Phys.org news

Phys.org / Hedgehog coronaviruses may threaten cats more than humans, new study finds

Washington State University researchers have discovered how a group of coronaviruses circulating in hedgehogs invades host cells, a key to understanding their potential to jump between species and their risk of causing a ...

Sep 16, 2026
Phys.org / Sliding droplets point to charging mechanism beyond mobile ions

Whether on a windowpane at home or during the industrial cleaning of computer chips: droplets sliding over solid surfaces become electrically charged. Yet the physical mechanism behind this charging remains a subject of debate. ...

Sep 16, 2026
Phys.org / New species of egg-eating snake discovered in Ethiopia's Harenna Forest

A new species of snake that feeds exclusively on birds' eggs has been discovered in the Harenna Forest in Ethiopia, one of the last substantial tracts of natural forest left in the Horn of Africa.

Sep 16, 2026
Phys.org / A 16-minute train delay shows how a solar storm disrupted Victorian technology

A 178-year-old mystery surrounding one of the earliest recorded examples of space weather affecting technology has been solved by an international team led by Lancaster University.

Sep 16, 2026
Phys.org / First-of-its-kind preventive phage therapy provides promising results against Salmonella

The mammalian gut microbiome teems with a delicate balance of bacteria and the viruses that keep them in check, called bacteriophages, or phages. Each bacterial species usually has its own set of phage partners.

Sep 16, 2026
Phys.org / Deep ocean, familiar trash: Plastic waste found alongside possible new species

It's no secret that plastic and other human trash are a problem for marine life, but our understanding has long focused on the ocean's surface. As described in a study published in PLOS One, a more complete picture is coming ...

Sep 16, 2026
Phys.org / Predominantly online friendships linked to greater support for white nationalism

From social media to the streets of Washington, D.C., the organized white nationalist movement has become more visible in the United States over the past few decades. But the extent of this extremist movement's appeal to ...

Sep 16, 2026
Phys.org / A world 20 light-years away reveals surprisingly organized, Jupiter-like weather

Scientists from Trinity College Dublin have developed a way to unravel changing weather patterns on distant worlds. Using this approach, they discovered that the weather on a well-studied brown dwarf, SIMP 0136, previously ...

Sep 16, 2026
Phys.org / Spring-like porous crystals could enable chemically responsive microscale materials

Crystals are usually imagined as rigid objects with flat faces and straight edges. A research team led by the University of Osaka has recently created a porous crystal that grows into a spring-like helix. The team also found ...

Sep 16, 2026
Phys.org / Conserving just 35% of the nation's waterways could sustain freshwater biodiversity

By evaluating the health of waterways across the U.S., researchers have identified a network encompassing about one-third of rivers and streams that, if conserved and restored, could sustain the nation's freshwater biodiversity ...

Sep 16, 2026
Phys.org / AI reveals novel nighttime feeding behaviors in right whales

Right whales forage near the water's surface at night, putting them at greater risk of potentially fatal collisions with boats, Jay Kirkham at Dalhousie University, Canada, and colleagues report Sept. 16, 2026, in the journal ...

Sep 16, 2026
Phys.org / Microbes can produce adhesive materials from glucose instead of petroleum

KAIST researchers have demonstrated the potential of using microorganisms to produce a bio-based alternative to petroleum-derived materials for hot-melt adhesives (HMAs). These heat-activated glues are widely used in packaging, ...

Sep 16, 2026