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. Harbor porpoises "buzz" less when boats and ships are nearby—suggesting a drop in feeding and socializing, new research shows. The paper, published in the journal Marine Mammal Science, is titled "Seasonal and diurnal patterns of harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) behavior and the disruptive effects of vessel presence in a high-traffic coastal habitat." https://phys.org/news/2026-02-porpoises-boats-nearby-underwater-microphones.html Plants & Animals Mon, 09 Feb 2026 19:00:05 EST news689848706 New forms of fentanyl are created every day. For law enforcement, that poses a challenge: How do you identify a chemical you've never seen before? Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) aim to answer that question with a machine learning model that can distinguish opioids from other chemicals with an accuracy over 95% in a laboratory setting. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-fentanyl-phony-machine-algorithm-opioid.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 09 Feb 2026 15:30:02 EST news689872862 A research team from the Xi'an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics (XIOPM) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, along with collaborators from the Institute National de la Recherche Scientifique, Canada, and Northwest University, has developed a single-shot compressed upconversion photoluminescence lifetime imaging (sCUPLI) system for high-speed imaging. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-ai-powered-compressed-imaging-high.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 05 Feb 2026 15:08:24 EST news689526481 Kemp's ridley sea turtles are among the most endangered species of sea turtles in the world. They reside along the east and Gulf coasts of North America, alongside some of the world's most active shipping lanes. While the threats from fishing, pollution, and vessel collisions are well understood, it is less clear how disruptive human-caused noise is to their survival. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-world-rarest-sea-turtle-vulnerability.html Plants & Animals Tue, 03 Feb 2026 11:00:04 EST news689243521 For quantum computers to function, they must be kept at extremely low temperatures. However, today's cooling systems also generate noise that interferes with the fragile quantum information they are meant to protect. Now, researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have developed an entirely new type of quantum refrigerator, which is partly driven by the noise itself. This refrigerator enables very precise control over heat and energy flows and could play an important role in scaling up quantum technology. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-quantum-refrigerator-benefits-problematic-noise.html Superconductivity Thu, 29 Jan 2026 12:50:03 EST news688912696 In a small study, dogs experienced both stabilization and destabilization of their balance upon hearing angry or happy human voices, but angry voices were linked to the biggest destabilizing effects. Nadja Affenzeller and colleagues at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria, present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS One. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-angry-happy-human-voices-linked.html Plants & Animals Wed, 28 Jan 2026 14:00:01 EST news688294681 The Arctic is experiencing a steady rise in human-generated underwater noise as melting ice and increasing activity open the region to greater vessel traffic, with major implications for wildlife and local communities. New research from the University of Bath, drawing on data collected over more than a decade, sets out a clear and effective approach to monitoring underwater noise in Arctic waters. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-arctic-seas-louder-ice-posing.html Ecology Mon, 26 Jan 2026 16:10:01 EST news688665634 Drawing inspiration from the remarkable adaptability of the human eye, researchers from the Institute of Metal Research (IMR) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed a novel phototransistor with tunable sensitivity. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-bioinspired-phototransistor-high-sensitivity-contrast.html Optics & Photonics Sun, 18 Jan 2026 15:10:01 EST news687625671 Just like with people, when pets experience chronic stress it can raise cortisol levels, heart rate, and blood pressure; weaken the immune system; and even cause fluctuations in weight—all of which increase a pet's risk of becoming ill. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-ruff-days-cat-astrophies-pets.html Plants & Animals Thu, 15 Jan 2026 14:29:26 EST news687709742 Researchers led by Rice University's Guido Pagano used a specialized quantum device to simulate a vibrating molecule and track how energy moves within it. The work, published Dec. 5 in Nature Communications, could improve understanding of basic mechanisms behind phenomena such as photosynthesis and solar energy conversion. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-quantum-simulator-reveals-vibrations-energy.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 14 Jan 2026 13:09:16 EST news687618542 A research team led by Prof. Wang Zhenyou at the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (AIRCAS) has developed a microscopic time-gated Raman spectrometer capable of non-destructive, micrometer-scale chemical analysis of fragile archaeological ivory—even when strong fluorescence would normally obscure the signal. The study was published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-destructive-spectrometry-technique-fragile-archaeological.html Archaeology Mon, 05 Jan 2026 19:10:01 EST news686840715 Why does cancer sometimes recur even after successful treatment, or why do some bacteria survive despite the use of powerful antibiotics? One of the key culprits identified is "biological noise"—random fluctuations occurring inside cells. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-mathematicians-cellular-noise-puzzle-paving.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 30 Dec 2025 13:26:17 EST news686323556 When disease begins forming inside the human body, something subtle happens long before symptoms appear. Individual molecules such as DNA, RNA, peptides, or proteins begin shifting in quantity or shape. Detecting these tiny molecular changes early could dramatically change how cancer, infections, and other conditions are diagnosed. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-merging-nanopores-nanofluidic-devices-medicine.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 19 Dec 2025 12:10:05 EST news685368186 Scientists at NYU Abu Dhabi have developed a powerful new artificial intelligence tool called LA⁴SR that can rapidly identify previously overlooked proteins in microalgae—tiny organisms that produce much of Earth's oxygen and support entire aquatic ecosystems. