Phys.org news

Phys.org / High Mountain Asia's melting glaciers may threaten future water security

Glaciers in High Mountain Asia—a region encompassing the Tibetan Plateau and its surrounding mountain ranges—are shrinking rapidly, endangering water resources for millions of people, suggests a new study. Using satellite ...

Apr 8, 2026
Phys.org / Neanderthals in Central Europe hunted pond turtles—not for food, but likely for their shells

Neanderthals hunted European pond turtles (Emys orbicularis) in Central Europe, though probably not for food. The careful cleaning of carapace elements at Neumark-Nord indicates that shells were reused, perhaps as small containers ...

Apr 8, 2026
Phys.org / Online review structure, not just sentiment, predicts what readers find helpful

A study of nearly 200,000 Amazon reviews shows that the usefulness of online product reviews depends not only on what is said, but on how the information is structured. The researchers, from the Universities of Cambridge ...

Apr 8, 2026
Phys.org / Optical control of nuclear spins in molecules points to new paths for quantum technologies

Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have reported important progress in quantum physics and materials science by optically initializing, controlling, and reading out nuclear spin states in a molecular ...

Apr 8, 2026
Phys.org / Student research on coronal holes improves space weather forecasting

Fast solar winds originating from the sun can have direct impacts on Earth—disrupting systems like GPS, aviation, electrical grids, and satellite and radio communications. A new paper by New Mexico State University astronomy ...

Apr 8, 2026
Phys.org / Livestock may be rewriting elephants' gut microbiomes in Kenya's protected reserves

Sharing habitat with livestock is changing elephants' gut bacteria in ways that could be harmful to their health, according to new research conducted by San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance in collaboration with Save the Elephants. ...

Apr 8, 2026
Phys.org / Mangrove crab outruns its namesake, expanding its range 200 miles north

A crab named for mangrove forests is leaving them behind. New research from William & Mary's Batten School & VIMS shows that the Atlantic mangrove fiddler crab (Leptuca thayeri) is settling into temperate salt marshes along ...

Apr 8, 2026
Phys.org / Seal tooth pendant reveals ancient human culture and long-distance trading

The identity of a mysterious artifact found in Devon almost 160 years ago has finally been revealed. New research has identified it as a pendant made from the tooth of a gray seal, which would have been worn by an ancient ...

Apr 8, 2026
Phys.org / Penguins in remote Patagonia are carrying 'forever chemicals' signals

Penguins living along the Patagonian coast of Argentina can serve as living monitors of their environment by using small, chemical-detecting leg bands, according to a study from the University of California, Davis, and the ...

Apr 8, 2026
Phys.org / Climate change may speed evolution through inherited gene regulation changes

A new paper in Molecular Biology and Evolution, finds that changes in animal development induced by climate shock persist generations after the initial event. The escalating effects of climate change are likely to, in effect, ...

Apr 8, 2026
Phys.org / A drug discovery bottleneck? How cheaper reagents could speed branched molecule synthesis

When chemists design drug candidates, shape matters enormously. Many active pharmaceutical ingredients contain branched carbon structures—points where the molecular chain forks in a specific direction—that are critical to ...

Apr 8, 2026
Phys.org / Tracking reef winners and losers after a Category 4 storm

Research led by James Cook University has shown the devastating impacts of severe cyclones on corals and coral reef fishes, highlighting changes in coral reef structure that influence long-term recovery and resilience. The ...

Apr 8, 2026