Phys.org news

Phys.org / Scent analysis reveals the composition of ancient Egyptian embalming materials

In a recent study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, Wanyue Zhao and her colleagues used volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to analyze the composition of scents given off by mummies and their embalming materials. ...

Feb 14, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Porous material uses green and blue light to repeatedly store and release CO₂

Scientists at the University of Groningen, led by Nobel laureate Ben Feringa and colleagues, have created a new porous material that captures and releases carbon dioxide using only visible light. The breakthrough could pave ...

Feb 14, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Antipathy toward snakes? Your parents likely talked you into that at an early age

A study of more than 100 kindergarten-age children suggests kids tend to think of snakes differently than they do other animals and that hearing negative or objectifying language about the slithery reptiles might contribute ...

Feb 14, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / What's in your wine? Using NMR to reveal its chemical profile

New work from Georgia Tech is showing how a simple glass of wine can serve as a powerful gateway for understanding advanced research and technologies. The project, inspired by an Atlanta Science Festival event hosted by School ...

Feb 14, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Costa Rica digs up mastodon, giant sloth bones in major archaeological find

Researchers in Costa Rica have unearthed fossils from a mastodon and a giant sloth that lived as many as 40,000 years ago, officials announced Friday, calling it the biggest such find here in decades.

Feb 14, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Saturday Citations: Pig-boar hybrids in Japan; neuroprotective lattes; the exercise/weight-loss conundrum

This week, researchers reported on a juvenile great white shark caught by fishermen in Spanish Mediterranean waters. China's clean air initiatives have resulted in major public health gains, but may have one unintended consequence. ...

Feb 14, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / What we can learn from lovebirds, the rare birds that mate for life

Minutes after getting to a park in the middle of Phoenix, you can see flashes of green in the sky and hear chatter because love is in the air—or at least, the lovebirds are.

Feb 14, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Time crystals could become accurate and efficient timekeepers

Time crystals could one day provide a reliable foundation for ultra-precise quantum clocks, new mathematical analysis has revealed. Published in Physical Review Letters, the research was led by Ludmila Viotti at the Abdus ...

Feb 13, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Arctic peatlands are expanding as temperatures continue to rise, new research confirms

The Arctic is warming faster than the rest of the planet, with average temperatures increasing by about 4°C in the last four decades. A new study, led by the University of Exeter, shows peatlands have expanded since 1950, ...

Feb 13, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Could the discovery of a tiny RNA molecule explain the origins of life?

One of the greatest mysteries of our planet is how a soup of lifeless chemicals transformed into the first living cell. There are several competing theories about where this happened, from frozen polar ice to superheated ...

Feb 13, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Northern Britain's oldest human remains are of a young female child, DNA analysis reveals

The oldest human remains ever found in Northern Britain have been identified as a young female three years after being discovered in a Cumbrian cave. Excavated at Heaning Wood Bone Cave in Cumbria's Great Urswick by local ...

Feb 13, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Recently discovered SN 2024abfl is a low-luminosity Type IIP supernova, astronomers find

An international team of astronomers has conducted photometric and spectroscopic observations of a recently discovered supernova designated SN 2024abfl. Results of the observational campaign, presented February 4 on the preprint ...

Feb 13, 2026 in Astronomy & Space