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Phys.org / Surprise discovery reveals silica's hidden potential in flat optics

An unexpected discovery in a Harvard lab has led to a breakthrough insight into choosing an unconventional material, silica, to make optical metasurfaces—ultra-thin, flat structures that control light at the nanoscale and ...

Jan 12, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Melting glaciers may mix up waters more than we thought

As marine-terminating glaciers melt, the resulting freshwater is released at the seafloor, which mixes with salty seawater and influences circulation patterns. As the oceans warm, it's growing increasingly important to study ...

Jan 13, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / An AI-driven strategy to accelerate microbial gene function discovery

We know the genes, but not their functions—to resolve this long-standing bottleneck in microbial research, a joint research team has proposed a cutting-edge research strategy that leverages artificial intelligence (AI) ...

Jan 12, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Silky shark tagging study reveals gaps in marine protected areas

The limited range of marine protected areas (MPAs) offers reduced protection to vulnerable species such as the highly mobile silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis). Because the survival of these sharks is threatened by commercial ...

Jan 12, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / DNA from wolf pup's last meal reveals new facts about woolly rhino's extinction

The woolly rhino, Coelodonta antiquitatis, would have been an impressive sight to the ancient people who painted images of them on cave walls and carved figurines of them out of bone, antler, ivory and wood.

Jan 15, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Scientists observe infections by cancer-causing retroviruses in koalas as they occur

An international team of scientists has analyzed the ongoing colonization by two retroviruses of the germline of koalas and resulting deaths from cancer in multi-generational pedigrees of over 100 koalas in US and European ...

Jan 12, 2026 in Biology
Tech Xplore / Digital technique puts rendered fabric in the best light

The sheen of satin, the subtle glints of twill, the translucence of sheer silk: Fabric has long been difficult to render digitally because of the myriad ways different yarns can be woven or knitted together.

Jan 12, 2026 in Computer Sciences
Tech Xplore / What a virtual zebrafish can teach us about autonomous AI

Aran Nayebi jokes that his robot vacuum has a bigger brain than his two cats. But while the vacuum can only follow a preset path, Zoe and Shira leap, play and investigate the house with real autonomy.

Jan 13, 2026 in Hi Tech & Innovation
Phys.org / Compressed data technique enables pangenomics at scale

Engineers at the University of California have developed a new data structure and compression technique that enables the field of pangenomics to handle unprecedented scales of genetic information. The team, led by UC San ...

Jan 12, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Fungal mechanism reveals how powdery mildew overcomes wheat immune defenses

Cereals have natural resistance to pathogenic fungi, but powdery mildew, for example, can overcome this resistance. A team at the University of Zurich has now discovered a new mechanism that enables powdery mildew to outsmart ...

Jan 12, 2026 in Biology
Tech Xplore / Electric vehicles could catch on in Africa sooner than expected

The number of vehicles in Africa is expected to double between now and 2050—faster than on any other continent. The question is not whether mobility will increase, but how. A new study led by researchers at ETH Zurich and ...

Jan 13, 2026 in Energy & Green Tech
Phys.org / Retail therapy fail? Online shopping may raise stress more than news, email or adult content

Planning to save time by doing your shopping online? If so, it's possible you're not doing your well-being any favors. A study from Aalto University in Finland has found that online shopping is more strongly linked to stress ...

Jan 12, 2026 in Other Sciences