Phys.org news

Phys.org / 3D-printed rattlesnake reveals how the rattle is a warning signal

A team of researchers from The University of Texas at El Paso has uncovered new evidence explaining why the rattlesnake's rattle—one of nature's most iconic warning signals—has persisted and proven so effective across ...

Mar 11, 2026
Phys.org / Heavy water expands energy potential of carbon nanotube yarns

Researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas have developed a new electrolyte system that significantly boosts the energy-harvesting performance of twistrons, which are carbon nanotube yarns that generate electricity ...

Mar 11, 2026
Phys.org / Flying 2,000 km to find a mate—meet Australia's most determined seabirds

New genetic testing from the University of the Sunshine Coast has uncovered the extraordinary lengths a group of Queensland seabirds will travel to keep love blossoming on their little island. It's a common complaint for ...

Mar 11, 2026
Phys.org / King penguins are the rare species benefiting from a warming world. But that could change

The warming world has disrupted the timing for plant and animal reproduction, and it's usually bad news for species that depend on each other—like flowers blooming too early and pollinating bees arriving too late. But researchers ...

Mar 11, 2026
Phys.org / Climate extremes hinder early development in young birds, research shows

New research from the University of Oxford shows that cold snaps and heavy rain can stunt growth and reduce survival prospects in UK great tit nestlings. However, breeding earlier within a season appears to buffer against ...

Mar 11, 2026
Phys.org / North Sea 'lost world' had habitable forests during the last Ice Age, study shows

Forests were growing on the now-submerged landmass of Doggerland thousands of years earlier than previously believed, according to a major new sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) study led by the University of Warwick. The ...

Mar 11, 2026
Phys.org / How volcanic eruptions and internal climate cycles jointly shape Asian monsoon rainfall

From the rice paddies of South Asia to the wheat fields of northern China, summer monsoon rains sustain the livelihoods of billions. Yet these vital rains fluctuate dramatically from decade to decade—a variability that ...

Mar 11, 2026
Phys.org / Acoustic driving enables controlled condensation of light and matter on chip

An international research team led by Alexander Kuznetsov at the Paul Drude Institute for Solid State Electronics (PDI) in Berlin has demonstrated a fundamentally new way to control the condensation of hybrid light-matter ...

Mar 11, 2026
Phys.org / Friendly fungi hijack plant regulator to promote symbiosis

Plants are constantly on guard. Their roots are equipped with molecular alarm systems that detect invading microbes and trigger immune responses. Yet beneficial soil fungi routinely enter living root cells and establish close ...

Mar 11, 2026
Phys.org / Bromacker deposit is 4 million years older than previously thought, new dating reveals

Analysis of a volcanic ash tuff layer, only a few millimeters thick and discovered during excavations in 2024, revealed that the fossil-bearing Bromacker rocks are 294 million years old—four million years older than previously ...

Mar 11, 2026
Phys.org / Trouble swallowing? A nanogel tweak may keep therapeutic stem cells alive longer

Swallowing is a fundamental human function that supports nutrition and communication. Damage to swallowing muscles can reduce quality of life and even lead to aspiration pneumonia or malnutrition. Many patients suffer from ...

Mar 11, 2026
Phys.org / What primate faces reveal about empathy: Humans mirror emotions across species

Humans perceive emotional expressions displayed by non-human primates and spontaneously mimic these expressions, according to a study published in the open-access journal PLOS One by Ursula Hess from Humboldt University of ...

Mar 11, 2026