Phys.org news

Phys.org / College students struggle to identify problematic gray zones in academic practice, study finds

Students across education levels have a blind spot for identifying situations that might bring their academic integrity into questionable territory, a study finds. When navigating questions on citation, collaboration, and ...

Mar 31, 2026
Phys.org / NASA begins the countdown for humanity's first launch to the moon in 53 years

NASA began the countdown Monday for humanity's first launch to the moon in 53 years.

Mar 31, 2026
Phys.org / Getting a glimpse of viral dances in the dark in the Sargasso Sea

In a new study of viral abundance over a short time frame in the Sargasso Sea, researchers found that almost all viruses with cyclical changes in abundance were most active at night—somewhat surprising when the team expected ...

Mar 31, 2026
Phys.org / Say what? New study debunks belief that introverts are better listeners

New Minnesota Carlson research debunks the idea that introverts are better listeners than extroverts. In fact, extroverts may have a slight perceived advantage as listeners. The study authors suggest moving past personality-based ...

Mar 31, 2026
Phys.org / What builds cohesion in diverse societies? Brain scans point to shared national identity cues

The brain? It has a flexible social perception. In interactions with people from different ethnic groups, it tends to respond more inclusively when a shared national identity is made salient. A study, by the University of ...

Mar 31, 2026
Phys.org / Conductive hydrogel enables electrical and biochemical signal control

Many emerging medical technologies rely on seamless integration between biological systems and electronics. This requires materials that are soft, electrically conductive, and biologically active—properties that have been ...

Mar 31, 2026
Phys.org / Phylogenetically diverse Central China proposed as newest global biodiversity hotspot

Taxonomic endemism and phylogenetic endemism are both important measures of biodiversity. The former describes the number of distinct species found nowhere else, whereas the latter shows the amount of evolutionary branch ...

Mar 31, 2026
Phys.org / By 2100, climate change could make unhealthy air routine for 100 million Americans

New modeling shows almost one in three Americans will routinely breathe air considered unhealthy for sensitive people by the year 2100 due to climate change, a seven-fold increase compared to the turn of the century.

Mar 31, 2026
Phys.org / Ultra‑robust machine‑learning models run stable molecular simulations at extreme temperatures

Researchers at The University of Manchester have created a physics‑informed machine‑learning model that can run molecular simulations for unprecedented lengths of time, even at temperatures as high as 1,000 Kelvin. The study, ...

Mar 31, 2026
Phys.org / Parasites defy biodiversity rules, thriving far from the equator

For decades, scientists have observed a clear pattern across the natural world: biodiversity tends to be higher near the equator and lower toward the poles. Known as the latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG), this trend holds ...

Mar 31, 2026
Phys.org / Legged robot could accelerate resource prospecting on the moon and the search for life on Mars

Planetary surface missions currently operate cautiously. On Mars, communication delays between Earth and rovers (typically between four and 22 minutes), as well as data transfer constraints due to uplink and downlink limitations, ...

Mar 31, 2026
Phys.org / Viruses 'eavesdrop' on each other—but it can backfire

University of Exeter scientists studied chemical communication by phages (viruses that infect bacteria). The phages assessed in the study have two choices when they enter a cell: lie dormant or kill the cell and release new ...

Mar 31, 2026