Phys.org news

Phys.org / Most compact quadruple star system yet fits within an area the size of Jupiter's orbit

Astronomers have reported observations of a rare star system consisting of one star orbiting a system of three more tightly bound stars. This quadruple star system is described in a new study, published in Nature Communications, ...

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / New peptide catalyst enables stereoselective head-to-tail macrocycle synthesis

A team at ETH Zurich developed a new peptide-based organocatalyst that handles macrocycle formation from start to finish. Macrocyclic compounds are ubiquitous both in nature and in the chemical industrial setup. They are ...

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / Cockroaches that eat each other's wings become exclusive partners

Scientists have discovered that, far from being solitary insects, some cockroaches appear to form an exclusive bond with a partner. And how do they get this relationship off the ground? By eating each other's wings.

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / 'Nano-origami' reshapes liquid droplets into six-pointed stars

For the first time, researchers in France and Israel have observed how an emulsified liquid droplet can transform from a hexagon into a six-pointed star shape in response to rising temperature. Publishing their results in ...

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / Research shows 41 US states are getting warmer, all in slightly different ways

Different regions of the United States are experiencing different patterns of warming climate, requiring region-specific adaptation, according to a study published in PLOS Climate by María Dolores Gadea Rivas of the University ...

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / The Maya engineering paradox: Masters of water, prisoners of mercury

Under the supervision of Université de Montréal archaeology professor Christina Halperin, Ph.D. student Jean Tremblay spent six years, from 2018 to 2024, studying how the Mayan city of Ucanal managed its drinking water. ...

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / Why are cats prone to kidney disease? A study points to unusual fats

Researchers from the University of Nottingham have uncovered a surprising biological quirk in domestic cats that may help explain why they are so prone to chronic kidney disease. Unlike dogs and most other mammals, cats appear ...

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / Chimps' love for crystals could help us understand our own ancestors' fascination with these stones

Crystals have repeatedly been found at archaeological sites alongside Homo remains. Evidence shows that hominins have been collecting these stones for as long as 780,000 years. Yet, we know that our ancestors did not use ...

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / One-of-a-kind microscope reveals living cells in unprecedented detail

Stanford researchers have combined two microscopy techniques to create a one-of-a-kind instrument that can show cell structures interacting in real time at an unprecedented 120-nanometer resolution—the highest achieved ...

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / Oldest known bony fish fossils uncover early vertebrate evolution

A research team led by Profs. Zhu Min, Lu Jing, and Zhu You'an from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences published two back-to-back cover stories in the ...

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / With Evo 2, AI can model and design the genetic code for all domains of life

The DNA foundation model Evo 2 has been published in the journal Nature. Trained on the DNA of over 100,000 species across the entire tree of life, Evo 2 can identify patterns in gene sequences across disparate organisms ...

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / How moss helped solve a grave-robbing mystery

In 2009, a scandal was exposed at a cemetery just outside of Chicago. Workers at Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois, were accused of exhuming old graves, dumping the remains elsewhere on the cemetery grounds, and reselling ...

Mar 4, 2026