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Phys.org / 'Nature's algorithm' found in Chinese money plants

Look up at the clouds. What do you see? A sailboat? A seahorse? Your great-aunt Rosemary? As humans, we're prone to seeing patterns where they don't actually exist. This behavior is so common there's a name for it: apophenia. ...

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / More Star Wars-like worlds emerge as 27 planet candidates with two suns discovered

There's so little we know about circumbinary planets—planets that orbit two stars instead of one—that they can feel like the stuff of fantasy. And for good reason: to date, we've only confirmed the existence of 18 circumbinary ...

May 11, 2026
Tech Xplore / Quantum dot emitter delivers near-identical telecom photons at 40 million per second

Quantum technologies, devices that perform specific functions leveraging quantum mechanical effects, could soon outperform their classical counterparts on some tasks. Quantum emitters, devices that release individual particles ...

May 11, 2026
Phys.org / Method for measuring energy amounts less than a trillionth of a billionth of a joule could boost quantum computing

The fundamentals of quantum mechanics are minuscule. Scientists constantly home in on finer resolutions to measure, quantify, and control these fundamentals, like photons that carry light and have no mass unless they are ...

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / New tectonic plate boundary could be forming in Zambia, scientists say

Isotope analysis of gas from geothermal springs in Zambia could show that a new continental rift is forming, scientists say. Unexpectedly high helium isotope ratios indicate that a weakness in Earth's crust has broken through ...

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / Giving X-ray vision a sense of direction

Whether in tooth enamel or in nanomaterials made of silicon, the orientation of tiny internal structures often determines the properties of a material. A new X-ray method can even make this nano-order visible when the structures ...

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / Water-based nanocrystal provides a sticky solution to a pesky agricultural problem

A water-based formulation developed at the University of Waterloo using nanotechnology is both greener and more effective than conventional methods for delivering agricultural pesticides.

May 12, 2026
Phys.org / When uncertainty spikes, chasing rewards backfires and a more informed strategy pulls ahead

Humans and other animals are constantly required to make decisions under uncertain conditions or while in rapidly changing environments. Past psychology and biology studies showed that some decision-making strategies can ...

May 11, 2026
Phys.org / Two proteins, one goal: New findings on stem cell differentiation

Stem cells are the original cell type from which all other cells and tissues in the body develop through a very tightly regulated process. However, how stem cells differentiate in addition to gene-control systems, such as ...

May 12, 2026
Medical Xpress / How the brain decides which memories belong together could reshape schizophrenia research

Our memories of past events are typically not isolated, but they are linked to other related memories. This ability to establish connections between related memories is highly advantageous, as it helps us to recognize familiar ...

May 11, 2026
Science X / Alarm bells fade: One pregnancy vaccine raised fears, but its earliest real-world test tells a different story

Questions about the safety of the RSVpreF vaccine, designed to protect infants from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), for both mothers and babies during pregnancy have fueled considerable debate. One of the key concerns ...

May 11, 2026
Phys.org / Cut marks on 1.6 million-year-old bones reveal early humans moved prized meat

There is an old adage that goes, "you are what you eat," meaning that the food you consume helps build your body and fuel your mind. The same is true now as it ever was. When it comes to early humans, studying what they ate ...

May 10, 2026