Phys.org news

Phys.org / Can a chatbot be a co-author? AI helps crack a long-stalled gluon amplitude proof

Like many scientists, theoretical physicist Andrew Strominger was unimpressed with early attempts at probing ChatGPT, receiving clever-sounding answers that didn't stand up to scrutiny. So he was skeptical when a talented ...

Feb 20, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Near-infrared study finds no clear counterpart to mysterious gamma-ray source

Spanish astronomers have conducted a near-infrared study of an ultra-high energy gamma-ray source designated LHAASO J2108+5157. The new study, published February 11 on the arXiv preprint server, tries to unravel the mysterious ...

Feb 20, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Symbiotic bacteria in planthoppers break record for smallest non-organelle genome ever found

Many insects rely on heritable bacterial endosymbionts for essential nutrients that they cannot get through their diet. A new study, published in Nature Communications, indicates that the genomes of these symbiotic bacteria ...

Feb 20, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Living tissues are shaped by self-propelled topological defects, biophysicists find

With a new mathematical model, a team of biophysicists has revealed fresh insights into how biological tissues are shaped by the active motion of structural imperfections known as "topological defects." Published in Physical ...

Feb 20, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Quantum entanglement could link distant telescopes for sharper images

To capture higher-definition and sharper images of cosmological objects, astronomers sometimes combine the data collected by several telescopes. This approach, known as long-baseline interferometry, entails comparing the ...

Feb 20, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / The bouba-kiki effect: Baby chicks match sounds to shapes just like humans

When we hear certain sounds, our brains often pair them with specific shapes. For example, most people will associate a sharp-sounding word with a jagged, pointed shape, while a soft, rolling word is linked to something smooth ...

Feb 20, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Atom-thin electronics withstand space radiation, potentially surviving for centuries in orbit

Atom-thick layers of molybdenum disulfide are ideally suited for radiation-resistant spacecraft electronics, researchers in China have confirmed. In a study published in Nature, Peng Zhou and colleagues at Fudan University ...

Feb 20, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Evidence points to early goat and sheep dairy consumption in Neolithic Iran

Approximately 9,000 years ago, human communities in Southwest Asia underwent a dramatic transformation, known as the Neolithic revolution. This period was marked by pronounced changes in how they lived and sourced food, with ...

Feb 20, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / How early farming unintentionally bred highly competitive 'warrior' wheat

An evolutionary "arms race" for light and space led to the early domestication of wheat, according to new research that could offer fresh insights into crop design. The study led by Dr. Yixiang Shan and Professor Colin Osborne, ...

Feb 20, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Scientists reveal best- and worst-case scenarios for a warming Antarctica

The climate crisis is warming Antarctica fast, with potentially disastrous consequences. Now scientists have modeled the best- and worst-case scenarios for climate change in Antarctica, demonstrating just how high the stakes ...

Feb 20, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / How massive lava fields formed in the Pacific Northwest

Volcanic eruptions are significant geologic hazards. Underwater volcanoes are challenging to study, yet they play an integral role in marine geology and may cause destructive tsunamis that can threaten coastal communities.

Feb 20, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Cleaner fish show intelligence typical of mammals

Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University in Japan have discovered a previously undiscovered behavior in cleaner wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus). When presented with a mirror, the tiny fish not only recognized themselves, ...

Feb 20, 2026 in Biology