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Phys.org / Tuning color through molecular stacking: A new strategy for smarter pressure sensors

Piezofluorochromism, the phenomenon of materials reversibly changing their fluorescent color when pressure is applied, is used to create the pressure sensors used in automotive and medical industries. By monitoring color ...

Jan 22, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Living walls boost biodiversity by providing safe spaces for urban wildlife

Living walls—structures housing flowers and plants fitted to the outside of new and old buildings—can significantly enhance the biodiversity within urban environments, a new study has shown.

Jan 22, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Metal clumps in a quantum state: Physicists place thousands of sodium atoms in a 'Schrödinger's cat state'

Can a small lump of metal be in a quantum state that extends over distant locations? A research team at the University of Vienna answers this question with a resounding yes. In the journal Nature, physicists from the University ...

Jan 21, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Humans use local dialects to communicate with honeyguide birds, research shows

Researchers from the University of Cape Town (UCT), working with international collaborators, have shown that people in northern Mozambique use regionally distinct "dialects" when communicating with honeyguide birds, revealing ...

Jan 22, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Evidence of 'lightning-fast' evolution found after Chicxulub impact

The asteroid that struck the Earth 66 million years ago devastated life across the planet, wiping out the dinosaurs and other organisms in a hail of fire and catastrophic climate change. But new research shows that it also ...

Jan 22, 2026 in Earth
Tech Xplore / New method helps AI reason like humans without extra training data

A study led by UC Riverside researchers offers a practical fix to one of artificial intelligence's toughest challenges by enabling AI systems to reason more like humans—without requiring new training data beyond test questions.

Jan 22, 2026 in Computer Sciences
Phys.org / DNA nanodevices reveal acidic nanolayer on lysosome surfaces in live cells

Lysosomes are membrane-bound organelles whose acidic lumen (pH 4.5–5.0) is required for degradation. This luminal acidity is known to regulate cytosolic-side functions such as membrane fusion/fission, movement, and membrane-contact ...

Jan 22, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Medical Xpress / How pancreatic tumors use the MYC protein to evade immune detection

An international research team has succeeded in deciphering a key mechanism that controls the growth of pancreatic cancers. The scientists identified a potential central mechanism by which cancer cells protect themselves ...

Jan 22, 2026 in Oncology & Cancer
Phys.org / SPHEREx imaging reveals increased sublimation activity on 3I/ATLAS

The interstellar object, 3I/ATLAS, was first discovered in July 2025, and made its closest approach to the sun (perihelion) in late October. New observations of 3I/ATLAS were taken in December from the SPHEREx observatory—a ...

Jan 20, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Medical Xpress / Exhaled breath may carry clues to gut microbiome health

The human gut is home to trillions of beneficial microbes that play a crucial role in health. Disruptions in this delicate community of bacteria and viruses—called the gut microbiome—have been linked to obesity, asthma ...

Jan 22, 2026 in Gastroenterology
Phys.org / Austrian cow shows first case of flexible, multi-purpose tool use in cattle

In 1982, cartoonist Gary Larson published a now-iconic "Far Side" comic titled "Cow Tools." In it, a cow stands proudly beside a jumble of bizarre, useless objects that are "tools" in name only. The joke hinged on a simple ...

Jan 19, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Quantum 'alchemy' made feasible with excitons

What if you could create new materials just by shining a light at them? To most, this sounds like science fiction or alchemy, but to physicists investigating the burgeoning field of Floquet engineering, this is the goal. ...

Jan 19, 2026 in Physics