https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. For the first time, a study by researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego integrates climate-related damages to the ocean into the social cost of carbon—a measure of economic harm caused by greenhouse gas emissions. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-ocean-impacts-economic-climate.html Earth Sciences Thu, 15 Jan 2026 05:00:07 EST news687607168 Since New York City introduced congestion pricing in January 2025, the state has heralded significant reductions in traffic and rush hour delays, fewer crashes and noise complaints, and toll revenue projected to hit $500 million by the end of the year. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-nyc-congestion-pricing-air-pollution.html Environment Mon, 08 Dec 2025 11:55:35 EST news684417301 A study conducted at the University of São Paulo (USP) by researchers from the Nucleus of Analysis and Synthesis of Nature-Based Solutions (BIOTA Synthesis), a FAPESP Science Center for Development (SCD), identified approximately 410,000 hectares in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, with potential for forest restoration in urban fringe areas. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-urban-fringe-areas-great-potential.html Ecology Tue, 25 Nov 2025 08:58:04 EST news683283481 Only around 1.1% of the world's population is vegan, but this percentage is growing. For example, in Germany the number of vegans approximately doubled between 2016 and 2020 to 2% of the population, while a 2.4-fold increase between 2023 and 2025 to 4.7% of the population has been reported in the UK. Many people cite health benefits as their reason to go vegan: moving from a typical Western diet to a vegan one can lower the risk of premature mortality from noncommunicable diseases by an estimated 18% to 21%. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-vegan-diet-halve-carbon-footprint.html Environment Tue, 11 Nov 2025 00:00:01 EST news682016701 Voting behavior in elections is strongly linked to the future risk of death, and is likely a stronger determinant of health than education—considered a key influence on health—suggests research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-voting-behavior-elections-strongly-linked.html Social Sciences Tue, 04 Nov 2025 18:30:01 EST news681384321 Managing complex medication schedules could soon become as simple as taking a single capsule each day. Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a capsule that can be packed with multiple medications and release them at designated times throughout the day. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-capsule-multiple-pills.html Biochemistry Thu, 01 May 2025 13:42:53 EDT news665325768 A study conducted at the Food Sciences unit of the University of Turku in Finland showed that different processing methods significantly affect the biochemical composition of plant-based foods. Current food classification systems do not sufficiently acknowledge the biochemical composition of the product. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-based-foods-biochemical-composition-significantly.html Biochemistry Thu, 10 Apr 2025 11:50:01 EDT news663504074 Transitioning to clean energy is not just about reducing carbon emissions—it's also about saving lives. According to a Princeton-led study, reducing emissions from American power plants, buildings, and vehicles not only mitigates climate change, but it also leads to significant improvements in air quality and reduces harmful pollutants like fine particulate matter (PM2.5). https://phys.org/news/2025-03-highlights-widespread-health-benefits-society.html Environment Wed, 19 Mar 2025 11:48:55 EDT news661603731 Filipino researchers have found a way to optimize the traditional procedure for making Philippine rice wine or "tapuy" to produce a potential superfood rich in anti-aging compounds and antioxidants. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-tapuy-rice-wine-fermentation-yields.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 14 Mar 2025 10:11:20 EDT news661165877 An international research team led by the University of Konstanz and Oxford Brookes University concludes that gentle touch is not only good for mental health, but also for the evolution of cooperation. https://phys.org/news/2025-01-power-animal-world-highlights-role.html Evolution Wed, 15 Jan 2025 16:59:03 EST news656182741 Kombucha is a fizzy, tangy drink made by fermenting tea. But brewers are now fermenting other plant-based drinks to explore nutritional properties and flavors. In a study published in ACS Agricultural Science & Technology, researchers compared the biochemistry and flavor of kombucha with brews made from apple and passion fruit juices. They found that the apple beverage contained high levels of bioactive compounds called flavonoids and ranked highly among taste testers, signaling its promise as a kombucha alternative. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-fruit-juice-fresh-kombucha.html Biochemistry Fri, 27 Sep 2024 11:32:03 EDT news646655522 The huge and growing toll bottled water is taking on human and planetary health warrants an urgent rethink of its use as 1 million bottles are bought every minute around the globe, with that figure set to rise further still amid escalating demand, warn population health experts in a commentary published in the open access journal BMJ Global Health. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-bottled-huge-toll-human-planetary.html Environment Tue, 24 Sep 2024 18:30:01 EDT news646388571 A team of food scientists at West Pomeranian University of Technology, in Poland, has found that using horse milk instead of cow milk to make ice cream is a viable food choice. In their study, published on the open-access site PLOS ONE, the group created four ice cream varieties using horse milk and different types of bacteria. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-viability-horse-ice-cream.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 09 Aug 2024 09:00:01 EDT news642411993 Cities around the world were more likely to maintain climate action and enact "green recovery" long-term plans after the pandemic if local decision-makers were more alert to the health risks of climate change, a new global study has shown. