Phys.org news

Phys.org / Can a long-lived seabird evolve fast enough to avoid extinction under a changing climate?

As the climate changes, species face a critical question: Can they evolve quickly enough to keep pace with their changing environment?

Sep 22, 2026
Phys.org / RHIC data reveal intriguing dip in momentum fluctuations in high-density nuclear matter

Scientists using the STAR detector to study particle collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) have found an intriguing dip in their data in a relatively unexplored region of the nuclear phase diagram—a map ...

Sep 22, 2026
Phys.org / Earth's chorus waves show limited link to rapid electron loss from radiation belts

The Van Allen radiation belts are huge, doughnut-shaped regions of highly energetic charged particles trapped by Earth's magnetosphere. These charged particles play a major role in space weather, so studying them is important ...

Sep 22, 2026
Phys.org / The mosquito's transition from vegan to bloodsucker explained

Scents govern most key events in the lives of mosquitoes, and there is extensive research on their sense of smell. A new study reveals how a young female mosquito shifts from focusing entirely on nectar to seeking only blood. ...

Sep 22, 2026
Phys.org / AI companions may erode social skills among isolated users, framework suggests

As AI companions become more commonplace, new research from Singapore Management University (SMU) and Duke-NUS Medical School argues that the real question is no longer whether these technologies are beneficial or harmful, ...

Sep 22, 2026
Phys.org / Rope, twine and thread: Invisible technologies of the Stone Age

When an abstract-looking ivory artifact emerged from the Hohle Fels cave in southern Germany in 2015, archaeologists didn't know quite what to make of it. Previously, the same cave had yielded what may be the world's oldest ...

Sep 22, 2026
Phys.org / AI model predicts peptide bitterness and enables novel flavor design

During the production of fermented products such as kefir, Parmesan, or mountain cheese, as well as in the production of protein powders, bitter-tasting peptides can form, which impair the taste and thus the acceptability ...

Sep 22, 2026
Phys.org / A tiny chariot fitting reveals Egyptian glass reached Iron Age Britain

At the end of last year, curators from the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford came to Diamond to learn more about a 2,000-year-old prehistoric artifact. Using the microfocus beamline at I18, researchers unlocked new insights into ...

Sep 22, 2026
Phys.org / X-ray method predicts anion behavior, opening path to longer-lasting batteries and AI-assisted chemistry

A new way of measuring how materials interact at the atomic level could help scientists develop better-performing, longer-lasting batteries.

Sep 22, 2026
Phys.org / Microcrystal electron diffractometer brings hidden hydrogen into focus

Hydrogen—the lightest atom—does the heavy lifting when it comes to important chemical reactions. It can be stored and released as clean fuel, and its movements help catalysts build medicines, fertilizers and materials. One ...

Sep 22, 2026
Phys.org / Bacteria-killing polymers—a new class of antibiotic?

Swimming in the blood, sweat, cells and tears of every human are small proteins known as peptides. Many peptides can kill bacteria on contact, yet the bacteria never seem to evolve resistance to them. Mass-produced peptides ...

Sep 22, 2026
Phys.org / Iron complex breaks down stubborn pollutant using light-powered reaction

The molecular culprit behind harmful algal blooms and some groundwater contamination is the same thing that has kept civilization fed for millennia: a stable form of nitrogen called nitrate.

Sep 22, 2026