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. The closer two people grow, the more alike their brains work—or so the assumption goes. Two ETH Zurich studies challenge this idea by examining the brain activity of younger and older adults who drew together over several weeks. Despite growing closer, the similarity of their brain activity did not simply increase. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-collaborative-insights-strangers-friends.html Social Sciences Sun, 23 Aug 2026 15:00:01 EDT news706462950 Some teenagers are happy to wait for a bigger reward tomorrow rather than cash in today. Others would rather take the sure thing now—or gamble on a risky, high-payoff bet. According to a new study, these everyday differences in patience and risk appetite are more than personality quirks. They help determine which program a high school graduate chooses—and, with it, the shape of their working life for decades to come. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-patience-longer-paths-faster-growth.html Economics & Business Fri, 21 Aug 2026 13:20:01 EDT news706532281 Young Bewick's swans only survive their first spring migration if they stay with their parents long enough. If they lose their parents in winter, they leave later and are unable to keep up with the rest of the population. As a result, there is a greater chance that they will die in their first year of life. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-swan-families-winter-disrupts-migration.html Plants & Animals Fri, 21 Aug 2026 10:40:01 EDT news706524842 Why is there sex—or, more precisely, sexual reproduction? If you're an evolutionary biologist, the answer isn't obvious. Sexual reproduction is biologically costly, requiring not only competition for mates but also the creation of entire populations in which only half the individuals can give birth. That reality has led scientists to wonder why it arose in the first place. After all, in asexual reproduction—as occurs when bacteria divide—not only can you skip the wooing and its costs, but every individual is a potential mother. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-sex-evolutionary-baggage.html Evolution Thu, 20 Aug 2026 10:40:05 EDT news706437972 Consistent enforcement of rules is more important than the severity of the punishment itself, and children expect adults to treat every member of their group impartially and equally. Moreover, fair punishment brings emotional relief to children, according to research by scientists from SWPS University and the University of Michigan. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-children-fair-unequal-treatment.html Social Sciences Thu, 20 Aug 2026 10:00:09 EDT news706435441 As they build their nests, many birds are known to interweave dried grasses and other materials with green plants, such as fresh leaves, grass stems, herbs and aromatic leaves. While this behavior is well documented, why many bird species choose to add fresh plants has remained unclear. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-birds-fresh-unclear-healthier-offspring.html Plants & Animals Wed, 19 Aug 2026 09:40:04 EDT news706268746 Every year, about 50 million metric tons of plastic is dumped into the environment. This waste entangles, chokes and poisons wildlife worldwide, including sable shearwaters living on the remote Australian island of Lord Howe. After hatching on the island, these birds head out to sea for several years before returning to breed as adults. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-fifteen-years-link-plastic-pollution.html Plants & Animals Tue, 18 Aug 2026 13:30:01 EDT news706277761 Neptune's moon and ring system stand out among the giant planets because of the strange imbalance between its one very large moon and its many tiny moons. Its largest moon, Triton, makes up more than 99% of the mass of all satellites orbiting the planet while orbiting retrograde compared with Neptune's rotation. The predominant theory is that Triton is a captured Kuiper Belt object that caused a major disruption in Neptune's early moon system. Now, a new study published in Science Advances provides spectroscopic evidence to support this theory. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-neptune-tiny-moons-story-triton.html Planetary Sciences Sat, 15 Aug 2026 11:20:01 EDT news704628891 Fulfilling friendships and close social relationships are strongly linked to excellent physical and mental health, finds a substantial global study published in the Journal of Mental Health. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-fulfilling-friendships-linked-health-countries.html Social Sciences Thu, 13 Aug 2026 19:10:02 EDT news705752826 There's good news and bad news for folks who love a good coat of ice on the Great Lakes for the activities and businesses it supports. The good news is that, after decades of declining annual average ice cover, there's reason to believe that trend could slow or even temporarily reverse. That's according to new research from the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research, or CIGLR, at the University of Michigan. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-great-lakes-ice-temporary-respite.html Earth Sciences Thu, 13 Aug 2026 17:40:07 EDT news705846181 Kids, marriage and commute: A study co-authored by Dr. Mariana Macedo of Constructor University provides new insights into how major life transitions alter how individuals navigate and experience urban environments. Published in npj Complexity, the research challenges traditional urban planning models that rely on a single, average citizen profile, advocating instead for demographically sensitive city designs. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-city-relationship-status-exposes-hidden.html Social Sciences Thu, 13 Aug 2026 16:40:01 EDT news705845882 A study involving more than 58,000 adolescents from 21 countries found that "unstructured free time"—defined as periods without adult supervision or activities guided by educational, cultural or athletic goals—is strongly associated with delinquent behavior and exposure to violence among young people. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-unsupervised-free-likelihood-adolescents-engage.html Social Sciences Wed, 12 Aug 2026 18:40:05 EDT news705763142 The DNA of Asian elephants tells a concerning story. Although all four subspecies are under pressure, there are considerable differences in their genetic health. In an article published in the journal Genome Biology and Evolution, researchers show how whole-genome analyses can help identify more precisely which populations are most vulnerable and where conservation measures could have the greatest impact. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-dna-highlights-genetic-vulnerability-asian.html Ecology Wed, 12 Aug 2026 16:50:02 EDT news705755261 Students who attended public school pre-K performed better academically through high school than those in family-based child care, according to new research from Florida International University. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-year-pre-impacts-child-academic.html Education Wed, 12 Aug 2026 13:00:05 EDT news705748412 In a rare study of snakes as nest predators, scientists found nesting birds were loath to strike rattlesnakes even though they likely had no previous experience with vipers. