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Phys.org / Engineers create water-saving sand layer to improve plant resilience during drought

The Anasazi, a once-flourishing tribe in the American Southwest, lived on bounties of corn, squash and beans. In 1276 A.D., however, a long, unforgiving drought made agriculture untenable, forcing them to migrate away from ...

Jan 7, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Natural hydrogel can make personal hygiene products greener

A natural, superabsorbent material developed at the University of Waterloo could dramatically reduce the environmental impact of personal hygiene products like diapers, menstrual pads and tampons.

Jan 8, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Snowflake-like emergence phenomenon discovered in metal nanocrystals

Whether they're tickling your nose, hugging your eyelashes or melting on your tongue, few winter wonders are as fascinating as snowflakes.

Jan 7, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Chemistry is stuck in the dark ages: 'Chemputation' can bring it into the digital world

Chemistry deals with that most fundamental subject: matter. New drugs, materials and batteries all depend on our ability to make new molecules. But discovery of new substances is slow, expensive and fragile. Each molecule ...

Jan 8, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Swinging abyss: Oxygen isotope analysis shows less dynamic Antarctic ice sheet in Oligocene period

Oxygen isotopes data enable researchers to look far back into the geologic past and reconstruct the climate of the past. In doing so, they consider several factors such as ocean temperature and ice volume in polar regions. ...

Jan 7, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Why we trust romantic partners rather than AI when making big financial decisions

Artificial intelligence programs are not only helping us tackle complex challenges like diagnosing diseases and predicting weather patterns, but also assisting with more mundane matters such as correcting grammar and planning ...

Jan 6, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / The mechanical ratchet: A new mechanism of cell division

Cell division is an essential process for all life on Earth, yet the exact mechanisms by which cells divide during early embryonic development have remained elusive—particularly for egg-laying species.

Jan 7, 2026 in Biology
Tech Xplore / An AI approach for single-image-based 3D character animation with preserved proportions

In Proceedings of the SIGGRAPH Asia 2025 Conference Papers, a research team affiliated with UNIST reports a new AI technology that can animate 3D characters to mimic the exact movements shown in a single 2D image, all while ...

Jan 8, 2026 in Computer Sciences
Phys.org / Porous copper nanosheets boost energy output in wearable nanogenerators

In recent years, two-dimensional (2D) single-crystalline metal nanosheets have emerged as a promising next-generation platform for self-powered electronics. However, their potential for triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs)—a ...

Jan 8, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Why hedgehogs used to be hated

Hedgehogs have been part of human culture for thousands of years. Across different societies, they've been symbols of fertility, protection and healing, as well as fear, superstition and suspicion.

Jan 8, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / The western US is in a snow drought. Here's how a storm made it worse

Much of the western U.S. has started in 2026 in the midst of a snow drought. That might sound surprising, given the record precipitation from atmospheric rivers hitting the region in recent weeks, but those storms were actually ...

Jan 8, 2026 in Earth
Tech Xplore / Decoding black box AI with human-readable data descriptions and influence

Artificial intelligence (AI), particularly deep learning models, are often considered black boxes because their decision-making processes remain difficult to interpret. These models can accurately identify objects—such ...

Jan 8, 2026 in Computer Sciences