Phys.org news

Phys.org / Perseverance rover completes first AI-planned drive on Mars

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover has completed the first drives on another world that were planned by artificial intelligence. Executed on Dec. 8 and 10, and led by the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, ...

Feb 2, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / New database reveals how Americans use water

Water powers our lives. It feeds our crops, keeps factories running, generates electricity, and fills our taps. But until now, no one had a clear, national picture of how much water we're using—and for what.

Feb 2, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Unraveling the physics behind Kamchatka's 73-year earthquake cycle

A research team from University of Tsukuba and collaborating institutions has clarified why M9-class megathrust earthquakes recur off the Kamchatka Peninsula with an unusually short cycle of 73 years. By analyzing the rupture ...

Feb 2, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / North Sea sandstone could be used to store carbon dioxide, report suggests

Sandstone beneath the North Sea could be used to store carbon dioxide, a study has claimed. The British Geological Survey (BGS) report shows how sandstone beneath the North Sea could assist with the U.K.'s plans for carbon ...

Feb 2, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / NASA fuels its moon rocket in a crucial test to decide when Artemis astronauts will launch

NASA fueled its new moon rocket in one final make-or-break test Monday, with hopes of sending astronauts on a lunar fly-around as soon as this coming weekend.

Feb 2, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / AI streamlines deluge of data from particle collisions

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have developed a novel artificial intelligence (AI)-based method to dramatically tame the flood of data generated by particle detectors at ...

Feb 2, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / As Rubin's survey gets underway, simulations suggest it could find about six lunar-origin asteroids per year

Most near-Earth asteroids are thought to drift in from the main asteroid belt. But a small subset may have a much closer origin: the moon. One intriguing example is 469219 Kamoʻoalewa (2016 HO3), an Earth quasi-satellite ...

Feb 2, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Mapping how Arctic groundwater will respond to thawing permafrost

Dalhousie researchers have revealed how Arctic aquifers—permeable layers of the ground that store and transmit water to rivers, lakes and terrestrial ecosystems—behave today and how these vital resources will change with ...

Feb 2, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Automating microfluidic chip design: Hybrid approach combines machine learning with fluid mechanics

Researchers led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Savaş Taşoğlu from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Koç University have developed a new, open-access and machine learning-assisted design tool aimed at automating microfluidic ...

Feb 2, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / New formula unravels vines' parasitic nature

Twisting upwardly on trees and other plants—along with houses and even lampposts—vines are a wonder of nature. However, their marvels mask their parasitic behavior: in attaching to other life forms, vines block sunlight ...

Feb 2, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Biologists discover alternative systems that help cells control genes

Researchers at the School of Biological Sciences of The University of Hong Kong (HKU) have uncovered how eukaryotic cells can control gene activity even after losing one of their major gene-regulatory systems during evolution. ...

Feb 2, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / A more realistic picture of platinum electrodes

Current electrochemical theory does not adequately describe realistic platinum electrodes. Scientists at Leiden University have now, for the first time, mapped the influence of imperfect platinum surfaces. This provides a ...

Feb 2, 2026 in Chemistry