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. It is difficult to identify funerary practices in Iron Age (c. 800 BC–AD 43) Britain, as human remains rarely survive. However, evidence is particularly prominent in north-west Scotland, because environmental conditions support the preservation of bone. To take advantage of this, a team of researchers from the U.K. and U.S. examined two individuals (one adult female and one juvenile male) buried in a low stone cairn at Loch Borralie in Sutherland, close to the north-west extremity of the Scottish mainland. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-brain-iron-age-scotland-burial.html Archaeology Tue, 09 Jun 2026 19:00:05 EDT news699715472 Could wound healing dressings adhere better, and could drug delivery patches become more sophisticated? A KAIST research team has developed a technology that leverages natural ingredients derived from plants to increase the strength of a seaweed-based hydrogel (a gel material that contains a large amount of water while maintaining its shape) by more than fivefold, while also controlling its adhesiveness and degradation rate. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-tea-compound-boosts-seaweed-hydrogel.html Polymers Tue, 09 Jun 2026 14:00:03 EDT news700229281 The Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH) has participated in a study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports on Sala Keimada, one of the rock art sanctuaries in Cueva Palomera, the main cave of the Ojo Guareña Karst Complex (Merindad de Sotoscueva, Burgos, Spain). https://phys.org/news/2026-06-dating-spain-sala-keimada-art.html Archaeology Tue, 09 Jun 2026 11:40:01 EDT news700222021 When baseball fans watch a batter strike out with runners in scoring position, the reaction is often immediate: Shorten the swing. Put the ball in play. Stop swinging for the fences, they lament. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-mlb-tracking-baseball-debated-approach.html General Physics Mon, 08 Jun 2026 22:40:01 EDT news700151881 Researchers from the University of Cambridge and GlitterinTech, a startup founded by the same research group, have unveiled a fundamentally new type of optical spectrometer that delivers laboratory-grade precision in a device small enough to be embedded in portable and wearable technologies. By rethinking how spectra are measured and processed, the team has demonstrated a spectrometer costing only around $10, operating at a centimeter scale, and capable of applications ranging from industrial quality control to real-time health care monitoring. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-spectrometer-chip-real-chemical-wearables.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 08 Jun 2026 17:40:04 EDT news700146465 Building useful quantum technologies—from sensors to computers—requires generating highly complex entangled states, in which the properties of particles are deeply intertwined. Producing such states has traditionally required complex tools and carefully engineered setups with many parts. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-craft-simple-recipe-highly-entangled.html Quantum Physics Mon, 08 Jun 2026 12:40:01 EDT news700134992 A seven-year collaborative study has revealed alarming fluctuations in the health of Hawaii's endangered insular false killer whales, with some individuals losing nearly a quarter of their body weight in just a few months. Published in Endangered Species Research, the findings provide the first quantitative evidence that nutritional stress and environmental shifts may be driving the decline of this iconic population, which now numbers fewer than 140 individuals. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-hawaii-false-killer-whales-threatened.html Plants & Animals Fri, 05 Jun 2026 11:20:01 EDT news699875865 New research by Curtin University has revealed how one of Stonehenge's most mysterious stones was likely transported hundreds of kilometers across Britain through challenging terrain, highlighting the remarkable capabilities of ancient communities. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-stonehenge-altar-stone-epic-ancient.html Archaeology Thu, 04 Jun 2026 04:00:01 EDT news699725761 A new study in Nature Communications finds a critical climate tipping point in Tibetan permafrost ecosystems. Warming of 2–4 degrees Celsius triggers a self-reinforcing cycle of carbon release that could significantly accelerate climate change, according to the work. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ancient-carbon-tibetan-permafrost-triggering.html Earth Sciences Wed, 03 Jun 2026 15:20:04 EDT news699718093 States with restrictive abortion policies saw slower growth in the proportion of female medical school applicants following the 2022 reversal of Roe v. Wade, according to a new study published in the open-access journal PLOS Global Public Health by Amrit Kirpalani of Western University, Canada, and colleagues. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-abortion-restrictions-female-medical-school.html Social Sciences Wed, 03 Jun 2026 14:00:08 EDT news699694141 Hookworms, intestinal parasites that infect hundreds of millions of people in under-resourced tropical regions around the globe, have evolved to survive inside the human gut for years, secreting molecules that enable coexistence with their hosts. Now, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have harnessed that biological mechanism for potential human benefit, engineering a hookworm to produce and deliver a drug within a living host. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-genetically-hookworms-therapeutics.html Biotechnology Wed, 03 Jun 2026 05:00:03 EDT news699611130 A research collaboration has developed a novel fluorescent nanosensor capable of rapidly detecting indole-3-propionic acid (IPA), an emerging biomarker linked to gut health and disease. The breakthrough is described in the team's paper, "Fluorescent Nanosensor for Indole-3-Propionic Acid Detection in Gut Health Monitoring," published in the journal Advanced Healthcare Materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-fluorescent-nanosensor-key-gut-biomarker.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 02 Jun 2026 15:00:04 EDT news699618901 Sometime between 5.5 and 5.6 million years ago, two shell crushers squared off in the languid currents of an ancient Florida river. The fossils they left behind, discovered by paleontologists at the Florida Museum of Natural History, reveal the identity of the combatants and the outcome of their encounter. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ancient-altercations-musk-turtles-alligator.html Ecology Tue, 02 Jun 2026 13:40:03 EDT news699617204 Glasses are non-crystalline but solid states of matter in which molecules and atoms are not arranged into a regular crystal lattice, but rather in a disordered pattern. Glassy materials are widely used in various settings, for instance, in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and the development of electronics or optical devices. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-molecular-glasses-arrhenius-paradox.html General Physics Tue, 02 Jun 2026 07:10:01 EDT news699280613 The Langobards are frequently depicted as fierce warrior-like people, with all known archaeological evidence of violence restricted to men. However, nearly 1,400 years ago, a Langobard woman took two severe injuries to the head, one a clean slice made by a blade, the other a crushing blow, making her the first direct evidence of interpersonal violence in Langobard females. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-langobard-woman-skeletal-reshapes-view.html Archaeology Mon, 01 Jun 2026 19:00:03 EDT news699542886 For the past three decades, a team of archaeologists have been uncovering some of the field's most recent monumental discoveries, relying on gut instinct, persistent hard work, and cutting-edge methods and technologies. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-years-el-mirn-cave-uncover.html Archaeology Mon, 01 Jun 2026 14:20:07 EDT news699535561 Decades of reliance on the antibiotic rifampicin have fueled the rise of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). But as the bacterium mutates to protect itself from the drug, it also creates new weak points that other therapies could exploit. Now, a new study published in Nature Microbiology shows that the most common rifampicin-resistance mutation slows bacterial RNA polymerase, creating vulnerabilities that future combination therapies may be able to target. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-germ-drug-resistance-achilles-heel.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 01 Jun 2026 13:49:44 EDT news699540338 The planar Hall effect is a tabletop diagnostic tool for special quantum properties useful in basic research and technological applications. Or so it was thought, because careful calculation by Kobe University researchers clarifies the conditions under which this effect may also appear in classical materials. This makes the diagnostic more meaningful and enables more purposeful design. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-math-discriminates-exotic-classical-materials.html Condensed Matter Mon, 01 Jun 2026 11:00:07 EDT news699263693 The gleaming skyscrapers and bright lights of the United Arab Emirates draw the eyes of all who travel there, a sign of the Arabian Peninsula nation's rapid, oil-fueled development over the last decades into a major hub for commerce and tourism. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-arab-emirates-darkest-reveals-rare.html Astronomy Sat, 30 May 2026 05:45:14 EDT news699338687 Researchers at the University of Toronto's Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, working with collaborators around the world, have demonstrated the effectiveness of a suite of low-cost, portable biotechnology tools designed to improve access to laboratory research and diagnostics in resource-limited settings. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-dried-reagents-powered-hardware-biomanufacturing.html Biotechnology Fri, 29 May 2026 14:00:02 EDT news699264902 A tiny sea creature might hold the secret to reversing the aging process. When treated with a brief series of electrical pulses, sea squirts experience dramatic and long-lasting health improvements that can significantly extend their lifespans, according to a new study by researchers at Stanford and other institutions. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-electrical-pulses-reverse-aging-sea.html Biotechnology Thu, 28 May 2026 14:20:06 EDT news699190473 Honeycombs are famous for their elegant design, but now they may have found a new application: quantum computing. To collect knowledge from subatomic particles, quantum computers require carefully designed materials capable of performing necessary, complex functions. However, the metals used, such as ruthenium and iridium, are often rare and expensive, limiting the potential to build new technology. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-cobalt-honeycombs-path-quantum.html Condensed Matter Thu, 28 May 2026 11:20:05 EDT news699179222 Southern California is emerging from yet another round of wildfires just as the wildfire season gets underway. It's been less than 18 months since catastrophic wildfires hit the communities of Altadena and Pacific Palisades. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-la-trees-lessons-future.html Environment Tue, 26 May 2026 16:20:01 EDT news699019470 Research at the University of Sydney has found that scuba-diving tourism—widely promoted as a sustainable way to experience coral reefs—is causing frequent and often hidden damage to fragile marine ecosystems. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-divers-reefs-unseen-habit-steady.html Plants & Animals Tue, 26 May 2026 07:00:03 EDT news698917862 Flashes of femtosecond laser light, lasting just a few trillionths of a second, have made it possible to observe new magnetic structures for the first time. By using light as a remote control, researchers were able to switch magnetism into previously unseen three-dimensional states at the nanoscale. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-threedimensional-magnetic-laser.html Condensed Matter Mon, 25 May 2026 17:00:01 EDT news698942462 For two decades, physicists have predicted the existence of a remarkable family of exotic molecules: giant atoms bound to ordinary atoms, with an electron so distant from its nucleus that it sculpts the pair into bizarre and diverse shapes. Reported in Physical Review Letters, the final member of this "quantum zoo" has been spotted. Led by Herwig Ott at RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau in Germany, a team of physicists has created and detected the "butterfly" molecule, completing a 20-year hunt for the elusive structure. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-butterfly-molecule-year-quantum-zoo.html Quantum Physics Mon, 25 May 2026 14:20:02 EDT news698927129 Being able to see light and detect radiation is of utmost importance at any frequency. While this challenge has been solved in the visible range, radiation detectors in the far-infrared and terahertz regimes are either not sensitive, slow, or require bulky and expensive, often cryogenically cooled devices, which hinders practical applications. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-quantum-metasurface-boosts-terahertz-sensitivity.html Optics & Photonics Sat, 23 May 2026 11:00:02 EDT news698679842 A team of U.S. astronomers has observed a binary pair of white dwarfs where one star is actively devouring material from the other. Led by Emma Chickles at MIT, the researchers revealed one of the clearest views yet of how ultracompact white dwarf binaries exchange mass at extreme orbital periods—offering an enticing potential target for future generations of gravitational wave detectors. The research has been published in The Astrophysical Journal. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-extreme-minute-orbit-reveals-white.html Astronomy Sat, 23 May 2026 10:20:01 EDT news698322066 Fashion and media have become visibly more diverse over the past quarter-century. Yet beneath that surface change, a new study suggests that the industry's central female body ideal has barely shifted. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-bodies-fashion-diversity-ideal-stays.html Social Sciences Fri, 22 May 2026 14:00:06 EDT news698668021 A new study, published in Ecology and Evolution, shows that social living is associated with longer lifespan, but also that the benefits of sociality level off once animals move beyond living in pairs. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-social-mammals-longer-bigger-groups.html Evolution Fri, 22 May 2026 10:40:06 EDT news698661843