed atomic insulator (OAI), in which electrons are localized inside ...

May 13, 2026
Phys.org / Recreating dying stars reveals hydrogen's key role in cosmic dust formation

Silicon carbide (SiC) dust is one of the most important ingredients in cosmic dust, the tiny particles floating throughout the cosmos that eventually give rise to new planets and stars. This compound of silicon and carbon ...

May 13, 2026
Phys.org / Mostly empty foam overturns assumptions of electron beam stopping

When physicists fire beams of fast electrons at materials, they often need to know exactly how much energy those electrons will lose as they travel through. Through new research published in Physical Review Letters, a team ...

May 13, 2026
Phys.org / Rivalry with neighboring groups may be a key driver of male size in primates

In many primate species, males are much larger than their female counterparts, which is generally attributed to male competition for mates (sexual selection). But bigger bodies may not just be about alpha males defeating ...

May 13, 2026