Phys.org news

Phys.org / High-tech scans of an enigmatic 400-million-year-old lungfish reveal new details

New pieces have been added to the puzzle of the evolution of some of the oldest fish that lived on Earth more than 400 million years ago. In two separate studies, experts in Australia and China have found new clues about ...

Feb 3, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / New framework maps seven pillars for judging research trustworthiness

A new paper proposes a systems-level framework for evaluating the trustworthiness of research findings across methods and approaches. The paper, titled "A Framework for Assessing the Trustworthiness of Research Findings," ...

Feb 3, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Maps offer neighborhood-level insight into American migration

California's most devastating wildfire—the 2018 Camp Fire, which killed 85 and destroyed nearly 19,000 structures—forced nearly half of all residents living within designated fire perimeters to relocate within a year.

Feb 3, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / We ate space mushrooms and survived to tell the tale

The mushrooms spread out on the chopping board seemed normal enough. They were rich and dense, and had a strong earthy aroma. In the saucepan, they melted—along with the cheese—to form a creamy pasta sauce.

Feb 3, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Agave or bust! Mexican long-nosed bats head farther north in search of sweet nectar

Mexican long-nosed bats have a taste for agave, their tongues designed to lap up the famous desert plant's nectar during nightly flights. It's not just a means of satisfying taste buds. It's a matter of fueling up for an ...

Feb 3, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Tiny radio transmitters reveal a hidden survival tactic in birds

In Sturt National Park, near Tibooburra in central Australia where temperatures can range from freezing to nearly 50°C, there lives a small bird with a white back, forked tail and—as we've just discovered—a very clever ...

Feb 3, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Superconductivity exposes altermagnetism by breaking symmetries, study suggests

How are superconductivity and magnetism connected? A puzzling relation between magnetism and superconductivity in a quantum material has lingered for decades—now, a study from TU Wien offers a surprising new explanation.

Feb 3, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / A hearing test for the world's rarest sea turtle: Understanding its vulnerability to human-caused noise

Kemp's ridley sea turtles are among the most endangered species of sea turtles in the world. They reside along the east and Gulf coasts of North America, alongside some of the world's most active shipping lanes. While the ...

Feb 3, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Accurately predicting Arctic sea ice in real time

Arctic sea ice has large effects on the global climate. By cooling the planet, Arctic ice impacts ocean circulation, atmospheric patterns, and extreme weather conditions, even outside the Arctic region. However, climate change ...

Feb 3, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Using duality to construct and classify new quantum phases

A team of theoretical researchers has found duality can unveil non-invertible symmetry protected topological phases, which can lead to researchers understanding more about the properties of these phases, and uncover new quantum ...

Feb 3, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Probiotics for plants: Microorganisms boost growth and nitrogen uptake

Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have identified a bacterial genus that promotes root growth and nitrogen uptake in plants. The findings open new possibilities for developing customized "plant probiotics" ...

Feb 3, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / The unraveling of the shrew, in winter: Studies decode genetic basis of seasonal organ shrinkage in mammals

Some mammals hibernate to survive in winter, but the Eurasian common shrew (Sorex araneus) employs Dehnel's phenomenon to get through it. This is a metabolic process that enables shrews to conserve energy by shrinking their ...

Feb 3, 2026 in Biology