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Phys.org / The bouba-kiki effect: Baby chicks match sounds to shapes just like humans

When we hear certain sounds, our brains often pair them with specific shapes. For example, most people will associate a sharp-sounding word with a jagged, pointed shape, while a soft, rolling word is linked to something smooth ...

Feb 20, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Near-infrared study finds no clear counterpart to mysterious gamma-ray source

Spanish astronomers have conducted a near-infrared study of an ultra-high energy gamma-ray source designated LHAASO J2108+5157. The new study, published February 11 on the arXiv preprint server, tries to unravel the mysterious ...

Feb 20, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Probability underlies much of the modern world—an engineering professor explains how it actually works

Probability underpins AI, cryptography and statistics. However, as the philosopher Bertrand Russell said, "Probability is the most important concept in modern science, especially as nobody has the slightest notion what it ...

Feb 23, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / 6 planets will parade across the night sky at the end of February

Six planets are linking up in the sky at the end of February, and most will be visible to the naked eye.

Feb 23, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Quantum entanglement could link distant telescopes for sharper images

To capture higher-definition and sharper images of cosmological objects, astronomers sometimes combine the data collected by several telescopes. This approach, known as long-baseline interferometry, entails comparing the ...

Feb 20, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Pregnancy complications may have helped wipe out Neanderthals

Neanderthals disappeared from the fossil record approximately 40,000 years ago. Their extinction was a gradual process over thousands of years, and theories as to why include competition with modern humans and rapid climate ...

Feb 20, 2026 in Biology
Medical Xpress / Closing in on a universal vaccine: Nasal spray protects mice from respiratory viruses, bacteria and allergens

In the realm of medical advancements, a universal vaccine that can protect against any pathogen has long been a Holy Grail—and about as elusive as a mythological vessel. But Stanford Medicine researchers and collaborators ...

Phys.org / Evidence points to early goat and sheep dairy consumption in Neolithic Iran

Approximately 9,000 years ago, human communities in Southwest Asia underwent a dramatic transformation, known as the Neolithic revolution. This period was marked by pronounced changes in how they lived and sourced food, with ...

Feb 20, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Atom-thin electronics withstand space radiation, potentially surviving for centuries in orbit

Atom-thick layers of molybdenum disulfide are ideally suited for radiation-resistant spacecraft electronics, researchers in China have confirmed. In a study published in Nature, Peng Zhou and colleagues at Fudan University ...

Feb 20, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Tech Xplore / Jailbreaking the matrix: How researchers are bypassing AI guardrails to make them safer

A paper written by University of Florida Computer & Information Science & Engineering, or CISE, Professor Sumit Kumar Jha, Ph.D., contains so many science fiction terms, you'd be forgiven for thinking it's a Hollywood script: ...

Feb 22, 2026 in Security
Phys.org / Staple crops are a major contributor to global deforestation, says study

Rice, maize, and cassava crops cumulatively account for approximately 11% of total global deforestation—exceeding that of cocoa, coffee, and rubber—according to an analysis between 2001 and 2022, published in Nature Food. ...

Feb 23, 2026 in Earth
Medical Xpress / Hearing loss contributes to cognitive decline after childhood cancer treatment

A study led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital assessed cognitive and communication abilities in children treated for the brain tumor ependymoma to understand the impact of treatment better. They found that radiation ...

Feb 23, 2026 in Oncology & Cancer