All News

Phys.org / NASA's MAVEN detects first evidence of lightning-like activity on Mars

While sifting through the extensive data collected by NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft over the last decade, scientists discovered a familiar type of electromagnetic signal commonly caused ...

Mar 2, 2026
Phys.org / Rewilding could fill gap left by Panama's lost giants

Many large herbivores that once roamed modern-day Panama have declined or died out—including the 6-meter-long giant ground sloth and elephant-related creatures called Cuvieronius. New research suggests that introducing ...

Mar 3, 2026
Phys.org / Tomato and pepper production faces emerging threats

A research team composed of plant virologists from the Plant Virus Department at Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, the Italian National Research Council and BASF-Nunhems Italy, ...

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / Late scientist's notebooks help finish study of rare 55-million-year-old tarpon fossil

Recently-revealed notebooks belonging to a late paleontologist contain the missing information needed to help researchers finish their study of a remarkable fossil discovered nearly three decades ago.

Mar 3, 2026
Phys.org / Discovery of natural mechanism behind ferroptosis solves longstanding puzzle in cell biology

After more than a decade of research, scientists have discovered the natural mechanism behind a novel form of cell death called ferroptosis. The work, described in the current issue of Cell, points toward an entirely new ...

Mar 3, 2026
Phys.org / New 4D-STEM method isolates atomic structures from clustered nanocrystals

Scientists at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have developed a new way to determine atomic structures from nanocrystals previously considered unusable, a breakthrough that could ...

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / Studying snakes' ability to stand upright could inform soft robotics and more

Snakes may be best known for slithering. But consider that these animals also perform one of the most extreme feats of posture control found in nature: They can stand nearly straight upright on a narrow perch without falling, ...

Mar 3, 2026
Phys.org / Brain structure volume linked to increased social tolerance in macaques

Researchers have found that the size of the amygdala—a region of the brain involved in processing emotions—could be linked to social tolerance in macaque monkeys. Their research, published today in eLife, is described ...

Mar 3, 2026
Phys.org / Exceptionally preserved 551-million-year-old site suggests Avalon biota lasted longer

Researchers studying the soft-bodied Ediacaran biotas of the world generally accept that there are three distinct assemblages. The 575–560-million-year-old (Ma) Avalon Assemblage is best known from the Ediacaran of Newfoundland, ...

Feb 26, 2026
Phys.org / Newly excavated Maya wetland settlement shows the civilization's adaptation to changing climate

Past civilizations have been significantly affected by climate change, but how they adapted to new conditions centuries ago is less clear. In research newly published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, ...

Mar 3, 2026
Phys.org / Ancient Greek priestesses may have turned ergot fungus into a psychedelic brew during the Eleusinian Mysteries

The Eleusinian Mysteries were secret religious rites in ancient Greece honoring the goddess Demeter and her daughter Persephone, and aimed to remove the fear of death. The ceremonies included days of fasting, rituals and ...

Mar 2, 2026
Tech Xplore / AI often escalates to nuclear action in war games

There are some things perhaps we might not want artificial intelligence to handle, at least for the time being. When leading chatbots were put through war-game simulations, they opted for nuclear signaling or escalation in ...

Mar 2, 2026