Phys.org news

Phys.org / Plants stay neatly patterned as they grow, and PLETHORA proteins may explain why

How do plants achieve their remarkably regular arrangement of leaves and flowers? And why does this pattern remain so stable, even as plants grow and respond to their environment? Researchers at Wageningen University & Research ...

Feb 25, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Farming on the moon or Mars? How recycled sewage could turn regolith into crop soil

Dining on the moon or Mars might seem like a fantasy reserved for science fiction, but researchers are investigating how it could become a reality. Their efforts to recycle plant and human waste into a fertilizer material—turning ...

Feb 25, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / How a 3D-printed synthetic sea lion pelvis enhances veterinary capabilities to counter ongoing beaching

Scores of sea lions continue to beach themselves along the Southern California coastline, stricken with sickness. Toxic algae blooms are to blame, though a mechanical engineering innovation could shift the tide in favor of ...

Feb 25, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / 'Lock-and-key' chemistry keeps cancer drugs inactive until they reach tumor sites

Many therapeutic molecules used in cancer treatments are highly toxic, often harming healthy tissues and causing significant side effects. This creates a critical need for strategies that localize their toxic activity to ...

Feb 25, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Land plants began reshaping Earth 455 million years ago, scientists discover

Pinpointing when early land plants colonized terrestrial environments and began influencing Earth's systems is a core question in the evolution of the Earth system. A research team led by Prof. Zhao Mingyu at the Institute ...

Feb 25, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Lab tests investigate how house fire emissions differ from forest fires

Wildfires have increased in frequency and severity over the past few decades. More fires are burning at the wildland-urban interface (WUI), where homes and other buildings meet the natural landscape—but our understanding ...

Feb 25, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / The physics of sneaker squeaks: High-speed imaging shows how they arise from supersonic detachment pulses

Basketball shoes on a gym floor, bicycle brakes in need of a tune-up, or the squeal of tires are everyday examples of squeaking sounds. Such sounds have long been attributed to stick-slip friction, or a cycle of intermittent ...

Feb 25, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Ion bombardment triggers a reliable quantum switch in tantalum disulfide crystals

When you toss a coin, you put it into a higher-energy state until it falls back down again. It can then end up in one of two possible states: heads or tails. No matter which state the coin was in before, after the toss both ...

Feb 25, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / New michelin star jellyfish discovered in Japanese aquaria

Researchers have reported the discovery of a new species of jellyfish, Malagazzia michelin, marking only the second species of its genus ever found in Japanese waters. Led by Takato Izumi of Fukuyama University, the discovery ...

Feb 25, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Boat traffic alters marine megafauna behavior, stress and population trends, global analysis finds

A new study provides a comprehensive global synthesis of how vessel traffic affects large marine wildlife, including whales, dolphins, seals, manatees, sea turtles, sharks and rays. The study, "Charting the Course for Management: ...

Feb 25, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Mother's breasts may protect a newborn from the cold—a new perspective on breast evolution

Humans differ from other primates due to their relatively large, permanent breasts, and their development has so far not been conclusively explained. According to a study conducted at the University of Oulu, Finland, the ...

Feb 25, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / An endangered natural pharmacy hidden in coral: Hundreds of reef-dwelling microbes reveal untapped potential

Coral reefs are teeming with life: they are home to over a third of all marine animal and plant species on Earth, despite covering less than one percent of the ocean floor. However, this immense diversity is under threat ...

Feb 25, 2026 in Biology