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Tech Xplore / A smelly snapshot of the current state of electronic noses for robots

Robots are getting better at sniffing out smells thanks to improvements in electronic noses (e-noses). A comprehensive review of the state of robot olfaction, published in the journal npj Robotics, has surveyed recent advances ...

Jan 31, 2026 in Robotics
Phys.org / Mapping cell development with mathematics-informed machine learning

The development of humans and other animals unfolds gradually over time, with cells taking on specific roles and functions via a process called cell fate determination. The fate of individual cells, or in other words, what ...

Jan 26, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Satellite study reveals 24.2 billion ton annual groundwater loss in High Mountain Asia

A recent satellite-based study has uncovered alarming declines in groundwater storage across High Mountain Asia (HMA), widely known as the "Asian Water Tower." This critical water source, which sustains agricultural irrigation, ...

Feb 1, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Sprint or marathon? Aging muscle stem cells shift from rapid repair to long-term survival

Aging muscles heal more slowly after injury—a frustrating reality familiar to many older adults. A UCLA study conducted in mice reveals an unexpected cause: Stem cells in aged muscle accumulate higher levels of a protein ...

Jan 31, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Lab study suggests longer waves fracture floating ice sheets at lower stress

When waves are moving across ice-covered seas, they can cause sheets of ice to bend and ultimately break. Understanding the processes underlying these wave-induced ice fractures and predicting when they will occur could help ...

Jan 30, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Spider spinneret evolution: How a genome duplication event 438 million years ago set the stage

Scientists have uncovered a 400-million-year-old genetic secret that gave spiders the ability to produce silk and weave their webs. Spiders didn't begin their journey on Earth in the same way as they are known today. Arthropods ...

Jan 30, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Single-cell microdevice isolates and profiles extracellular vesicles over weeks

Extracellular vesicles and particles are central to how cells communicate, especially in cancer, where they help shape metastasis and treatment resistance. However, most existing methods analyze vesicles in bulk, masking ...

Feb 1, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Cuttlefish use polarized light to create a dramatic mating display invisible to humans

Many organisms leverage showy colors for attracting mates. Because color is a property of light (determined by its wavelength), it is easy for humans to see how these colors are used in animal courting rituals. Less obvious ...

Jan 27, 2026 in Biology
Medical Xpress / Psychosis rates are increasing in more recent generations, large-scale Canadian study finds

People born more recently are being diagnosed with psychotic disorders (e.g., schizophrenia) more often and at younger ages than people born earlier, suggests a large study of more than 12 million people in Ontario, published ...

Feb 2, 2026 in Psychology & Psychiatry
Phys.org / Fossil hunters uncover 132-million-year-old dinosaur footprints on South Africa's coast

Southern Africa is world renowned for its fossil record of creatures that lived in the very distant past, including dinosaurs. But, about 182 million years ago, a huge eruption of lava covered much of the landscape (the inland ...

Jan 31, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / A world-first mouse that makes gene activity visible

DNA can be thought of as a vast library that stores all genetic information. Cells do not use this information all at once. Instead, they copy only the necessary parts into RNA, which is then used to produce proteins—the ...

Jan 31, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / New species of ladybird beetle discovered on university campus in Japan

University campuses are often places of learning and discovery, but rarely do researchers find a new species living right on their doorstep. However, that is exactly what happened when a research team from Kyushu University ...

Jan 31, 2026 in Biology