Phys.org news

Phys.org / Ancient Tethys Ocean shaped Central Asia's landscape, study suggests

New research from Adelaide University suggests the power of the ancient Tethys Ocean might have shaped Central Asia's topography during the Cretaceous period.

Jan 14, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Frozen hydrogen cyanide 'cobwebs' offer clues to origin of life

A substance poisonous to humans—hydrogen cyanide—may have helped create the seeds of life on Earth. At cold temperatures, hydrogen cyanide forms crystals. And, according to computer models reported in ACS Central Science, ...

Jan 14, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Can a bat catch prey on a mirror? A bat's expert foraging skills revealed using a robot

Scientists built a robot to help explain how a tropical bat spots insects perched on leaves using echolocation, a highly sophisticated behavior that requires precise, split-second decision making on the part of the hunting ...

Jan 14, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Hydrogel cilia set new standard in microrobotics

Cilia are micrometer-sized biological structures that occur frequently in nature. Their characteristic high-frequency, three-dimensional beating motions (5–40 Hz) play indispensable roles inside the body.

Jan 14, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Polyamines guide cellular decisions by altering the phosphoproteomic landscape, study finds

Polyamines are small molecules naturally present in all cells and are critical in guiding cellular decisions, whereas an alteration in the abundance of these metabolites is invariably observed in pathological scenarios such ...

Jan 14, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Crop droughts set to worsen—even as rainfall increases

Europe and western North America will experience more frequent and severe crop droughts as Earth warms, even in places where yearly rainfall increases.

Jan 14, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Measuring movement creates a new way to map indoor air pollution

University of Birmingham scientists have developed a new way of measuring and analyzing indoor air pollution that—in initial trials—has established a clear link between office occupancy, physical activity, and air quality.

Jan 14, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Enthusiasts used their home computers to search for ET—scientists are homing in on 100 signals they found

For 21 years, between 1999 and 2020, millions of people worldwide loaned UC Berkeley scientists their computers to search for signs of advanced civilizations in our galaxy.

Jan 13, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Sparse tongue hair explains why queen bees stop foraging when workers emerge

During spring, when queen bumblebees first emerge from hibernation to start their nests, they work incredibly hard foraging for nectar to fuel their new colonies. But then, as soon as their first workers are born, they seem ...

Jan 13, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Asexual yam species employs mimicry to trick birds and spread farther

Evolutionarily speaking, the ultimate goal of a lifeform is to reproduce and stave off extinction. Many plants and animals have evolved unique tricks to do so. One of these tricks is mimicry, which might be used to trick ...

Jan 13, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Scientists realize a three-qubit quantum register in a silicon photonic chip

Quantum technologies are highly promising devices that process, transfer or store information leveraging quantum mechanical effects. Instead of relying on bits, like classical computers, quantum devices rely on entangled ...

Jan 13, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Massive impact could be the cause of our lopsided moon

Our nearest neighbor, the moon, is still something of a mystery to us. For decades, scientists have wondered why it appears so lopsided, with dark volcanic plains on the near side (the side we see) and rugged, cratered mountains ...

Jan 13, 2026 in Astronomy & Space