Phys.org news

Phys.org / Firelight may have sparked human storytelling by extending social hours

New research from the University of St Andrews has developed a novel hypothesis of how firelight was critical to the evolution of sophisticated storytelling.

Sep 1, 2026
Phys.org / Single amino acid swap expands nanoparticle vaccine approach to influenza viruses

Influenza viruses constantly shapeshift to evade recognition by the immune system. This shapeshifting occurs in critical proteins like hemagglutinin (HA), which controls how the virus attaches to human cells before entering ...

Sep 1, 2026
Phys.org / Watching nanoparticles form in real time uncovers 'missing link' in microwave-assisted manufacturing

Advanced materials power everything from batteries and electronics to clean energy technologies. For years, engineers have known that microwave-assisted synthesis can dramatically accelerate the chemical reactions used to ...

Sep 1, 2026
Phys.org / Hidden protein recycling hubs discovered inside human sperm cells

Researchers at VIB, VUB and the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology (UK) have discovered a hidden feature of human sperm cells. Using advanced imaging technologies, they discovered specialized compartments ...

Sep 1, 2026
Phys.org / Canada's Labrador Shelf preserves climate records once thought erased by ice

The Labrador Shelf is a shallow marine area on the margin of the Labrador Sea in the North Atlantic off the east coast of Canada. During the last ice age, this region was covered by the Laurentide Ice Sheet, one of the largest ...

Sep 1, 2026
Phys.org / AI-informed AdaptiveFlow redefines large-scale cloud computing for drug discovery

Researchers today announced AdaptiveFlow, an AI-informed platform that can virtually screen billions of drug-like molecules with a 1,000-fold reduction in computational costs over existing methods. Developed and validated ...

Sep 1, 2026
Phys.org / Larger catalyst batches could make carbon recycling cheaper and easier to scale

Turning carbon dioxide into industrial chemicals used in everything from synthetic fuels to plastics and pharmaceuticals is costly. But new research shows it does not have to be.

Sep 1, 2026
Phys.org / Muddying the waters makes stickleback fish more coordinated, study finds

Stickleback fish can change their social behavior to help them find food in cloudy water, according to a new University of Bristol study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

Sep 1, 2026
Phys.org / Ten-channel photonic interface links neutral-atom qubits in parallel

A research group in Japan has demonstrated a world-record 10-channel multiplexed quantum photonic interface based on an integrated waveguide array, a key technology for optically interconnecting multiple quantum computers. ...

Sep 1, 2026
Phys.org / Ocean heat waves linked with poorer health among children in coastal communities

Marine heat waves—periods of abnormally warm ocean temperatures—may have negative health effects on children who live in coastal communities in low- and middle-income countries, according to a study led by researchers at ...

Sep 1, 2026
Phys.org / Ultrafast snapshots reveal the first moments on the way from light to electricity

Physicists at the University of Graz (Austria), in collaboration with colleagues from Marburg University and Forschungszentrum Jülich (Germany), have achieved a scientific breakthrough. For the first time, the generation ...

Sep 1, 2026
Phys.org / Bees see the world in more ways than previously thought

The honey bee has held a special place in vision research. It is one of the best-studied insects, and much of what scientists know about how bees perceive the world is based on studies of honey bees.

Sep 1, 2026