Phys.org news

Phys.org / Beyond 'survival' of fittest: Evolution works in teams

Survival of the fittest. Nature red in tooth and claw. The common view of natural selection is based solely on the individual: A trait allows an organism to out-compete its rivals and is thus passed down to its offspring. ...

Feb 17, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Horses with over 30 minutes of REM sleep show better persistence in learning tasks

Just as for humans, sufficient sleep supports learning and coping for horses. A recent study at the University of Helsinki indicates that short periods of REM sleep impair horses' perseverance and performance in demanding ...

Feb 17, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Quantum sensor research advances the pursuit of dark matter

Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory are helping to pave a path for the eventual discovery of dark matter. With new approaches to measurement in the quantum realm, using quantum optical ...

Feb 17, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / AI model learns yeast DNA 'language' to boost protein drug output

Industrial yeasts are a powerhouse of protein production, used to manufacture vaccines, biopharmaceuticals, and other useful compounds. In a new study, MIT chemical engineers have harnessed artificial intelligence to optimize ...

Feb 17, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Renewable biological catalyst carries the potential to transform wastewater into phosphorus resource

Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for plants and managing its availability is critical for growing crops to maintain the global food supply. In an effort to move toward a more sustainable bioeconomy, researchers from the ...

Feb 17, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Intensive grazing and soil fertility favor the growth of non-native plants, drylands study finds

A global study has revealed the conditions under which non-native plants thrive in the world's many dryland regions and the factors that limit their spread. Using data from 98 study sites across 25 countries on six continents, ...

Feb 17, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Elusive lithium-ion anode binder finally seen with pioneering technique

Researchers at the University of Oxford have developed a powerful new method to visualize an essential lithium-ion battery electrode component that had been extremely difficult to trace before. The discovery, published in ...

Feb 17, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Satellite imagery and AI reveal development needs hidden by national data

For years, Iceland, Switzerland, and Norway have ranked near the top of the United Nations' annual index of countries based on indicators of well-being and quality of life. Countries with more poverty and less access to health ...

Feb 17, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Early study connects dogs' cancer survival with their gut microbiome composition

Canine cancer patients receiving a new form of immunotherapy lived longer or shorter depending on the composition of their microbiome, the community of organisms living in their gut. Results of the clinical trial led by Oregon ...

Feb 17, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Science on the double: How an AI-powered 'digital twin' accelerates chemistry and materials discoveries

Understanding what complex chemical measurements reveal about materials and reactions can take weeks or months of analysis. But now, an AI-powered platform developed by researchers at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley ...

Feb 17, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / A smart fluid that can be reconfigured with temperature

Imagine a "smart fluid" whose internal structure can be rearranged just by changing temperature. In a new study published in Matter, researchers report a way to overcome a long-standing limitation in a class of "smart fluids" ...

Feb 17, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Off-the-shelf components enable deployment-ready quantum entanglement source

Efficient generation and reliable distribution of quantum entangled states is crucial for emerging quantum applications, including quantum key distribution (QKDs). However, conventional polarization-based entanglement states ...

Feb 17, 2026 in Physics