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Phys.org / Why some tunes stick: Mathematical symmetry helps explain catchy melodies

Why do some melodies feel instantly right, balanced, memorable and satisfying, even if you have never heard them before? New research from the University of Waterloo suggests that more than creativity is at play.

Feb 19, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Is this glass square the long, long future of data storage?

Scientists at Microsoft Research in the United States have demonstrated a system called Silica for writing and reading information in ordinary pieces of glass which can store two million books' worth of data in a thin, palm-sized ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Nanoengineers realize an on-chip excitonic hyperlens

When light passes through materials, it typically changes direction and bends in predictable ways. This change in direction, known as refraction, is caused by a change in the speed of light as it enters a new medium. In some ...

Feb 17, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Medical Xpress / Kirigami-inspired sensors precisely map activity of neurons in the primate brain

Recent technological advances have opened new exciting possibilities for the development of smart prosthetics, such as artificial limbs, joints or organs that can replace injured, damaged or amputated body parts. These same ...

Feb 18, 2026 in Neuroscience
Phys.org / Massive ceramics haul from a 14th-century shipwreck reveals Singapore's trading past

Singapore was a thriving trading hub hundreds of years before popular narratives depicted it as a quiet fishing village, according to a study of the cargo of a centuries-old shipwreck. Sometime during the middle of the 14th ...

Feb 17, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Cheaper green hydrogen? New catalyst design cuts energy losses in AEM electrolyzers

Producing clean hydrogen from water is often compared to storing renewable energy in chemical form, but improving the efficiency of that process remains a scientific challenge. Researchers at Tohoku University have now developed ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Storms reveal rare 2,000-year-old footprints on Scottish beach

Storms that recently ravaged Britain's coastline have revealed 2,000-year-old footprints on an Angus beach—one of only a handful of locations in the U.K. where markings of this kind have ever been discovered. The imprints ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Scientists unlock a massive new 'color palette' for biomedical research by synthesizing non-natural amino acids

Ozempic has been making headlines for its remarkable success in treating obesity and diabetes. Yet it is just one in a rapidly growing class of drugs called peptide therapeutics that sits between small molecules (like aspirin) ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Using light to probe fractional charges in a fractional Chern insulator

In some quantum materials, which are materials governed by quantum mechanical effects, interactions between charged particles (i.e., electrons) can prompt the creation of quasiparticles called anyons, which carry only a fraction ...

Feb 16, 2026 in Physics
Medical Xpress / Red blood cells soak up sugar at high altitude, protecting against diabetes

Scientists have long known that people living at high altitudes, where oxygen levels are low, have lower rates of diabetes than people living closer to sea level. But the mechanism of this protection has remained a mystery. ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Endocrinology & Metabolism
Medical Xpress / A potential new lymphedema target: Clearing cholesterol deposits to reduce swelling

An international team led by National University of Singapore researchers has linked secondary lymphedema to excessive cholesterol buildup inside skin and around lymphatic vessels. Excess cholesterol deposition tracked with ...

Feb 17, 2026 in Immunology
Medical Xpress / Fiber-free processed foods hit emotional memory fast, especially in older brains

Past studies in animals have shown that a highly processed diet is linked to memory problems and inflammation in the aged brain—and the effect can happen fast, after just three days of poor eating.

Feb 19, 2026 in Neuroscience