Phys.org news

Phys.org / Carnivorous plants and wasps blur the line between friend and food

Acid-filled pitchers complete with fangs. Labyrinthine chambers decorated with bristles. Leaves that snap shut in less than a second. Employing strategies like these, carnivorous plants have a reputation as fearsome predators, ...

May 5, 2026
Phys.org / What if the brain came first? Scientist rethinks the Cambrian Explosion

For decades, scientists have sought to explain the so-called "Cambrian Explosion," a pivotal period over 500 million years ago when a remarkable diversity of animal life appeared in the fossil record. But rather than a sudden ...

May 5, 2026
Phys.org / Polar vortex forecasts gain months of lead time with new climate-based method

Florida State University researchers have discovered how to accurately predict winter weather forecasts months in advance, affording sectors such as agriculture, water management, energy use and public health a longer lead ...

May 5, 2026
Phys.org / As sargassum floods Florida beaches, researchers uncover new use as food-grade ingredient

As record-breaking amounts of sargassum seaweed drift toward Florida's shores, researchers at Florida International University are exploring how the coastal nuisance could become a valuable ingredient in everyday foods.

May 5, 2026
Phys.org / It's complicated: New research reveals more about the social networks of baboons and African monkeys

Like people, nonhuman primates live in groups that vary in size and shape depending on the species. Some primate groups are small and simple; others are large and more layered. Over the decades, primatologists have observed ...

May 5, 2026
Phys.org / Tiny eggs may explain why ammonites vanished while nautiloids survived asteroid aftermath

Some of the most beautiful creatures to grace the ancient seas, the ammonites, disappeared in the end-Cretaceous mass extinction that finished off the dinosaurs 65.5 million years ago. "It's a tragic story, because this incredibly ...

May 5, 2026
Phys.org / CPR simulator for space use tracks the differences of blood flow in reduced gravity

The new focus on manned missions to the moon and Mars presents countless pressing challenges, including keeping humans alive in hostile environments. What happens when an astronaut or space tourist has a cardiac emergency ...

May 5, 2026
Phys.org / Subglacial CH₄ export from the Greenland Ice Sheet linked to a mid-Holocene warm period

In a new paper, an international team led by scientists from Charles University, Czechia, has brought evidence linking widespread release of methane (CH₄)—a strong greenhouse gas—from the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) to a warmer ...

May 5, 2026
Phys.org / Planet 9 volunteers double known population of brown dwarfs

A new paper from NASA's Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 project announces that volunteers have essentially doubled the number of known brown dwarfs, with over 3,000 new discoveries made over the past 10 years since the project ...

May 5, 2026
Phys.org / A skull full of surprises: Discovering the evolutionary secrets of fish brains

A new study in Proceedings of the Royal Society B reveals the surprising neurological landscape of fish brains. Harvard researchers map the internal structures of ray-finned fishes' brains in 3D detail, discovering brain ...

May 5, 2026
Phys.org / Magnetic fields can 'revive' superconductivity in nickelates, research reveals

A research team led by Professor Denver Li Danfeng, Associate Dean (Research and Postgraduate Education) of the College of Science and Associate Professor in the Department of Physics at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), ...

May 5, 2026
Phys.org / Polymer 'bristles' could help repel proteins—and germs—from surfaces in medical settings

A non-toxic coating developed by researchers at University of Toronto Engineering prevents proteins from sticking to surfaces—potentially offering a new tool in the fight against hospital-acquired infections.

May 5, 2026