Phys.org news

Phys.org / Nature's color palette explains why everything we see is a mix of red, yellow, green and blue

Biologists and linguists alike have long puzzled over the universal human tendency to see and name colors as a combination of four "pure" hues—red, yellow, green and blue.

Aug 31, 2026
Phys.org / Even ancient bacteria possessed intercellular communication structures like humans today, study finds

Communication between cells in plants, animals and humans takes place via specialized connecting structures. An international team led by biologists from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) and involving the University ...

Aug 31, 2026
Phys.org / New method swaps single atom in a molecule to speed drug discovery

Swapping out one letter in a word can entirely change its meaning. Similarly, swapping one atom in a molecule can completely change its identity. A group of chemists at the University of Chicago has demonstrated a new way ...

Aug 31, 2026
Phys.org / A single fix reverses the case for rolling back vehicle emissions standards

Two administrations, the Biden administration and the second Trump administration, reached opposite conclusions about whether vehicle emissions standards should be rolled back. These conclusions came from different assumptions, ...

Aug 31, 2026
Phys.org / 'One-pot' CRISPR platform delivers lab-like sensitivity in 30 minutes for at-home testing

A research team from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has developed an innovative "one-pot" testing platform, known as TEMPO, that could transform highly sensitive nucleic acid testing from a laboratory-based ...

Aug 31, 2026
Phys.org / Femtosecond nano-imaging reveals ultrafast optical control of phonon polaritons

A collaborative research team has successfully visualized in real space the ultrafast optical modulation of hyperbolic phonon polaritons (HPhPs) in a van der Waals heterostructure composed of hBN and WS2. The research is ...

Aug 31, 2026
Phys.org / How much air conditioning usage actually prevents heat deaths?

How protective is air conditioning in preventing deaths amid soaring temperatures and record heat levels? Yale researchers found that AC use cut the number of annual heat-related deaths by half in the U.S., saving more than ...

Aug 31, 2026
Phys.org / AI chatbot use for emotional support tied to loneliness in students

Young people leaning on AI chatbots for emotional support or personal advice are significantly more likely to struggle with serious emotional problems, feel isolated and doubt that they truly matter to others, a new uOttawa ...

Aug 31, 2026
Phys.org / Four 'Little Red Dot' pairs hint at black hole mergers in early universe

After analyzing infrared images captured by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), an international team of researchers has discovered multiple massive black holes from approximately 12.5–12.8 billion years ago that were ...

Aug 31, 2026
Phys.org / Small-plane fuel raises lead levels up to sevenfold near Oregon airports, study suggests

Emissions from aircraft that use leaded aviation gasoline are a significant source of environmental pollution in neighborhoods near regional airports, according to a new study by researchers at Oregon State University and ...

Aug 31, 2026
Phys.org / Antarctica is home to microbes found nowhere else on Earth

Scientists have often wondered about species that are unique to Antarctica. But the focus has mainly been on animals, like feathery penguins. CIRES researchers wanted to dig deeper—into the soils—believing tiny organisms ...

Aug 31, 2026
Phys.org / A 112°C test may separate 1,000-year-old pottery from recent forgeries

Museums around the world now have a new tool to distinguish real ancient clay artifacts from fakes. The research team at UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography, led by postdoctoral scholar Yoav Vaknin, found a ...

Aug 31, 2026