Scientific Discoveries

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Laughter, sighs and screams reveal unwritten social rules in everyday life
Science News

Laughter, sighs and screams reveal unwritten social rules in everyday life

Alongside words, humans have a treasure trove of nonverbal tools to help express themselves. We chuckle, sigh and gasp to communicate our feelings without uttering a word. What has amazed researchers for ages is how we rarely stop to think about how we know which sound belongs in which situation. Could unwritten social rules guide these everyday nonverbal sounds?

📅 2026-10-06 20:40:14    •    Phys.org
Mathematical model makes image encryption more resilient to real-world uncertainty
Science News

Mathematical model makes image encryption more resilient to real-world uncertainty

In today's digital world, everything from medical images and financial records to personal photos and secure communications depends on encryption systems that can protect sensitive information. But real-world technologies rarely operate under perfect conditions. Measurements can be imprecise, hardware introduces small errors, and communication channels are often affected by noise.

📅 2026-10-06 20:40:07    •    Phys.org
Archaeologists discover a child's skull built into the floor of a 2,500-year-old Scandinavian house
Science News

Archaeologists discover a child's skull built into the floor of a 2,500-year-old Scandinavian house

Archaeologists have unearthed evidence that men, women and children were subjected to violence within their communities in ancient Scandinavia — and that these victims were buried in unusual places, such as pits or wells or under a family's house or yard.During the Scandinavian Iron Age and Viking Age (from roughly 500 B.C. to A.D. 1050), violent encounters between individuals and communities steadily increased, resulting in archaeological evidence of elite warrior burials and mass graves from battles. To better understand the context of violence in the Iron and Viking ages, researchers analyzed 192 human bones from people buried in domestic areas at settlements in what are now Denmark, Norw...

📅 2026-10-06 20:22:45    •    Live Science
Shape-shifting sensory cells may help insects process visual information with less delay
Science News

Shape-shifting sensory cells may help insects process visual information with less delay

Anyone who has ever tried and failed to swat a fly has experienced the speed of a tiny nervous system. Now, a new review brings together evidence that its secret lies partly in microscopic movements and shape changes within sensory cells and neurons, challenging conventional views of how brains process information.

📅 2026-10-06 20:20:12    •    Phys.org
Richer people have an edge when it comes to getting national park permits
Science News

Richer people have an edge when it comes to getting national park permits

Many outdoor enthusiasts have spent hours in front of a computer, racing to reserve a campsite, backpacking permit or national park entrance ticket. A recent study suggests that the way these reservation systems are designed can favor higher-income visitors.

📅 2026-10-06 20:10:01    •    Phys.org
NASA's Curiosity rover catches stunning Martian dawn
Science News

NASA's Curiosity rover catches stunning Martian dawn

A newly released panorama captured by NASA's Curiosity rover offers the most detailed view yet of distant, wind-carved Martian cliffs, highlighting features the mission's scientists have long been waiting to see up close. The scene was snapped at 8:30 a.m. local Mars time, showing striking blue hues in the foreground as bright morning light illuminates crags known as yardangs on the horizon.

📅 2026-10-06 20:00:07    •    Phys.org
Diet alone cannot explain differences in gut bacterial communities
Science News

Diet alone cannot explain differences in gut bacterial communities

Why do the gut microbiomes of people from industrialized and nonindustrialized regions differ? A study by the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI) in collaboration with the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), the University of Trento (Italy) and the University of Tübingen shows that diet alone does not explain these differences.

📅 2026-10-06 20:00:02    •    Phys.org
Reading beyond the peaks: Optical analysis decodes spectral complexity in twisted semiconductor layers
Science News

Reading beyond the peaks: Optical analysis decodes spectral complexity in twisted semiconductor layers

A study from the Research Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), one of the centers under the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), presents a new method to reveal hidden material disorder reflected in complex photoluminescence spectra, paving the way for new optical diagnostics of material disorder in two-dimensional semiconductors and related light-emitting materials.

📅 2026-10-06 19:40:10    •    Phys.org
New Zealand's native plant seeds may survive wildfires
Science News

New Zealand's native plant seeds may survive wildfires

Mākaka (native broom) and kōwhai seeds might be able to survive the heat of fires, new research shows. Scientists heated native and exotic seeds in a lab oven to temperatures they may face in the soil during a fire, expecting only the exotics—which often experience fires in their homelands—to survive. However, mākaka and kōwhai seeds survived up to 80°C, and mākaka seeds even sprouted in response. Māhoe, tī kōuka (cabbage tree) and matagouri seeds died after heating, while invasive gorse survived 100°C and sprouted. As fires get more common in NZ, it's important to understand if any native seeds could survive and grow back, the researchers say.

📅 2026-10-06 19:40:01    •    Phys.org
Meet the long-legged giants that light up the deep ocean
Science News

Meet the long-legged giants that light up the deep ocean

Thousands of meters below the waves off Australia's east coast, far beyond where sunlight can reach, a stunning light show takes place in the dark. The cause? Two species of long-legged creatures emitting a blue glow.

📅 2026-10-06 19:20:21    •    Phys.org