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-ai-tool-discovery-life-microbes.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 16 Dec 2025 16:59:17 EST news685126698 Washington State University researchers have found a way to modulate a common virus protein to prevent viruses from entering cells where it can cause illness, a discovery that could someday lead to new antiviral treatments. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-modulating-key-interaction-virus-cells.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 15 Dec 2025 14:11:19 EST news685030233 Highspeed Internet, autonomous driving, the Internet of Things: data streams are proliferating at enormous speed. But classic radio technology is reaching its limits: the higher the data rate, the faster the signals need to be transmitted. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-terahertz-dirac-materials-enable-efficient.html Condensed Matter Thu, 04 Dec 2025 10:56:17 EST news684068161 Some phenomena in our daily lives are so commonplace that we don't realize there could be some very interesting physics behind them. Take a dripping faucet: why does the continuous stream of water from a faucet eventually break up into individual droplets? A team of physicists studied this question and reached surprising conclusions. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-faucet-jet-breakup-angstrom-scale.html Soft Matter Mon, 01 Dec 2025 16:12:20 EST news683827921 In 2017, a new global treaty was meant to bring mercury pollution under control. But three decades of data from UK harbor porpoises show mercury is still increasing, and is linked to a higher risk of dying from infectious disease. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-mercury-pollution-marine-mammals.html Plants & Animals Fri, 21 Nov 2025 13:49:04 EST news682955341 Shouting at seagulls makes them more likely to leave your food alone, research shows. The paper, "Herring gulls respond to the acoustic properties of men's voices," is published in Biology Letters. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-shouting-seagulls-food.html Plants & Animals Wed, 12 Nov 2025 05:21:03 EST news682147262 Most offices have that one worker who has problems controlling their indoor voice. Either too loud or too soft, it can be distracting to colleagues—especially as workplaces become increasingly open concept, with fewer closed offices to ensure privacy and quiet. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-office-speech-environment.html Social Sciences Wed, 05 Nov 2025 01:20:02 EST news681484301 For many Californians, crab bakes, crab cakes and crab feeds are traditional holiday fare. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-holiday-crab-tradition-california-disrupted.html Plants & Animals Tue, 28 Oct 2025 09:40:01 EDT news680861075 Since the Industrial Revolution, scientists estimate that the ocean has become around 30% more acidic from the uptake of additional anthropogenic carbon dioxide. Ocean acidification has widespread effects, including loss of coral reefs and a decline in shellfish. Current methods for measuring acidification in the ocean are point-based and labor-intensive, making large-scale, long-term monitoring challenging. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-method-ocean-acidification-ambient-noise.html Earth Sciences Tue, 28 Oct 2025 07:30:01 EDT news680801330 Quantum key distribution (QKD) harnesses the power of quantum mechanics to securely transmit confidential information. When an outside source eavesdrops on a QKD transmission, the quantum states are affected. This dependably alerts the receiver and sender that the transmission is no longer secure. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-quantum-key-transmission-distance-classical.html Quantum Physics Fri, 24 Oct 2025 10:28:59 EDT news680520527 From agriculture and urban land clearance to loss of habitat and feral animal predation, native wild animals and their food sources face a rising tide of threats caused by human activities. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-traffic-noise-clearance-bird-survival.html Plants & Animals Thu, 23 Oct 2025 05:29:04 EDT news680416141 Human disturbance has a significant impact on the behavior and habitat use of urban wildlife; however, in some situations, urban gray squirrels may actually feel safer from predators where our activity is high. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-road-noise-squirrels-safer.html Plants & Animals Thu, 16 Oct 2025 10:35:03 EDT news679829702 Every time you check the time on your phone, make an online transaction, or use a navigation app, you are depending on the precision of atomic clocks. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-physicists-precision-atomic-clocks-quantum.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 08 Oct 2025 13:05:05 EDT news679147502 Researchers from the University of Arizona, working with an international team, have captured and controlled quantum uncertainty in real time using ultrafast pulses of light. Their discovery, published in the journal Light: Science & Applications, could lead to more secure communication and the development of ultrafast quantum optics. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-quantum-uncertainty-captured-real-femtosecond.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 06 Oct 2025 13:40:03 EDT news678975908 The number of whales getting tangled up in fishing nets, line, buoys and other miscellaneous rope off the coasts of the United States hit a record high in 2024, with California taking the ignominious lead. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-whales-tangled-lines-ropes-california.html Plants & Animals Fri, 26 Sep 2025 06:01:31 EDT news678085286 Waking up to the dawn chorus of birds—one of the natural world's greatest symphonies—is a joy like no other. It is not surprising that bird-watching has become an increasingly popular hobby. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-birding-ear-songs-nature-symphony.html Plants & Animals Tue, 23 Sep 2025 13:32:04 EDT news677853122 Quantum technologies are systems that can compute data, sense their surrounding environment or perform other functions leveraging quantum mechanical effects. Connecting these technologies over long distances has so far proved challenging, as quantum information can easily become scrambled or destroyed following decoherence resulting from the systems' interactions with their surrounding environment. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-relay-architecture-based-quantum-dot.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 23 Sep 2025 06:30:01 EDT news677159777