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 Of Jupiter's four Galilean moons, Callisto is the one that gets the least attention. Io is constantly being resurfaced by volcanoes. Europa has a giant liquid water ocean. And Ganymede has its own magnetic field that interacts with its parent planet in weird ways. Callisto, by comparison, seems sedate, with its ancient, crater-saturated surface seemingly frozen in time. But new data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) shows that even this most benign of the Big Four moons is more active than previously realized. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-jwst-peeks-callisto-ancient-scars.html Planetary Sciences Sun, 23 Aug 2026 11:00:04 EDT news706275524 The new season of the English Premier League is almost ready to kick off, and with it comes another annual cycle of the national game. Each August brings hope and expectation for supporters, with an opportunity to start anew. But rather than excited anticipation, frustration, anger and anxiety are the overriding emotions of many fans. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-soccer-ticket-crackdowns-price-hikes.html Social Sciences Fri, 21 Aug 2026 19:40:04 EDT news706528922 With more young Canadians considering self-employment amid a high youth unemployment rate, entrepreneurship programs are facing growing demand. Applications to Futurpreneur, the national organization that finances young Canadian entrepreneurs, rose 50% last quarter, compared with 15% growth a year earlier. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-high-school-friends-entrepreneur-decades.html Economics & Business Fri, 21 Aug 2026 17:00:03 EDT news706529079 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 "She's your mom." "They're your family." "Blood is thicker than water." https://phys.org/news/2026-08-theyre-family-isnt-stay.html Social Sciences Fri, 21 Aug 2026 13:00:09 EDT news706533842 How to teach children to care about the environment? Beyond including climate change and biodiversity in the curriculum, researchers argue that environmental ethics—how we frame the relationship between humans and nature—matter just as much. According to a study published in Ecological Economics, elementary school students respond more strongly, at least in the short term, when nature is framed around what it does for them rather than its value in itself. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-nature-kids-environmental.html Education Fri, 21 Aug 2026 12:40:05 EDT news706533481 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 In just a few short years, generative artificial intelligence tools have made a leap from novelties that produce stilted text to genuine societal disruptors that may alter the way people learn, work and even think. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-qa-brown-university-generative-ai.html Education Fri, 21 Aug 2026 09:20:01 EDT news706516142 In spring, on the traditional and treaty lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit, young children, Anishinaabe storytellers and educators walk together with Aki (Land) and Nibi (Water). https://phys.org/news/2026-08-dandelions-bees-responsibilities-natural-world.html Education Fri, 21 Aug 2026 09:00:02 EDT news706515602 Artificial intelligence chatbots have become the bane of teachers everywhere, but to prepare for the new school year, a group of educators in Charleston, South Carolina, packed into a high school auditorium and talked about inviting AI into the classroom. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-schools-ai-literacy-kids-chatbots.html Education Fri, 21 Aug 2026 04:40:02 EDT news706505115 Thinkers from Plato to Maria Montessori have championed play as one of the most powerful ways that young children learn and grow. American preschool teachers overwhelmingly agree—but a new study finds that teachers in urban settings feel less family support for play-based learning than their suburban counterparts. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-preschool-teachers-overwhelmingly-play-based.html Education Thu, 20 Aug 2026 12:40:03 EDT news706444442 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 Growing up as the oldest sibling of a younger brother and sister shaped the way University of Delaware associate professor Mellissa S. Gordon learned to communicate and cope with challenges. As a single parent, her mother often looked to Gordon to set an example, and over time, she found herself acting as a parental figure. When her siblings struggled to express frustrations or felt overwhelmed by school and friendships, they often came to her for advice, and they talked through problems together. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-siblings-adolescent-coping-strategies-birth.html Social Sciences Wed, 19 Aug 2026 15:20:07 EDT news706357502 Hearing children of deaf adults can experience stigma, discrimination and social exclusion because of their association with their deaf parents, while also demonstrating significant resilience and agency in responding to prejudice, a new study has found. