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. When viruses travel through the air in tiny droplets, they can quickly start to dry out. Yet many viruses remain infectious after rehydration—something that is still not fully understood. Now, an international team of researchers has directly observed at the European XFEL how the protein shells of viruses can change shape during dehydration, offering new clues to viral resilience and opening new possibilities for virology research. The results, published in Light: Science & Applications, lay the groundwork for potential applications in virology and public health and can, for instance, help develop antiviral strategies. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ray-snapshots-reveal-viral-shells.html Biotechnology Wed, 24 Jun 2026 18:50:01 EDT news701538782 As the United States approaches its 250th birthday celebrations on July 4, Washington, DC's monuments, statues and fountains are being prepared to put on a show. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-lincoln-memorial-pool-nanobubbles.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 24 Jun 2026 14:20:02 EDT news701522163 Diamonds have long been coveted for their beauty. Their dazzling color and clarity make them perfect candidates for luxury jewelry. However, it's their other unique characteristics, including their hardness, thermal conductivity and chemical resistance, that make diamonds suitable for various applications in industry and advanced technologies. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-diamond-high-quantum-materials.html General Physics Wed, 24 Jun 2026 11:00:01 EDT news701516613 Sight-threatening antibiotic-resistant eye infections are becoming a significant threat to vision in dogs, cats and horses, according to a new comprehensive review published in Veterinary Ophthalmology by researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The study examines global trends in antimicrobial resistance in animal eye infections and warns that multidrug-resistant bacteria are becoming more common in referral veterinary settings. The review also highlights a critical challenge for veterinarians: Standard laboratory tests may not always predict how well topical eye treatments will work in practice. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-antibiotic-resistance-threatens-vision-pets.html Veterinary medicine Tue, 23 Jun 2026 15:40:03 EDT news701438821 Ten Australians—including a firefighter, First Nations leaders and young people—are bringing their concerns about the nation's coal and gas exports to the United Nations. On Tuesday, the group lodged a complaint with the UN Human Rights Committee, claiming the Australian government is failing to protect them from climate harms. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ten-australians-fossil-fuel-exports.html Environment Tue, 23 Jun 2026 14:00:18 EDT news701433242 An echidna in Tasmania looks very different from one in Western Australia. But the differences run much deeper than appearance. A new review published in Australian Zoologist by University of Tasmania zoologist Stewart Nicol, an associate professor from the School of Natural Sciences, has found echidnas across Australia differ widely in diet, breeding, behavior and physiology, challenging long-held assumptions that they are the same. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-australia-echidnas-reveal-scientific-puzzle.html Evolution Tue, 23 Jun 2026 10:20:24 EDT news701425695 The honeybee mite, Varroa destructor, finally breached Australia's biosecurity defenses four years ago, and is here to stay. Even more concerning, our standard treatments—such as specialized pesticides—are already failing. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-australia-spent-million-varroa-mite.html Ecology Mon, 22 Jun 2026 23:40:01 EDT news701352922 Extreme weather is becoming the new normal, disrupting human communities across the globe. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-pups-seabird-chicks-extreme-weather.html Plants & Animals Mon, 22 Jun 2026 19:00:03 EDT news701342391 On a remote beach near Esperance, Western Australia, two sick seabirds have brought the bird flu crisis to Australia. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-australia-h5n1-cases-wild-birds.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 22 Jun 2026 07:40:02 EDT news701330882 In the quest to create a robust supply chain of rare earth elements necessary for the clean energy revolution and everyday modern conveniences, North America has enough deposits of sufficient quality to begin looking in its own backyard, according to a University of Michigan study published in Resources, Conservation and Recycling. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-north-america-rare-earth-elements.html Earth Sciences Sun, 21 Jun 2026 11:30:02 EDT news700747261 Like humans, wildlife is increasingly vulnerable as climate change fuels longer and more intense heat waves, disrupting feeding and breeding and, in extreme cases, proving fatal. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-birds-fish-extreme-wildlife.html Environment Fri, 19 Jun 2026 17:40:01 EDT news701084918 Building more apartments will not solve Australia's housing affordability crisis unless policymakers address rising house prices and investor activity, new research shows. Australia's housing affordability crisis is being driven less by a shortage of apartments than by systemwide price pressures originating in the market for freestanding homes, according to new research. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-apartments-wont-ease-housing-crisis.html Economics & Business Thu, 18 Jun 2026 21:00:03 EDT news700994809 Ensuring the research that we all rely on—whether for our health, environment or economy—is trustworthy is important for universities, governments and business. Unfortunately, academic misconduct is a growing concern, with researchers breaking the rules, such as making up results or copying others' work, making their research untrustworthy. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-drivers-academic-misconduct-professors-students.html Education Thu, 18 Jun 2026 12:20:13 EDT news700999502 Peanuts are an important staple crop for many people around the world. As well as being delicious as smooth or crunchy peanut butter, their seeds are high in healthy fats and protein and can be pressed into oil. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-peanut-genome-entirety.html Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 17 Jun 2026 21:20:06 EDT news700921567 Oxford's 2024 Word of the Year, "brain rot," refers to the loss of intelligence or critical thinking skills due to the overconsumption of specific types of content, most often in the digital sphere. A Binghamton University doctoral student has published findings that help explain how the structural forces of large tech companies make it difficult to focus, read and even engage in democracy. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-digital-platforms-difficult-focus-engage.html Social Sciences Mon, 15 Jun 2026 17:20:01 EDT news700744382 Bee species that nest in plant stems appear to be at the greatest short-term risk from increasing temperatures due to climate change, while those that nest in the ground are better able to evade extreme heat, according to new research from Australian evolutionary ecologists. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-bees-tiny-homes-crisis-harder.html Plants & Animals Mon, 15 Jun 2026 05:00:07 EDT news700486201 Around the world, ocean warming is causing fish to move poleward in search of cooler water. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-climate-fish-cooler-route-blocked.html Plants & Animals Fri, 12 Jun 2026 11:40:05 EDT news700477980 The United States government's recent release of hundreds of previously classified unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs) cases spanning the 1940s to the present, along with the new Steven Spielberg movie, "Disclosure Day," about extraterrestrial life, has fueled the idea that aliens are visiting Earth. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-aliens-theyre.html Space Exploration Fri, 12 Jun 2026 10:00:08 EDT news700475161 During the Archean Eon—roughly 4 billion years ago—the Earth was a lifeless planet. The atmosphere lacked oxygen, and there were few, if any, organisms to be found anywhere on the globe. Then something incredible happened. Microscopic bacteria appeared in freshwater lakes, likely in what is now present-day Australia. These bacteria—known now as cyanobacteria—had the near-magical ability to convert sunlight and water into oxygen and other chemical energy. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ancient-bacteria-agriculture-biggest.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 12 Jun 2026 09:00:04 EDT news700473241 James Cook University senior leadership are ready to revolutionize the delivery of degree programs in remote communities, using AI to accelerate the integration of western and traditional knowledge systems. In their article published in The Australian Educational Researcher, JCU Vice Chancellor Professor Simon Biggs and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Indigenous Education & Strategy Professor Martin Nakata argue that new AI-integrated models of learning will value traditional knowledge, use traditional languages and properly account for real-life work experience. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ai-reshape-indigenous-ranger.html Education Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:00:06 EDT news700384742 A study published in Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, led by University of Queensland researchers, provides important insights into the fate of sulfur in soil, an essential nutrient for crop growth. Where sulfur ends up in the soil determines whether crops can actually use it and whether soils remain fertile over the long term. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-insights-soil-fertility-fertilizer-strategies.html Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 11 Jun 2026 07:40:03 EDT news700379882 Following the devastating Northern Rivers floods in New South Wales in 2022, roughly 14,000 truckloads of water-damaged materials were sent to landfill. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-demolishing-homes-climate-disasters-devastating.html Environment Wed, 10 Jun 2026 12:40:03 EDT news700307402 Astronomers have revealed distinct differences in atmospheric conditions between the morning and evening transition zones of the ultra-hot gas planet WASP-121 b, which separate day from night, commonly called terminators. This achievement was only possible due to the unmatched sensitivity of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). https://phys.org/news/2026-06-jwst-reveals-dawn-dusk-atmosphere.html Astronomy Wed, 10 Jun 2026 05:00:01 EDT news700214341 Ocean currents are not just horizontal motions that flow from side to side. There are also vertical currents that act like deep-sea elevators, pushing heat and carbon down into the deep, while bringing up vital nutrients and dissolved gases to the surface. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-satellite-reveal-southern-ocean-vertical.html Earth Sciences Tue, 09 Jun 2026 13:50:02 EDT news700230994 Oceans are in a "deepening crisis" that demands urgent global action, a major U.N. report warned Monday, with seas warming and rising faster, ice cover shrinking, and marine ecosystems under mounting strain. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-deepening-crisis-oceans-urges-action.html Environment Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:01:10 EDT news700149610 Antibiotics continue to drive resistance in bacteria, even after they are broken down in wastewater treatment plants and discharged into rivers and seas, new research published on World Oceans Day has shown for the first time. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-antibiotics-resistance-waterways.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 08 Jun 2026 05:00:02 EDT news699883739 When you picture a cave, you probably think of an environment devoid of life. But for most caves on Earth, this couldn't be further from the truth. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-cave-cricket-australia-species-spindly.html Plants & Animals Sat, 06 Jun 2026 17:00:03 EDT news699624134 The surge in caravan and camper usage within Australia could place extra pressure on regional wastewater treatment systems because of the chemicals commonly used in caravan and camper toilet systems, according to new research from Flinders University. When people using caravans empty their toilet waste at roadside dumpsites, caravan parks and regional dump stations, the wastewater—which contains concentrated detergent, deodorizer and sanitizer chemicals—is transported to local wastewater treatment plants. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-camper-wastewater-chemicals-regional.html Environment Sat, 06 Jun 2026 09:30:02 EDT news699866884 Wildlife officers have busted an illegal cockroach-breeding operation in rural Australia, seizing a skin-crawling haul worth more than $100,000 on the black market for exotic bugs. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-australia-seizes-cockroaches-bug-breeder.html Ecology Fri, 05 Jun 2026 04:30:02 EDT news699851832 Taiwan, historically known as Formosa, holds a secret deep within its rugged interior: it is one of the rare locations on Earth capable of supporting "giant" trees—specimens that tower over 80 meters in height. Since 2014, a dedicated group, the "Taiwan tree seekers," has been on a mission to locate and document these sky-piercing giants. The multidisciplinary team is a unique blend of professional tree climbers, ecologists, geologists, and remote sensing specialists. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-heaven-sword-crowned-east-asia.html Plants & Animals Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:01 EDT news699781621