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-unfamiliar-rattlesnakes-blackbirds-defending.html Plants & Animals Wed, 12 Aug 2026 10:40:03 EDT news705745921 Superconductors are materials that conduct electricity with zero electrical resistance below specific temperatures. Most of these materials become superconducting at very low temperatures, but some also exhibit superconductivity at higher temperatures. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-sought-zhang-rice-singlet-visualized.html Superconductivity Wed, 12 Aug 2026 08:00:01 EDT news705663782 A new study led by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign scientists reveals critically low genetic variation in one of the country's primary breeding stocks for corn. The finding relates specifically to grain yield in intermediate-maturity hybrids, which dominate commercial production in the U.S. and represent nearly a third of the world's corn production. The researchers say it's a crisis waiting to happen. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-major-genetic-weakness-threatens-future.html Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 11 Aug 2026 16:00:04 EDT news705670021 A centromere is a specific region on a chromosome that ensures that, when a cell divides, the chromosome separates accurately so each new cell receives the correct amount of genetic material. Despite their essential role, centromeres remain one of the last major blind spots in the human genome. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-genome-reveals-centromeres-fastest-regions.html Evolution Tue, 11 Aug 2026 15:20:02 EDT news705658501 Research has long shown that exercise benefits both physical and mental health. Now, a new study from researchers at BYU suggests that it may also strengthen marriages, especially when couples exercise together. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-happier-marriage-simple-habit.html Social Sciences Tue, 11 Aug 2026 08:40:02 EDT news705651182 Scientists at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have created a platform that pinpoints genetic triggers that turn microbes into efficient factories for new chemicals and materials. The method enables rapid, precise reprogramming of bacteria as biotechnology tools, supporting domestic production of valuable products and recovery of critical minerals and materials to enhance the nation's supply chains and global competitiveness. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-platform-bacterial-gene-biotech.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 07 Aug 2026 15:00:01 EDT news705323281 Many parents have mixed feelings about the unrestricted use of artificial intelligence (AI) for schoolwork. They are concerned about the potential impact on their child's ability to learn but also don't want them to be left behind if other young people are using AI. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ai-homework-parents-pay-subscriptions.html Social Sciences Thu, 06 Aug 2026 19:40:01 EDT news705254582 The zebra finch is one of the best-studied songbirds and a model for understanding the biology and neuroscience of vocal learning. Now, researchers have produced the first complete genome assembly of the species, revealing thousands of previously hidden genes and chromosome structures. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-songbird-genome-exposes-genes-chromosome.html Plants & Animals Thu, 06 Aug 2026 11:00:11 EDT news705166321 A review led by the School of Biological Sciences at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has revealed that tiny ground-dwelling invertebrates are overlooked but important seed dispersers, challenging the traditional focus on birds and mammals and offering new insights into forest regeneration and biodiversity conservation. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-forest-floors-reveal-overlooked-seed.html Plants & Animals Mon, 03 Aug 2026 19:00:03 EDT news704991723 Students who open a personal social media account earlier in adolescence appear to perform worse on later standardized tests, according to a study in Nature Human Behaviour based on 5,227 Italian students. The authors speculate that these differences may be attributable to excessive social media engagement and disruptions to students' attention. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-kids-social-media-earlier-worse.html Social Sciences Mon, 03 Aug 2026 14:40:06 EDT news704980981 The interaction between X-rays and matter can be actively controlled, according to an international research team led by the University of Hamburg and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory that has succeeded in producing bright X-ray images with significantly less damage. In an article published in Nature Communications, the researchers report using ultrafast pulses that partially reverse the damage they generate. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ultrafast-ray-partially-reverse-enabling.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 03 Aug 2026 14:00:05 EDT news704979602 More than 1,000 years ago, two babies were tucked away in an abandoned Roman toilet channel. Yet, despite what the location suggests, they were cherished, not discarded. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-laid-rest-ancient-infants-twins.html Archaeology Sun, 02 Aug 2026 11:20:01 EDT news704550428 Birds have a lot to do in their short lives: defend territories, build nests, raise chicks and feed themselves. But the toll of these activities may be greater for female birds than for male birds. A new study by UCLA ornithologists has found that female birds have lower survival rates than males. The research is the first to study female bird survival in a large dataset and shows that the phenomenon is more widespread than previously recognized. In mammals, females generally have higher survival rates, and why birds, which are not mammals, show the inverse is a puzzle the researchers are trying to solve. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-female-birds-shorter-lifespans-male.html Plants & Animals Thu, 30 Jul 2026 18:30:01 EDT news704650141 Entering and manipulating dreams may sound like science fiction, but for Freeman Hrabowski Scholar Walter Gonzalez, these scenarios aren't confined to the big screen. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-songbird-clues-brains.html Plants & Animals Thu, 30 Jul 2026 11:20:02 EDT news704623849 Scientists at Imperial College London and the University of Manchester have developed a promising new way to create safer and more effective treatments for life-threatening fungal infections. The research, published today in Nature, describes a new family of antifungal agents that—when tested in mice—were more potent and less toxic than existing treatments. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-antimicrobials-tackle-deadly-drug-resistant.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 29 Jul 2026 11:00:19 EDT news704447461 Archaic human parents had to look after helpless infants like modern-day parents do, according to new research. Human babies are born less developed than those of other great apes and are therefore unable to move as freely. A common result is deformational plagiocephaly, also called flat head syndrome. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-deformed-fossilized-humans-infants-helpless.html Evolution Tue, 28 Jul 2026 19:10:01 EDT news704367001