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-health-global-city-climate-action.html Environment Tue, 28 May 2024 12:04:04 EDT news636116641 In research published in the journal Science experts addressed setting standards for three key indoor pollutants—carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), PM2.5, which are particles so small they can lodge deep in the lungs and enter the bloodstream—and ventilation rate. The paper is titled "Mandating indoor air quality standards for public," https://phys.org/news/2024-03-blueprint-mandating-indoor-air-quality.html Environment Thu, 28 Mar 2024 14:00:01 EDT news630834160 In a new study, people experiencing homelessness with a pet documented their lives in photos and participated in interviews, revealing their experiences and potentially informing support initiatives. Gemina Garland-Lewis of the University of Washington, Seattle, and colleagues present this project in the open-access journal PLOS ONE. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-photo-results-positive-attitudes-people.html Social Sciences Wed, 13 Mar 2024 14:00:01 EDT news629544706 The fastest growing type of offset on the global carbon market subsidizes the distribution of efficient cookstoves in developing countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but a new study finds that the credits overestimate the stoves' carbon savings by a factor of 10. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-global-carbon-overcredit-cookstove-greenhouse.html Environment Tue, 23 Jan 2024 05:00:01 EST news625162782 With plastic pollution posing a significant threat to ecosystems and human health, various strategies to lessen this type of pollution include reducing the production of plastic, decreasing the generation of plastic waste, and improving the material and product design of plastic items. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-accounting-plastic-persistence-minimize-environmental.html Earth Sciences Mon, 08 Jan 2024 11:27:04 EST news623935621 Adopting a healthier diet will probably feature prominently in many of our New Year's resolutions. But it's often challenging for people to live up to their intentions. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-plant-based-diets-cleaner-air-world.html Environment Tue, 02 Jan 2024 14:09:53 EST news623426985 The human gut is home to hundreds of different bacterial species collectively known as the gut microbiome. A major health benefit these provide is to protect the gut against invading pathogens (disease-causing microorganisms) that could cause harmful infections. But up to now, how this protective effect comes about has been unclear, and whether certain bacterial species have a more important role than others. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-diverse-gut-bacteria-communities-pathogens.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 14 Dec 2023 14:00:02 EST news621765810 Experts are calling on global leaders to implement climate mitigation actions that could prevent millions of premature deaths worldwide each year as well as reduce the risks of climate change. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-comprehensive-global-analysis-action-emissions.html Environment Tue, 21 Nov 2023 10:51:46 EST news619786302 An unexpected genetic discovery in wheat has led to opportunities for the metabolic engineering of versatile compounds with the potential to improve its nutritional qualities and resilience to disease. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-genetic-discovery-bioengineering-opportunities-human.html Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 14 Nov 2023 12:08:07 EST news619186082 For many people seaweed holds a reputation as a superfood, heralded for its health benefits and sustainability, but it appears our European ancestors were ahead of the game and were consuming the nutrient-rich plant for thousands of years. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-reveals-european-ancestors-ate-seaweed.html Archaeology Tue, 17 Oct 2023 11:00:01 EDT news616756210 Teff, a gluten-free grain historically grown in East Africa but increasingly available in the United States, seems to have antioxidant properties in human cells, say UNC Greensboro (UNCG) researchers. Their study, which examined the effects of Eragrostis teff extracts on human cells, was published in Antioxidants. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-gluten-free-african-grain-teff-antioxidant.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 28 Sep 2023 10:19:06 EDT news615115142 Spent coffee grounds (SCG) makes up the largest portion of waste generated from preparing coffee beverages and making instant coffee, producing close to 6 million metric tons of waste worldwide each year. To manage this vast amount of waste, scientists are finding ways of converting SCG into value-added products for various applications, from industrial materials to biofuels. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-uncovering-potential-health-benefits-alcoholic.html Biochemistry Mon, 18 Sep 2023 13:56:27 EDT news614264184 Biologist Dr. Wenjing Qi from the University of Freiburg has discovered a genetic long-term effect in nematodes that influences the body's stress response. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-stress-health-benefits.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 26 Jul 2023 10:26:02 EDT news609585959 Reduce fossil fuel use and air quality will improve, right? It might not be as straightforward as it appears, according to a Penn State-led research team. They explored almost 30,000 simulated future scenarios and found that some climate mitigation efforts could lead to harmful health impacts in certain geographic areas. https://phys.org/news/2023-05-reveals-future-health-impacts-climate.html Environment Fri, 19 May 2023 11:07:03 EDT news603713221 As society reckons with climate change, there's a growing call to keep fossil fuels right where they are, in the ground. But the impact of curtailing oil production will depend on the policies we implement to achieve this. https://phys.org/news/2023-05-california-oil-ground-health-affect.html Environment Thu, 18 May 2023 11:00:09 EDT news603622600 It's the spines. This is the conclusion of two new papers, led by researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, showing that the spiny pollen from plants in the sunflower family (Asteraceae) both reduces infection of a common bee parasite by 81-94% and markedly increases the production of queen bumble bees. https://phys.org/news/2023-04-science-bumble-bee-superfood.html Plants & Animals Wed, 05 Apr 2023 15:39:46 EDT news599927981 A new study published in the journal PeerJ looked to identify the species of larva found in bottles of Mezcal. Mezcal is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from any type of agave. https://phys.org/news/2023-03-mezcal-worm-bottle-dna-evidence.html Plants & Animals Wed, 08 Mar 2023 13:52:47 EST news597505962