Phys.org news

Phys.org / German cockroaches appear to be more social animals than previously thought

Newborn German cockroaches use pheromones in cockroach feces to identify members of their own colony and form a kind of social bond, a discovery that could be used to improve pest control efforts.

Aug 5, 2026
Phys.org / New molecule class creates hardy, drought tolerant plants

As climate change causes water scarcity and temperatures to rise, crops around the world are feeling the heat. How can we prevent severe crop losses in these relentlessly sweltering conditions? An international research team ...

Aug 5, 2026
Phys.org / Avalanche cracks may appear globally supersonic while remaining locally subsonic

Can a crack be supersonic? Can the fracture that triggers an avalanche propagate faster than the limiting velocity predicted by classical fracture mechanics? The question remains the subject of debate within the scientific ...

Aug 5, 2026
Phys.org / Pumas make roads safer for drivers by changing prey behavior patterns

Living among large predatory carnivores could actually make you safer. A study published in the journal Current Biology found that pumas—wild cats also known as mountain lions, cougars or panthers—change deer behavior, leading ...

Aug 5, 2026
Phys.org / Restoring the silenced Friedreich's ataxia gene through unconventional means

Cells can switch off genes by tightly packaging DNA around proteins called histones. However, scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have discovered that under certain conditions, this packaging acts more like ...

Aug 5, 2026
Phys.org / Total eclipse gives scientists chance to probe sun's mysteries

Scientists plan to use a total solar eclipse that will be visible in Spain next week as a rare chance to learn more about the stormy, unpredictable nature of our star.

Aug 5, 2026
Phys.org / Why some people are mosquito magnets while others get away unbitten

Some mosquitoes really are picky eaters. They will not just stick their proboscis into any old human. We know this anecdotally, with some people claiming they are always bitten while others are completely ignored, though ...

Aug 4, 2026
Phys.org / Women with narcissistic tendencies may struggle with forgiveness

Narcissism is associated with selfishness and other negative traits like a grandiose sense of self-importance, a constant need for admiration and a lack of empathy for others. So it may not be surprising that narcissists ...

Aug 4, 2026
Phys.org / A temperature dial for more realistic quantum simulations

Scientists from Rice University in the U.S. have developed a way to precisely tune the temperature inside a trapped-ion simulator. The breakthrough means they will be able to run quantum simulations at precise temperatures ...

Aug 4, 2026
Phys.org / Asteroid Nysa's rare three-lobed structure challenges formation models

Named for the mythical valley where the god Dionysus was raised in secret by nymphs, the asteroid 44 Nysa inhabits the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Through observations by the Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers ...

Aug 4, 2026
Phys.org / Fossils from Wyoming's Smiley Draw deepen understanding of early primate evolution

A new study from the University of Kansas complicates the picture of primates living in North America some 55 million years ago during the Eocene, a warm period that allowed mammals to diversify quickly.

Aug 4, 2026
Phys.org / Molecular orbitals imaged in 3D, opening path to femtosecond videos

One of the most famous and intriguing results of quantum mechanics is the finding that fundamental particles, such as electrons, cannot be pinned down to one single location. Instead, a particle is described by its "wavefunction," ...

Aug 4, 2026