https://phys.org/science-news/ en-us The latest science news on archaeology, fossils, mathematics, and science technology from Phys.org Global food systems are fragile. Recent shocks such as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the Russian invasion of Ukraine have raised prices and exacerbated food insecurity. Governments are increasingly trying to shield themselves from future food crises, whether caused by conflict, climate shocks, disruptions to global trade or failed harvests. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-global-food-reveals-sufficiency-crises.html Economics & Business Thu, 28 May 2026 16:10:01 EDT news699199681 The length of our lives is tied to the amount of money we make. The link between health and wealth is well established, and it can have a staggering impact on the actual number of years a person lives. For example, in the United States, wealthy people can live up to 14 years longer than impoverished ones. This gap seems especially stark when compared to the number of years gained by eliminating all forms of cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control—only three. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-economic-inequality-status-quo.html Economics & Business Thu, 28 May 2026 15:40:01 EDT news699201362 Artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models (LLMs) tools are capable of mass-producing academic finance papers that are nearly indistinguishable from human-authored research, according to a new study published in the Journal of Economic Literature. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-ai-mass-papers-indistinguishable-human.html Economics & Business Thu, 28 May 2026 15:30:01 EDT news699198721 When regional airlines leave a market, travelers are likely to see fewer flights and higher fares. The harder question is how much service disappears, how quickly prices rise and whether other airlines step in to fill the gap. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-impact-regional-airline-exits.html Economics & Business Thu, 28 May 2026 14:40:05 EDT news699192721 UZH media researcher Mark Eisenegger led a study as part of NRP 77 on the importance of journalism for the digital information behavior of young adults. The study was the first to systematically examine how 18- to 25-year-olds obtain information online. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-smartphones-dominate-minutes-daily-young.html Social Sciences Thu, 28 May 2026 14:20:04 EDT news699190663 Around 1 in 5 Americans say they've seen a ghost. I'm not one of them, and I probably never will be. I blame my brain. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-brain-wired-ghost-psychologist-factors.html Social Sciences Thu, 28 May 2026 14:00:03 EDT news699190021 The Namibian genocide was one of the first genocides of the 20th century. Between 1904 and 1908, tens of thousands of Ovaherero and Nama people were killed under German colonial rule. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-unearthing-namibia-forgotten-genocide-forensic.html Archaeology Thu, 28 May 2026 13:40:02 EDT news699189902 Insurance companies could use a new research-based tool to reduce "proxy discrimination" in the pricing models that shape premiums in the sector. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-framework-fairer-customers.html Economics & Business Thu, 28 May 2026 13:00:03 EDT news699188882 One in six internet-using children from a survey of nearly 12,000 children in 12 countries across Asia and Africa are found to experience at least one form of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse, with many experiences undisclosed, according to research published in Nature. The findings may help to inform prevention and response efforts where coordinated action by policymakers, law enforcement, and technology companies is urgently needed to protect children. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-kids-experiencing-online-sexual-exploitation.html Social Sciences Thu, 28 May 2026 12:40:02 EDT news699186962 Last week, OpenAI shocked the mathematical community by revealing that one of its internal artificial intelligence (AI) models had found a counterexample to a famous conjecture made by legendary Hungarian mathematician Paul Erdős in 1946. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-ai-solution-80yearold-problem-mathematicians.html Mathematics Thu, 28 May 2026 12:20:02 EDT news699185941 As an expert on personality disorders, people often ask me about psychopathy. It seems everybody has had an ex, a boss, a neighbor or a relative who they suspect has traits of it. People are curious about how to recognize psychopathy, and whether it can explain certain harmful behavior. It's easy to see why. Psychopathic people are everywhere—from books and movies to newspaper articles and academic papers. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-experts-psychopathy-doesnt-wrong.html Social Sciences Thu, 28 May 2026 12:00:11 EDT news699185761 Australian teens are experiencing high rates of intimate partner violence, one in 10 are relying on the withdrawal method for contraception and many don't know how to access help for their sexual health, according to the country's largest study of adolescents' sexual health and relationships. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-teen-sex-survey-highlights-violence.html Social Sciences Thu, 28 May 2026 11:20:02 EDT news699182161 More than 1,000 years ago, Panama elites were buried together with translucent green stones long suspected to be emeralds. However, scientific analysis confirming the suspicion has never been conducted. Now, scientists have confirmed for the first time that these green gems were emeralds that traveled more than 700 km through complex trade networks linking Central and South American societies. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-green-stones-panama-ancient-chiefs.html Archaeology Thu, 28 May 2026 10:40:03 EDT news699178345 Early childhood educators speak differently to boys compared to girls in toddler classrooms, University of Queensland research has found. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-early-childhood-toddlers-gender.html Education Wed, 27 May 2026 17:20:06 EDT news699120241 The world's urban population increased by 785 million people between 2000 and 2020, but that tells only part of the story. Now, a research team including an expert from the University of Michigan has dug into the demographics of more than 10,000 individual cities to obtain insights that can be lost in the aggregate. The findings are published in the journal Nature Cities. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-analysis-cities-reveals-hidden-people.html Economics & Business Wed, 27 May 2026 17:10:01 EDT news699119942 Ads generated by artificial intelligence are nearly indistinguishable from human-made ones, but new research shows they consistently underperform compared to human-made work when it comes to predicting short-term sales impact. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-ai-ads-indistinguishable-human-dont.html Economics & Business Wed, 27 May 2026 17:00:04 EDT news699119401 Academic success depends largely on social background—this has long been known. A recent international study led by researchers at Leuphana University of Lüneburg now shows that young people's attitudes toward environmental protection are also strongly influenced by their social background. As part of a comprehensive meta-analysis, the scientists evaluated data from nearly 700,000 students across 65 countries. The study has now been published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-social-background-environmental-awareness.html Social Sciences Wed, 27 May 2026 15:40:01 EDT news699114661 A study covering 76 countries has found that people who are more trusting, patient, altruistic and cooperative tend to report higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction, suggesting that well-being depends on more than material prosperity alone. The work was published in the International Journal of Happiness and Development. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-patience-link-higher-happiness-countries.html Social Sciences Wed, 27 May 2026 14:40:03 EDT news699106240 Well-preserved archaeological bone samples have different microbial communities than heavily degraded bone samples, providing a new understanding of how microbes contribute to bone degradation, according to a study published in PLOS One by Damla Kaptan from the University of Stavanger, Norway, and colleagues. This study combines detailed analyses of archaeological bone degradation with analyses of microbiome diversity, providing new insights into how microbes may contribute to long-term bone preservation and decay. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-link-specific-microbiomes-archaeological-bone.html Archaeology Wed, 27 May 2026 14:00:19 EDT news699026160 A good manager can be just as important to a company's performance as the combined productive capacity of its employees. This is shown in a new international study, published in The Quarterly Journal of Economics. The study also shows that those who are most eager to become managers are not necessarily the best suited to the role. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-quality-entire-team-output-reveal.html Economics & Business Wed, 27 May 2026 13:40:05 EDT news699106349 A team of Georgia State University researchers is calling for digital platforms to implement stronger safety measures in response to a new study that highlights widespread online child sexual abuse. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-urge-greater-online-sexual-abuse.html Social Sciences Wed, 27 May 2026 13:20:52 EDT news699106113 Every season, Georgia families spend thousands of dollars on youth sports in fees, travel, uniforms and other expenses. University of Georgia senior Gabriella Etienne experienced that life, competing for a club soccer team in Cherokee County. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-pay-play-prices-young-soccer.html Social Sciences Wed, 27 May 2026 12:40:01 EDT news699102782 Why are women considered the "fairer sex" in humans, when in most animal species it is males that display the more elaborate and visually striking traits? This question has intrigued researchers since Darwin. A new large-scale study led by the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics (MPIEA) in Frankfurt now provides clear empirical evidence for the first time. The findings have just been published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-women-outrank-men-cultures-global.html Social Sciences Wed, 27 May 2026 12:00:01 EDT news699095583 New research has found that Noongar culture and arts can play a powerful role in strengthening young children's capabilities to experience and communicate about their well-being. Research by Edith Cowan University (ECU) and the University of Melbourne examined the Deadly Arts Early Years program offered by The Song Room and delivered across two Perth primary schools, where children aged three to seven learned Noongar language, dance, storytelling and art through immersive cultural activities led by Indigenous and non-Indigenous teaching artists. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-noongar-culture-arts-literacy-early.html Education Wed, 27 May 2026 09:40:04 EDT news699093482 Gay dating apps are exposing men to intense pressure to look sexually desirable, fueling body dissatisfaction and low self-esteem, with some users describing the experience as feeling like they are "selling their body" rather than forming genuine connections. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-culture-dating-apps-men-body.html Social Sciences Wed, 27 May 2026 09:00:01 EDT news699090421 Average support for gender equality worldwide has plateaued, in part because of higher population growth in countries where support is low and higher fertility among those with less egalitarian views. Public support for women's equal participation in education, paid work, and politics has increased in many countries but stagnated globally. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-demographic-stall-global-gender-equality.html Social Sciences Wed, 27 May 2026 07:00:05 EDT news699080341 A new study finds that when people engage in participatory science activities that involve awe-inspiring natural phenomena, such as an eclipse, they more closely identify with science and feel a greater sense of belonging. Participatory science, also called citizen science, refers to projects in which members of the public contribute to the scientific process. The paper, "Awe in Nature Fosters Science Identity and Belonging in Participatory Scientists During an Eclipse," will be published May 27 in the journal People and Nature. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-awe-nature-people-science.html Education Wed, 27 May 2026 01:00:01 EDT news699021481 Autistic Australians face a homelessness risk nearly three times higher than the general population, according to new Flinders University research that reveals how everyday systems are failing to recognize and support autistic needs before housing is lost. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-autistic-australians-homeless-reveals.html Social Sciences Tue, 26 May 2026 23:00:01 EDT news698993542 A new research paper from the University of Kent School of Psychology has found that sexual objectification increases when men are sexually aroused, challenging common Western beliefs that this behavior is purely driven by an expression of power. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-beliefs-sexual-objectification-power.html Social Sciences Tue, 26 May 2026 22:00:01 EDT news699017447 New research out of the University of New Mexico's English department is shining a light on the experiences of faculty with disabilities. Marissa Greenberg, associate professor within the Department of English Language and Literature, co-authored the paper "Confronting Disability Pasts, Constructing Disability Futures: Recommendations for Growing Access, Equity, and Inclusion for Disabled Faculty in Higher Education," published in Social Sciences. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-compliance-inclusion-valuing-faculty-disabilities.html Social Sciences Tue, 26 May 2026 19:20:05 EDT news699021542