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Phys.org / Rethinking where life could exist beyond Earth

Astronomers have long searched for life within a rather narrow ring around a star, the "habitable zone," where a planet should be neither too hot nor too cold for liquid water. A new study argues that this ring is too strict: ...

Jan 22, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Tech Xplore / Benchmarking framework reveals major safety risks of using AI in lab experiments

While artificial intelligence (AI) models have proved useful in some areas of science, like predicting 3D protein structures, a new study shows that it should not yet be trusted in many lab experiments. The study, published ...

Jan 19, 2026 in Engineering
Phys.org / Molecular surgery: 'Deleting' a single atom from a molecule

Inserting, removing or swapping individual atoms from the core of a molecule is a long-standing challenge in chemistry. This process, called skeletal editing, can dramatically speed up drug discovery or be applied for upcycling ...

Jan 22, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Sourdough starters reveal a recipe for predicting microbial species survival

People have long said that "bread is life." Now, researchers at Tufts University are using the bubbling mixtures of flour and water known as sourdough starters to explore what shapes life at the microscopic level. Their findings, ...

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
Tech Xplore / AI models tested on Dungeons & Dragons to assess long-term decision-making

Large Language Models, like ChatGPT, are learning to play Dungeons & Dragons. The reason? Simulating and playing the popular tabletop role-playing game provides a good testing ground for AI agents that need to function independently ...

Jan 20, 2026 in Computer Sciences
Phys.org / Stress-reduction molecule has potential to treat aging and metabolic disorders

University of Queensland researchers say the discovery of a new stress reduction role for a naturally occurring molecule in the body could lead to new drugs and treatment for metabolic disorders and aging.

Jan 22, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / How to prevent charge buildup in a lunar rover

As they roll across shadowed regions of the moon's surface, future lunar rovers could develop hazardous buildups of electric charge on their wheels. Through new analysis published in Advances in Space Research, Bill Farrell ...

Jan 18, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Medical Xpress / Predicting microbubble distribution for blood-brain barrier opening

A clinical study shows that preoperative dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can help predict how microbubbles will distribute in the human brain. This is a key step toward optimizing ...

Jan 23, 2026 in Neuroscience
Tech Xplore / AI is already writing almost one-third of new software code, study shows

Generative AI is reshaping software development—and fast. A new study published in Science shows that AI-assisted coding is spreading rapidly, though unevenly: in the U.S., the share of new code relying on AI rose from ...

Jan 22, 2026 in Software
Phys.org / DNA origami enables precise patterning of molecules on 2D semiconductors

Skoltech researchers and their colleagues from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany, Nanjing University of China, and the National Institute for Materials Science of Japan have developed a method for depositing ...

Jan 24, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Why we believe what we click: How self-selected online information shapes beliefs more than passive exposure

Information that we select for ourselves, such as things we click online, has a stronger impact than passively acquired information on our perception of truth and falsehood.

Jan 24, 2026 in Other Sciences