Phys.org news

Phys.org / Half-ton early bovines roamed 4-million-year-old grasslands in Europe

The first large-sized bovines grew to up to half a ton 4 million years ago in the European Early Pliocene, an early step toward our modern diversity of large-bodied buffalo and cattle, according to a study published June ...

Jun 3, 2026
Phys.org / Real-time fish interaction enlarges young guppy brains, while screen time falls short

Young guppies who were able to see and interact with live fish developed larger brains than guppies who only saw other fish on a screen. This is shown in a new study from Stockholm University, published in Biology Letters. ...

Jun 3, 2026
Phys.org / Common plastics soak up ballistic impacts thanks to a cross-linking molecule

With help from a novel cross-linking molecule, MIT chemists have shown they can substantially improve the ballistic impact resistance of common polymers, including polystyrene and a type of rubber used to make shoe soles.

Jun 3, 2026
Phys.org / Rising seas could eventually 'drown' mangroves and release carbon

Mangroves could store less carbon—and even begin releasing it—as sea levels rise, suggests new research in Earth's Future. Mangroves are made up of salt-tolerant plants that grow in coastal areas. They cover less than 1% ...

Jun 3, 2026
Phys.org / A new capability to detect chemical weapons involves two existing methods

In the aftermath of suspected chemical attacks, investigators from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) step in to collect chemical, environmental, and biomedical samples. Thorough forensic laboratory ...

Jun 3, 2026
Phys.org / HETDEX opens massive Cosmic Noon dataset to scientists, novices and AI

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX)—which recently completed the largest survey ever taken of the early universe—has released all of its immense, information-rich database to the public. Built from ...

Jun 3, 2026
Phys.org / Dynamic nanogates let longer molecules pass faster through flexible pores

A research team led by Professor Shuichi Hiraoka at the University of Tokyo and Professor Masanori Tachikawa at Yokohama City University has quantitatively analyzed how molecules pass through dynamic nanoscale pores using ...

Jun 3, 2026
Phys.org / Thundering footsteps warn caterpillars of lethal ladybeetle attacks

Diminutive warty birch caterpillars (Falcaria bilineata), less than 1.5mm long, ardently defend their leaf tip homes from invading caterpillars by scraping and pounding the leaf to warn off potential invaders. But how might ...

Jun 3, 2026
Dialog / Research could pave the way for more resilient winter cereals in warmer climates

The arrival of winter marks not only a change in weather, temperature, and day length, but also a change in our activity and behavior. The social outdoor events and trips to the beach over summer soon become a distant memory, ...

Jun 3, 2026
Phys.org / Portable UV spectrometer can detect air pollutants across 2.5 km with high precision

Birgitta Schultze-Bernhardt and her team at the Institute of Experimental Physics at Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) have developed a new type of UV dual-comb spectrometer that detects gaseous air pollutants with ...

Jun 3, 2026
Phys.org / Temperature gaps help sneeze clouds stay denser and travel farther, experiments show

When a person coughs or sneezes, they expel a cloud of microscopic particles capable of carrying viruses and bacteria that act as vectors for respiratory diseases such as flu, COVID-19 or tuberculosis. Understanding how these ...

Jun 3, 2026
Phys.org / 'BBQ sauce' phase may link little red dots to quasars

Everyone knows that finding the right sauce recipe can make or break a barbecue, but now astronomers are using BBQSORS (pronounced "barbecue sauce") as part of the recipe to explain quasars, some of the brightest objects ...

Jun 3, 2026