Phys.org news

Phys.org / 'Rivers in the sky' influence marine heat waves

Long, narrow bands of moving moisture in the sky, known as atmospheric rivers, contribute to heat waves in the marine environment, according to a new study published in Nature Communications by researchers from Duke University's ...

Jul 28, 2026
Phys.org / Tropical insects may be running out of room as temperatures rise

New research from Costa Rica's Área de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG) suggests that tropical insects may be vulnerable to rising temperatures. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, examined ...

Jul 28, 2026
Phys.org / Plant-derived lignin could guide bone repair by forming bone-like minerals

A naturally abundant plant material best known for giving trees and crops their strength may one day help repair broken bones, according to a new study led by postdoctoral researcher Dr. Srinath Palakurthy and Professor Rivka ...

Jul 28, 2026
Phys.org / Small ants that evict coffee pests may gain reproductive boost while protecting crops

Ants are known allies in the fight against coffee pests known as coffee berry borers. Now, a discovery made by Jonathan "Jonno" Morris while he was a University of Michigan graduate student has revealed there may be a new ...

Jul 28, 2026
Phys.org / US residents near small rivers face disproportionately high future flood risks

An international team, including Kumamoto University and its partner institutions, has found severe flood risks and high climate-adaptation costs for U.S. small rivers.

Jul 28, 2026
Dialog / AI-designed SARS-CoV-2 variants escape prevalent antibodies

While headlines warn that AI could unleash future biological threats, the technology also offers our best defense: a way to anticipate viral evolution and stress-test treatments. Rather than waiting for SARS-CoV-2 to mutate ...

Jul 28, 2026
Phys.org / Neuroscientists reveal limits of human compassion for global crises

New research from the University of Sussex has revealed the biological limits to human compassion and empathy. The study found a stark contrast between how the brain processes information about risk to human lives and information ...

Jul 28, 2026
Phys.org / Record snow drought drives water-hauling crisis for Rocky Mountain ranchers

As water shot into an open stock tank atop a high-country mesa, a trickle soaked the dusty earth below. Scott Snyder rose from the shade to fasten a hose and stop the spillage.

Jul 28, 2026
Phys.org / Dynamic 'breathing' in nanopore structures can maximize efficiency of molecule separation and diffusion

Nanoporous material-based separation technology is vital in many applications because it can precisely distinguish between and separate nearly identical chemical or biochemical molecules.

Jul 28, 2026
Phys.org / A lipid switch that blocks anthrax from entering cells

Every cell carefully builds and positions thousands of proteins that allow it to sense and respond to its surroundings. Even small changes to these proteins often determine whether they work properly or are destroyed before ...

Jul 28, 2026
Phys.org / Self-cleaning nanoscale sensor could transform personalized medicine

Imagine a smart bandage that could continuously monitor an infected wound, alerting doctors when bacteria spread or when treatment begins to work. That vision is one step closer to reality with new research from Virginia ...

Jul 28, 2026
Phys.org / Helical nanoparticles trigger cancer alarms and deliver gene therapy

Cancer cells survive by hiding from the immune system's surveillance. A KAIST research team has developed a new anticancer platform that makes cancer cells send out their own danger signals—prompting immune cells to attack—while ...

Jul 28, 2026