Phys.org news

Phys.org / Professional chess analysis reveals faster decisions correlate with higher quality moves

In chess, faster decisions are on average of higher quality. This is the conclusion of a study that has just been published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The team of researchers, which, in ...

May 18, 2026
Phys.org / 370 billion crickets are farmed for food every year. Scientists have discovered they may feel pain

You're cooking dinner, distracted, and your hand brushes a hot pan. Nerve signals race to your spinal cord and back to yank your arm away in a fraction of a second, with no thought required.

May 18, 2026
Phys.org / Behold the neuron, a complicated cell with a simple mission

Neurons, the uber-connected nerve cells that act as a main switchboard for the brain, are central to some incredibly complicated processes. They make it possible to think, walk, speak, and breathe. They even have built-in ...

May 18, 2026
Phys.org / You are what you eat: Cichlid fish reveal how food sources drive evolution of digestive system

Different beak and jaw shapes are illustrative examples of how animal species have adapted to different food sources. In a new study published in the journal Nature, researchers now show how diet itself shapes the composition ...

May 18, 2026
Phys.org / New economics study finds that ICE activity has upended the US childcare workforce

When U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations come to town, it can create a landscape of fear, chilling commerce and school attendance, and now, new research shows that it affects childcare workers.

May 18, 2026
Phys.org / Worker bumble bees help determine which baby bee will become queen

Every bumble bee colony has a queen, but a new study led by researchers at Penn State suggests the process of determining which baby bee reigns supreme may be less monarchal than the royal title suggests. The study, published ...

May 18, 2026
Phys.org / Eyes that photosynthesize: Scientists plant a cure for dry eye disease

What if eyes could use light to heal themselves? Drawing inspiration from how plants harness sunlight, researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) are pioneering a revolutionary treatment for dry eye disease. ...

May 18, 2026
Phys.org / Prototype sets record for optical quantum information technology

Chinese scientists have developed a programmable quantum computing prototype called Jiuzhang 4.0 that has set a new world record for optical quantum information technology, according to a study published May 13 in the journal ...

May 18, 2026
Phys.org / Learning physics can derail some students: New research shows the best way to keep them on track

For many undergraduate students, exploring the complexities of physics for the first time, from wading through advanced mathematics, to absorbing information in a large lecture format, can be a daunting endeavor—one that ...

May 18, 2026
Phys.org / Microneedle patch vaccine could solving one of farming's most stubborn problems

Sticking needles into arms—or rather, haunches—is often the hardest part of distributing an effective agricultural vaccine. Now, University of Connecticut researchers show in the April 15 issue of Advanced Healthcare Materials ...

May 18, 2026
Phys.org / Indian and Tibetan wolves reveal ancient lineages with unexpected genomic diversity

Wolves in India, like the pack that raised Mowgli in "The Jungle Book," can often feel disconnected from both the research and storytelling of wolves. Rice University professor Lauren Hennelly is working to change that. Her ...

May 18, 2026
Phys.org / Southern Ocean intermediate waters may hold key to Earth's carbon dioxide history

Researchers at National Taiwan University and partner institutions have uncovered new evidence that Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW)—a distinct layer sitting 500–1,500 meters below the ocean surface—played a pivotal role ...

May 18, 2026