Phys.org news

Phys.org / Analysis reveals interhemispheric thermal imbalance as key to Asian-Australian monsoon variability

The Asian-Australian monsoon system (A-AuMS) is the world's most typical cross-equatorial coupled monsoon system. On a seasonal timescale, the summer monsoon in one hemisphere is usually linked to the winter monsoon in the ...

Feb 4, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Well-behaved dogs generally have lower cortisol and higher serotonin, study finds

Dogs who scored well on the Wesen test, which is used to analyze a dog's temperament, tended to have lower levels of cortisol, often called the "stress hormone," and higher levels of serotonin, often called the "happiness ...

Feb 4, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Scientists use RNA nanotechnology to program living cells, opening a new path for cancer cure

Scientists at Rutgers University–Newark have developed a first-of-its-kind RNA-based nanotechnology that assembles itself inside living human cells and can be programmed to stop propagation of harmful cells. The findings, ...

Feb 4, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / From single queens to mega-colonies: How ant societies are shaped by the environment

A single queen in the tropics; large colonies in deserts; workers with uniform morphology in temperate regions; ant social structures vary according to environmental conditions. This is shown, for the first time at a global ...

Feb 4, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / From sea to space: Turning the tide on microplastic pollution with satellite technology

What do microplastics, water color, and satellites have in common? Dr. Karl Kaiser, professor of marine and coastal environmental science in the College of Marine Sciences and Maritime Studies at Texas A&M University at Galveston ...

Feb 4, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Genetic analysis of Deep Maniot Greeks reveals a unique lineage in the Balkans

A new genetic study has revealed that the people of Deep Mani, who inhabit one of the remotest regions of mainland Greece, represent one of the most genetically distinctive populations in Europe, shaped by more than a millennium ...

Feb 4, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Friendly bacteria can unlock hidden metabolic pathways in plant cell cultures

Plants are a rich and renewable source of compounds used in medicines, food ingredients, and cosmetics. Since growing an entire plant just to extract a few specific compounds is rather inefficient, scientists are turning ...

Feb 4, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Hard to recycle packaging? This glue could let plastics peel apart on cue

Newcastle University engineers are at the forefront of adhesive technology that promises to change how we recycle. They have developed a reversible glue that sticks things together like any other glue but can debond on demand. ...

Feb 4, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Orange, camphor-smelling solid could be a key to the next generation grid-storage batteries

An orange solid with a camphor-like odor has helped aqueous zinc-iodide batteries move a large step closer to supplying safe and economic grid and household energy storage.

Feb 4, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Experiments with 1,600 volunteers link social exclusion to higher interest in gossip

Ages ago, when societies were organized around small villages, a person's security and sense of belonging depended partly on how close they were to the village chiefs and elders. If the village was attacked, those closest ...

Feb 4, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Researchers uncover a one-hour 'crown' checkpoint that enables malaria reproduction

A new study has uncovered a hidden step that helps the deadliest malaria parasite survive and multiply inside the human body. Researchers studying Plasmodium falciparum found that the parasite relies on a brief but essential ...

Feb 4, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Engineered antibody targets bacteria-specific sugar, clears lethal drug-resistant infection in mice

Australian researchers have developed a powerful new way to target deadly, drug-resistant bacteria by designing antibodies that recognize a sugar found only on bacterial cells—an advance that could underpin a new generation ...

Feb 4, 2026 in Biology