Phys.org news

Phys.org / Exposing a hidden anchor for HIV replication

The tiny shell protecting the HIV virus resembles a slightly rounded ice cream cone, but there is nothing sweet about it. More than 40 million people worldwide live with AIDS because of this virus, and treatments must continually ...

Feb 18, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Antarctic warming is altering atmospheric stability: New evidence from the 1950s to the present

A new study published in the Journal of Climate reveals how surface warming in Antarctica, particularly over the Antarctic Peninsula, is significantly altering the stability of the lowest layers of the atmosphere.

Feb 18, 2026 in Earth
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
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 / Simplifying quantum simulations—symmetry can cut computational effort by several orders of magnitude

Quantum computer research is advancing at a rapid pace. Today's devices, however, still have significant limitations: For example, the length of a quantum computation is severely limited—that is, the number of possible ...

Feb 18, 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 / Ultrasound-jiggled nanobubbles can crack cancer's collagen 'fortress'

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University have discovered a way to breach one of cancer's most stubborn defenses: the impenetrable fortress that solid tumors build around themselves.

Feb 18, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Quantum-level effects in biology: Weak magnetic fields and isotopes can alter cell protein structures

A novel method to manipulate the inner structure of cells connects several scientific fields and could represent a significant step in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. ...

Feb 18, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Eclipse research finds turbulent times in the sun's corona

Researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi have uncovered new clues about how energy moves through the sun's outer atmosphere, using one of nature's rarest events as their window: total solar eclipses. Drawing on more than ...

Feb 18, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Homes in the fire zone: Why wildland-urban blazes create significantly more air pollution

A research team led by the U.S. National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research (NSF NCAR) has published a foundational inventory of emissions produced by structures destroyed by fires in the wildland-urban ...

Feb 18, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / The making of doting dads may involve a specific gene

Male caregiving is rare. Of the nearly 6,000 mammalian species, fewer than 5% of fathers stick around to raise their own young. Most are even instinctively hostile. Even among the mammals that pitch in with caregiving duties, ...

Feb 18, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Map suggests up to 30% of western bird hotspots face severe wildfire risk

Up to 30% of bird diversity hotspots, places where large numbers of different bird species occur, in the western United States face threats from high-severity wildfires in the future that could eliminate critical forest habitats, ...

Feb 18, 2026 in Biology