Phys.org news

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 / What's going on inside quantum computers? New method simplifies process tomography

Quantum computers work by applying quantum operations, such as quantum gates, to delicate quantum states. Ideally, quantum computers can solve complex equations at staggeringly fast speeds that vastly outpace regular computers. ...

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / Ctenophore research points to earlier origins of brain-like structures

New 3D reconstructions of a key sensory organ in ctenophores reveal an unexpected structural and functional complexity. The findings suggest that an elementary brain may have already appeared in our most ancient relatives, ...

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / From water splitting to H₂O₂: A new method narrows carbon nitride photocatalyst design

Photocatalysis promises an efficient conversion of abundant solar energy into usable chemical energy. Polyheptazine imides have some key structural and functional twists that make them especially interesting for photocatalysis. ...

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / Female astronauts face clotting risks, five-day weightlessness simulation suggests

Just a few days in simulated microgravity can subtly change the way women's blood clots, sparking bigger questions about health monitoring protocols for astronauts who can spend six months or more in orbit, say Simon Fraser ...

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / Charred pot residues reveal prehistoric Europeans' surprisingly complex cuisines

Thousands of years ago, European communities used a variety of plant and animal products to create elaborate meals, according to a study published in the open-access journal PLOS One by Lara González Carretero of the University ...

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
Phys.org / JWST reveals surprising secrets in Jupiter's northern lights

An international team of scientists, led by a Ph.D. researcher from Northumbria University, has made further discoveries about a spectacular feature of Jupiter's northern lights, revealing a never-before-seen temperature ...

Mar 4, 2026
Phys.org / What Geminga's 100 TeV cutoff may mean for cosmic-ray acceleration in the Milky Way

For the first time, the Tibet ASγ Experiment has successfully measured magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence on scales below one parsec (approximately 3.3 light-years) within the gamma-ray halo surrounding the Geminga pulsar ...

Mar 4, 2026