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-children-deaf-adults-stigma-agency.html Social Sciences Wed, 19 Aug 2026 12:00:01 EDT news706345982 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 Social media, music, religion-focused apps and other online spiritual content have become popular ways for adolescents to find comfort and connection—and explore ideas related to faith, religion and spirituality, according to a new report from the Center for Scholars & Storytellers at UCLA (CSS). However, they still prioritize in-person spaces such as churches, mosques or synagogues in their faith practice and turn to family and faith leaders for spiritual and religious guidance. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-digital-spirituality-young-people-family.html Social Sciences Tue, 18 Aug 2026 21:00:03 EDT news706287841 A new study shows that fewer children had encounters with the U.S. child welfare system in the years before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and that this decline continued over the following years. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-covid-children-likelihood-contact-child.html Social Sciences Tue, 18 Aug 2026 18:00:01 EDT news706276201 The Australian state of Victoria was due to enforce a legal right to work from home starting in September 2026. But just weeks away from its implementation, the new premier, Ben Carroll, announced a year's delay in response to fierce business opposition. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-home-reward.html Economics & Business Tue, 18 Aug 2026 16:20:09 EDT news706273741 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 A baby sits on the floor and reaches toward a red ball on the floor and grunts. The mother responds, "Do you see the ball?" She picks it up, holds it in front of the baby and says, "Do you want to hold the ball?" The baby shrieks in excitement as the mother hands the ball to the baby. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-caregivers-agents-infants-interactions-differ.html Social Sciences Tue, 18 Aug 2026 08:20:01 EDT news706255682 People's ability to successfully navigate career changes depends on their adaptability and flexibility—skills that can be developed through training transition "muscles," according to Sarah Wittman, assistant professor of management at Costello College of Business and of industrial-organizational psychology (by courtesy) at George Mason University. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-career-chaotic-based-workout-routine.html Social Sciences Mon, 17 Aug 2026 23:20:02 EDT news706193485 Every year, thousands of tons of radish by-products generated during kimchi production are discarded despite containing valuable carbon and nutrient resources. Researchers at the World Institute of Kimchi (WiKim) have developed a genome-scale model-guided microbial engineering strategy that enables these agricultural by-products to be converted into biodegradable bioplastics while rationally engineering microbial strains specifically for radish hydrolyzate. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-coli-kimchi-radish-biodegradable-bioplastic.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 17 Aug 2026 17:00:04 EDT news706195021 Parents may have heard of the dangers of being a "helicopter parent." They hover so closely over their kids that they never get a chance to develop independence and resilience. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-parents-tweens-teens.html Social Sciences Mon, 17 Aug 2026 13:20:03 EDT news706179583 How we think and feel about science develops from an early age—and we never know where that early interest might take us. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-australia-people-scientists.html Education Mon, 17 Aug 2026 11:40:08 EDT news706175822 Ever used or thought of using artificial intelligence (AI) for financial advice? Is it a good idea? https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ai-tools-financial-advice-results.html Economics & Business Mon, 17 Aug 2026 11:20:01 EDT news706173961 Researchers have found that children are now nearly 11 when they first start playing outdoors without supervision. That's more than a year older than their parents' generation, with parents reporting they played outdoors at age 9. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-uk-children-unsupervised-outdoor-play.html Social Sciences Mon, 17 Aug 2026 11:00:12 EDT news706173422 Would you trust your child to stay home alone? For many caregivers, the answer depends on age. But when it comes to safety and independence, neuroscience suggests a different question may be more important: Is your child developmentally ready to stay home alone? https://phys.org/news/2026-08-child-stay-home-neuroscience-wrong.html Social Sciences Mon, 17 Aug 2026 10:20:01 EDT news706168621 About one in 10 teenagers experiences social anxiety—persistent and disruptive worries about being judged by classmates and other peers. In a new study of adolescents with social anxiety, researchers at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University found that certain qualities of teens' relationships with their pet dogs were associated with healthier ways of coping with peer-related stress. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-dogs-teens-cope-peer-stress.html Social Sciences Mon, 17 Aug 2026 07:00:01 EDT news705830341