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Phys.org / Ancient Yangtze floods linked to Shijiahe decline, new 1,000-year rainfall record shows

A new study involving researchers from Oxford's Department of Earth Sciences has finally solved the mystery of what caused the collapse of an Ancient Chinese civilization—finding that widespread flooding was to blame. The ...

Feb 8, 2026 in Earth
Medical Xpress / Stimulating the central thalamus during anesthesia sheds light on neural basis of consciousness

The brains of mammals continuously combine signals originating from different regions to produce various sensations, emotions, thoughts and behaviors. This process, known as information integration, is what allows brain regions ...

Feb 6, 2026 in Neuroscience
Phys.org / Record low sea levels in the Baltic Sea could reshape sea's physical conditions

Since the beginning of January, an unusually long period of easterly winds has caused the average water level in the Baltic Sea to fall to a historic low. Measurements at the Swedish Landsort-Norra gauge show values that ...

Feb 9, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / The US has a new center in Texas to disperse sterile screwworm flies to block a parasite it spawns

The first center for dispersing sterile screwworm flies from U.S. soil in decades opened Monday in Texas, part of a larger effort to keep the flesh-eating parasite they spawn from crossing the Mexican border and wreaking ...

Feb 10, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Why snakes can go months between meals: A genetic explanation

Snakes may well be one of nature's greatest predators, capable of eating whole deer or even crocodiles, but just as impressive is that they can go months, or even a whole year, without a single meal. And now an international ...

Feb 4, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / What to watch as fungal infections rise: Species that can quickly 'translate' fat-use proteins

A new study by researchers at Kiel University and MPI-EvolBio describes how more efficient protein production drives the adaptation of fungi to the human body, potentially turning previously harmless species into emerging ...

Feb 7, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Skull fragments expand the frontiers of Iberian severed head ritual

The study of skull fragments from the Olèrdola (Olèrdola, Barcelona) and Molí d'Espígol (Tornabous, Lleida) sites has provided new evidence that would allow the ritual of "severed heads" from the northeast of the Iberian ...

Feb 8, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Water molecules actively reshape chiral catalyst structure, research shows

Researchers have analyzed the stepwise hydration of prolinol, a molecule widely used as a catalyst and as a building block in chemical synthesis. The study shows that just a few water molecules can completely change the preferred ...

Feb 8, 2026 in Chemistry
Medical Xpress / Fever chills explained: How brain signals push warmth-seeking to fight infection

When running a fever during infection, we often feel chills, which prompt us to take action to warm ourselves, such as turning on a heater or adding layers of clothing. Increased body temperature helps inhibit pathogen growth ...

Feb 10, 2026 in Neuroscience
Medical Xpress / What to know about Nipah virus after new cases in India

Reports of new Nipah virus cases in India have raised worries about yet another deadly outbreak. Nipah is a rare virus that can cause severe brain swelling and breathing problems, and there are no approved vaccines or treatments.

Phys.org / Petra aqueduct survey uncovers rare 116-meter lead conduit beside terracotta pipe

In a recent study, Niklas Jungmann from the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin conducted a survey and investigation of the 'Ain Braq aqueduct of the ancient city of Petra. It was discovered that, unlike previously believed, ...

Feb 5, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Light-based Ising computer runs at room temperature and stays stable for hours

A team of researchers at Queen's University has developed a powerful new kind of computing machine that uses light to take on complex problems such as protein folding (for drug discovery) and number partitioning (for cryptography). ...

Feb 7, 2026 in Physics