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Phys.org / Antarctica sits above Earth's strongest 'gravity hole.' Now we know how it got that way

Gravity feels reliable—stable and consistent enough to count on. But reality is far stranger than our intuition. In truth, the strength of gravity varies over Earth's surface. And it is weakest beneath the frozen continent ...

Feb 16, 2026 in Earth
Medical Xpress / Tetris gameplay treatment helps reduce traumatic flashbacks for frontline health care workers

A simple, digital intervention that includes mentally playing Tetris can dramatically reduce intrusive memories of trauma in a month, even to the point of being symptom-free after six months, new research has found.

Feb 19, 2026 in Psychology & Psychiatry
Phys.org / From power grids to epidemics: Study shows how small patterns trigger systemic failures

Why do some systems collapse suddenly after what seems like a minor disturbance? A single transmission line failure can cascade into widespread blackouts. A delayed shipment can ripple through a global supply chain, emptying ...

Feb 18, 2026 in Other Sciences
Medical Xpress / Early periods and changing fertility patterns may influence ovarian cancer risk

Ovarian cancer is still one of the deadliest gynecological cancers affecting women around the world, especially in East Asian countries, where the numbers keep rising year after year. A new nationwide study in South Korea ...

Feb 16, 2026 in Oncology & Cancer
Tech Xplore / Choosing experiments randomly can help scientists develop better theories, new model reveals

The race to develop a virtual scientist—an AI creation that conducts every stage of research, from idea to publication—has consumed researchers, start-up founders, and tech juggernauts alike.

Feb 19, 2026 in Machine learning & AI
Phys.org / World's smallest QR code, read via electron microscope, earns Guinness recognition

Just how small can a QR code be? Small enough that it can only be recognized with an electron microscope. A research team at TU Wien, working together with the data storage technology company Cerabyte, has now demonstrated ...

Feb 17, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Rewriting our understanding of early hominin dispersal from Africa to Eurasia

What if Homo erectus (H. erectus), the direct ancestor of modern humans, arrived in China much earlier than we thought? Research published in Science Advances may rewrite our understanding of early human dispersal in that ...

Feb 18, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Solving a longstanding mystery about complex life's origin—oxygen-tolerant Asgard archaea may explain eukaryotes' rise

The most widely accepted scientific explanation for the arrival of all complex life on Earth has had an unsolved mystery at its heart. According to the theory, all plants, animals and fungi, known collectively as eukaryotes, ...

Feb 18, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / A bacterium's built-in compass, explained: Single-cell magnetometry confirms Earth-field alignment

Some bacterial species possess an astonishing ability: They use Earth's magnetic field to orient themselves. To better understand this mechanism, the team led by Argovia-Professor Martino Poggio from the Swiss Nanoscience ...

Feb 17, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Physicists observe polaron formation for the first time

When an electron travels through a polar crystalline solid, its negative charge attracts the positively charged atomic cores, causing the surrounding crystal lattice to deform. The electron and lattice distortion then move ...

Feb 17, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Feeling worse about money? Climate change may be part of the reason

Climate change is not just reshaping the planet, it's already affecting how people feel about their lives, their health and their financial security, according to a new study from the Universities of Portsmouth and Dundee. ...

Feb 18, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Pekingese, Shih Tzu and Staffordshire bull terrier among 12 dog breeds at risk of serious breathing condition

Scientists have identified a further 12 dog breeds as being at risk of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome—a condition that can cause serious breathing problems—including the Pekingese, Shih Tzu, Boston terrier, ...

Feb 18, 2026 in Biology