Phys.org news

Phys.org / Inland seas may face widespread heat waves by midcentury as warming accelerates

Under the lead of the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW), climate simulations were used to investigate how 19 inland seas, including the Baltic Sea, are responding to climate change. The researchers ...

May 11, 2026
Phys.org / Deep beneath Swiss Alps, researchers trigger 8,000 tiny quakes in controlled test

Researchers have made the ground shake in southern Switzerland, triggering thousands of tiny earthquakes in a monitored setting, as they seek to discover seismicity insights that could reduce risks.

May 11, 2026
Phys.org / New AI tool predicts how cells choose their future—helping uncover hidden drivers of development

What are the first steps that chart the path for a cell to become a blood cell, neuron cell, or pigment cell? Scientists have developed increasingly powerful tools to track those changes, but one challenge has persisted: ...

May 11, 2026
Phys.org / Light reshapes metal-organic framework to harvest airborne water

Chemists at the University of Iowa have created a three-dimensional lattice that captures water from the air and stores it. In a new study appearing in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, researchers describe a ...

May 11, 2026
Phys.org / Hidden proton pathways emerge as ultrathin polymer film method splits interface signals

Understanding how protons move at the interface between polymers and electrode materials is essential for improving fuel cells and related energy devices. However, conventional impedance measurements under inert conditions ...

May 11, 2026
Phys.org / Advanced construction techniques and domestic layouts discovered in Roman-Byzantine villages of Syria

Having weathered nearly 1,500 years of time and exposure, the remains of Roman-Byzantine villages in Syria have been the subject of recent architectural investigations, which reveal remarkable design features, local construction ...

May 11, 2026
Phys.org / How the Atlantic herring adapted to the brackish water of the Baltic Sea

When the Atlantic herring colonized the Baltic Sea thousands of years ago, it needed to adapt to the low salinity. Genes with a vital role in the functioning of sperm, eggs and embryos were crucial to this adaptation. A new ...

May 11, 2026
Phys.org / Wildfire smoke's hidden ozone threat may be adding thousands of US deaths each year

A study that assesses the effects of wildfires over two decades shows that wildfire smoke significantly raises ground-level ozone and contributes to excess deaths from wildfire smoke in the United States each year. The research, ...

May 11, 2026
Phys.org / Why gradual environmental change can trigger sudden species collapse and fragmented populations

When species are subjected to changing environments, they can survive in their current location through genetic adaptation. However, this ability is not unlimited. In a study published in PNAS, biomathematician Jitka Polechová ...

May 11, 2026
Phys.org / Seismic attenuation techniques reveal what lies beneath Taiwan

As seismic waves travel through Earth, they gradually lose energy, a process called attenuation. That energy loss doesn't happen uniformly—some features in the crust sap far more energy from seismic waves than others. Researchers ...

May 11, 2026
Phys.org / Fresh brew, harsh bite: Coffee's bitter edge finally comes into full molecular view

Have you ever wondered why freshly brewed coffee smells so delicious, but tastes bitter? New research from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine has revealed the molecular details responsible for the detection ...

May 11, 2026
Phys.org / Machine learning proves that graphene is hydrophobic

For more than a decade, a fundamental mystery has surrounded graphene—the one-atom-thick "wonder material" known for its exceptional strength, conductivity, and transparency. Despite its seemingly simple structure, one basic ...

May 11, 2026