https://phys.org/ en-us Latest news from Durham University Women are being forced to change their behaviors due to the high levels of flashing and cyberflashing they are exposed to, according to new research co-led by the Durham University Law School. Cyberflashing—generally sending images of a penis to someone without their consent—is "alarmingly common" in the lives of young women with nearly half saying they had experienced it. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-survey-cyberflashing-women-routes-online.html Social Sciences Tue, 10 Feb 2026 21:30:01 EST news689950565 Scientists have uncovered new DNA-binding proteins from some of the most extreme environments on Earth and shown that they can improve rapid medical tests for infectious diseases. The work has been published in Nucleic Acids Research. The international research team, led by Durham University and working with partners in Iceland, Norway and Poland, analyzed genetic material from Icelandic volcanic lakes and deep-sea vents more than two kilometers below the surface of the North Atlantic Ocean. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-dna-proteins-volcanic-lakes-disease.html Biotechnology Tue, 10 Feb 2026 19:10:05 EST news689947442 Scientists have created the highest resolution map of the dark matter that threads through the universe—showing its influence on the formation of stars, galaxies and planets. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-high-resolution-dark-gravity-galaxies.html Astronomy Mon, 26 Jan 2026 11:00:03 EST news688640370 An international team of researchers has uncovered hidden clues about life in the hills of ancient southwest Samos, Greece. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-surface-ceramics-reveal-sufficient-rural.html Archaeology Mon, 12 Jan 2026 15:19:15 EST news687453541 Rising greenhouse gas emissions could see the size of extreme floods in the Central Himalayas increase by between as much as 73% and 84% by the end of this century. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-greenhouse-gases-sharply-extreme-central.html Earth Sciences Mon, 08 Dec 2025 11:10:06 EST news684412290 Have you ever tried bleaching sunscreen stains on clothing, only to be left with bright red results? Professor Clare Mahon, from the Durham University Department of Chemistry, did just this and the scarlet staining instantly intrigued her. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-sunscreen-chemistry-stubborn-red-laundry.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 12 Nov 2025 13:26:03 EST news682176362 New research from the Durham University Biosciences Department and the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) has revealed that many migratory birds are finding it harder to prepare for their long journeys as European summers become hotter. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-hotter-european-summers-hinder-migratory.html Ecology Tue, 11 Nov 2025 13:10:04 EST news682088587 A new study from the Durham University Psychology Department has found that people want grass to be mowed less often and would like to see more wild green spaces but only if they look attractive. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-favors-scenic-wild-spaces-lawns.html Ecology Tue, 11 Nov 2025 12:07:03 EST news682085222 A new study from the Durham University Psychology Department has found that children's views on the design and comfort of air pollution masks could be key to encouraging their regular use. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-children-views-mask.html Pediatrics Thu, 30 Oct 2025 12:59:03 EDT news681047941 A new study from the Department of Psychology at Durham University has found that identity distress (difficulty forming a cohesive identity) could be behind the higher rates of poor mental health experienced by autistic people. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-09-identity-distress-fuels-mental-health.html Psychology & Psychiatry Mon, 29 Sep 2025 13:00:07 EDT news678369452 Durham University scientists have completed one of the largest quality verification programs ever carried out on superconducting materials, helping to ensure the success of the world's biggest fusion energy experiment ITER. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-superconducting-materials-world-largest-fusion.html Superconductivity Thu, 11 Sep 2025 04:00:02 EDT news676742341 Researchers observed mother–infant interactions in urban UK and rural Ugandan communities, focusing on how mothers soothed their babies following naturally occurring episodes of distress. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-09-highlights-cultural-differences-parenting-reveals.html Psychology & Psychiatry Fri, 05 Sep 2025 04:35:05 EDT news676265702 Durham University scientists have unveiled a major advance in drone swarm technology that could transform the way unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are used in real-world missions. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-09-scientists-drone-swarm-technology.html Engineering Thu, 04 Sep 2025 07:41:04 EDT news676190462 A new Durham University study has found that a giant impact may not be responsible for the formation of Jupiter's remarkable "dilute" core, challenging a theory about the planet's history. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-counters-idea-jupiter-mysterious-core.html Planetary Sciences Thu, 21 Aug 2025 20:00:01 EDT news674984882 A new tool to understand how people imagine differently when reading could have potential implications for the treatment of mental ill health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-08-readers-mental-health-therapies.html Psychology & Psychiatry Wed, 13 Aug 2025 11:20:05 EDT news674302802 New research is challenging long-standing assumptions about autism and physical activity, offering fresh insights into the experiences of autistic adults. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-08-rethinking-autism-assumptions.html Autism spectrum disorders Tue, 12 Aug 2025 15:41:03 EDT news674232061 Coldplay, Radiohead or R.E.M.—which band has changed their music the most over the years? Professor Nick Collins from Durham University Department of Music has used a computer to try and find the answer to this by analyzing rhythm, harmony, and sound quality (known as timbre). https://phys.org/news/2025-07-musicology-tracking-bands.html Other Thu, 31 Jul 2025 12:23:02 EDT news673183381 People with severe mental health problems can find it more difficult to live healthy lifestyles. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-people-mental-health-stay-healthy.html Medical economics Thu, 24 Jul 2025 12:55:03 EDT news672580501 The remains of landscapes thought to have formed when ancient rivers flowed across East Antarctica have been discovered—and could help predictions of future loss from the ice sheet. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-newly-ancient-river-landscapes-ice.html Earth Sciences Fri, 11 Jul 2025 05:00:04 EDT news671357581 Human persecution leads to anxiety and physiological stress among baboons. That's according to the findings of new research by the Durham University Department of Anthropology. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-human-violence-term-anxiety-stress.html Plants & Animals Thu, 19 Jun 2025 11:57:02 EDT news669553021 A multinational research team, including Professor David W Graham from Durham University's Biosciences Department, have helped uncover a worrying new effect of climate change—the rise of antibiotic resistance in soil bacteria. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-climate-linked-antibiotic-resistance-soil.html Ecology Thu, 05 Jun 2025 13:30:07 EDT news668348757 Scientists from Helsinki, Durham and Toulouse universities used data from NASA's Hubble and the European Space Agency's Gaia space telescopes to simulate how the Milky Way and Andromeda will evolve over the next 10 billion years. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-encounters-galactic-kind-simulations-milky.html Astronomy Mon, 02 Jun 2025 11:00:01 EDT news668074681 Efforts to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5°C under the Paris Climate Agreement may not go far enough to save the world's ice sheets, according to a study published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-15c-paris-climate-agreement-high.html Earth Sciences Tue, 20 May 2025 05:00:06 EDT news666863941 Researchers have discovered that ultra-fast wind surrounding a supermassive black hole is not smooth and continuous as previously assumed, but instead resembles a rapid-fire stream of gas "bullets." https://phys.org/news/2025-05-space-mission-bullet-supermassive-black.html Astronomy Thu, 15 May 2025 12:48:34 EDT news666532112 A peculiar spiny fossil, once thought to represent one of the earliest mollusks, has now been conclusively reclassified by scientists from Durham University and Yunnan University as something entirely different—a distant relative of sponge-like creatures known as chancelloriids. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-scientists-million-year-fossil-mystery.html Paleontology & Fossils Thu, 08 May 2025 16:07:21 EDT news665939235 A new study has revealed that 3,300 years ago, tin mined in south-west Britain was a key resource for major Bronze Age civilizations in the Eastern Mediterranean thousands of kilometers away. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-britain-distance-tin-bronze-age.html Archaeology Wed, 07 May 2025 15:48:03 EDT news665851681 Durham University has contributed to new international research that critically assesses the intricate relationship between urban digitization and sustainability, focusing on the significant environmental impact of data centers. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-04-greener-digital-infrastructure-sustainable-centers.html Business Mon, 28 Apr 2025 14:50:30 EDT news665070625 Psychologists from Durham University, UK, have observed the behavior of 90 sanctuary-living apes to establish whether bonobos were more likely than chimpanzees to comfort others in distress. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-empathic-comforting-varies-bonobo-chimpanzee.html Plants & Animals Fri, 25 Apr 2025 05:00:04 EDT news664726212 Research led by Dr. Sophie Hodgetts in our Department of Psychology has uncovered the hidden impacts of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) on quality of life and relationships. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04-severe-premenstrual-disorder-linked-quality.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 24 Apr 2025 13:20:05 EDT news664719106 Published in the journal Food Quality and Preference, new research highlights how physiological signals, particularly those transmitted via the vagus nerve, interact with socioeconomic factors to shape dietary behavior. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04-reveals-socioeconomic-body.html Neuroscience Thu, 17 Apr 2025 04:26:03 EDT news664082761