Phys.org news

Phys.org / How eggs get built: Cells use actin and microtubules as a coordinated scaffold

A Northwestern Medicine study has shed light on one of the most intricate construction projects in biology: how cells build and coordinate the internal scaffolding needed to create a healthy egg. The research, published in ...

Feb 7, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Light-based Ising computer runs at room temperature and stays stable for hours

A team of researchers at Queen's University has developed a powerful new kind of computing machine that uses light to take on complex problems such as protein folding (for drug discovery) and number partitioning (for cryptography). ...

Feb 7, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / What to watch as fungal infections rise: Species that can quickly 'translate' fat-use proteins

A new study by researchers at Kiel University and MPI-EvolBio describes how more efficient protein production drives the adaptation of fungi to the human body, potentially turning previously harmless species into emerging ...

Feb 7, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / New type of magnetism discovered in 2D materials

In collaboration with international partners, researchers at the University of Stuttgart have experimentally demonstrated a previously unknown form of magnetism in atomically thin material layers. The discovery is highly ...

Feb 7, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Computer simulations reveal hurricane currents can knock down surface wave heights

Using advanced computer simulations, researchers from the University of Rhode Island's Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO) have concluded how and why strong ocean currents modify surface waves. "Our primary finding is that ...

Feb 7, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Encapsulated PbS quantum dots boost solar water splitting without sacrificial agents

A research team affiliated with UNIST has developed stable and efficient chalcogenide-based photoelectrodes, addressing a longstanding challenge of corrosion. This advancement paves the way for the commercial viability of ...

Feb 7, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Saturday Citations: Imaginative bonobos; cannabis brain benefits; sneaky beetles

This week in science news: Nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas, may break down more rapidly in the atmosphere than previously thought due to climate change. A new, experimental pill dramatically reduces bad cholesterol. ...

Feb 7, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / New hybrid films could cut costs for direct X-ray detectors

In medicine, security, nuclear safety and scientific research, X-rays are essential tools for seeing what remains hidden. The materials used to create X-ray detectors can be rigid, expensive and laborious to produce. But ...

Feb 7, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Keeping long-term climate simulations stable and accurate with a new AI approach

Hybrid climate modeling has emerged as an effective way to reduce the computational costs associated with cloud-resolving models while retaining their accuracy. The approach retains physics-based models to simulate large-scale ...

Feb 7, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Scientists discover 'levitating' time crystals that you can hold in your hand

Time crystals, a collection of particles that "tick"—or move back and forth in repeating cycles—were first theorized and then discovered about a decade ago. While scientists have yet to create commercial or industrial ...

Feb 6, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Extreme plasma acceleration in monster shocks offers new explanation for fast radio bursts

In a new study published in Physical Review Letters, scientists have performed the first global simulations of monster shocks—some of the strongest shocks in the universe—revealing how these extreme events in magnetar ...

Feb 6, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / New study uses Neanderthals to demonstrate gap between generative AI and scholarly knowledge

Technological advances over the past four decades have turned mobile devices and computers into the world's largest library, where information is just a tap away. Phones, laptops, tablets, smartwatches—they're a part of ...

Feb 6, 2026 in Other Sciences