Phys.org news

Phys.org / As sargassum floods Florida beaches, researchers uncover new use as food-grade ingredient

As record-breaking amounts of sargassum seaweed drift toward Florida's shores, researchers at Florida International University are exploring how the coastal nuisance could become a valuable ingredient in everyday foods.

May 5, 2026
Phys.org / Planet 9 volunteers double known population of brown dwarfs

A new paper from NASA's Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 project announces that volunteers have essentially doubled the number of known brown dwarfs, with over 3,000 new discoveries made over the past 10 years since the project ...

May 5, 2026
Phys.org / Cryo-EM imaging reveals how the body stops bleeding

For the first time, scientists at University of Leeds reveal a complex mechanism behind blood clotting. The findings, published in Science Advances, visualize a key component of blood clotting—platelet myosin—and how it is ...

May 5, 2026
Phys.org / Polar vortex forecasts gain months of lead time with new climate-based method

Florida State University researchers have discovered how to accurately predict winter weather forecasts months in advance, affording sectors such as agriculture, water management, energy use and public health a longer lead ...

May 5, 2026
Phys.org / Where was Baltica 616 million years ago? Paleomagnetic data offer revised answer

About 600 million years ago, the continents wandered Earth, yet to settle into their current positions. Their locations during the Ediacaran (as this time is called) have been tough for scientists to pin down. Earth's magnetic ...

May 5, 2026
Phys.org / Tiny eggs may explain why ammonites vanished while nautiloids survived asteroid aftermath

Some of the most beautiful creatures to grace the ancient seas, the ammonites, disappeared in the end-Cretaceous mass extinction that finished off the dinosaurs 65.5 million years ago. "It's a tragic story, because this incredibly ...

May 5, 2026
Phys.org / Polymer 'bristles' could help repel proteins—and germs—from surfaces in medical settings

A non-toxic coating developed by researchers at University of Toronto Engineering prevents proteins from sticking to surfaces—potentially offering a new tool in the fight against hospital-acquired infections.

May 5, 2026
Phys.org / It's complicated: New research reveals more about the social networks of baboons and African monkeys

Like people, nonhuman primates live in groups that vary in size and shape depending on the species. Some primate groups are small and simple; others are large and more layered. Over the decades, primatologists have observed ...

May 5, 2026
Phys.org / Timor green pigeon 'likely to go extinct' without urgent action, according to scientists

The Timor green pigeon, which is under pressure from hunting and habitat loss, is at serious risk of extinction and should be uplisted to Critically Endangered, according to a new study from researchers at Charles Darwin ...

May 5, 2026
Dialog / 'Solar-blind' 2D heterostructure delivers 422-fold responsivity gain for UV sensing

Photodetectors remain a critical component in the development of advanced electronics and photonics, particularly in the role of signal readout through the conversion of photons into electrons. These digital imaging components ...

May 5, 2026
Phys.org / Magnetic fields can 'revive' superconductivity in nickelates, research reveals

A research team led by Professor Denver Li Danfeng, Associate Dean (Research and Postgraduate Education) of the College of Science and Associate Professor in the Department of Physics at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), ...

May 5, 2026
Phys.org / Digitizing microscope slides can uncover billions of fossils for natural history

Approximately 145 million: That's the number of specimens—including plants, animals, minerals, and human artifacts—curators estimate are held in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. However, these estimates ...

May 5, 2026