Phys.org news

Phys.org / Scientists design molecules 'backward' to speed up discovery

Every medication in your cabinet, every material in your phone's battery, and virtually every compound that makes modern life work started as a molecular guess, with scientists hypothesizing that a particular arrangement ...

Jan 21, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Rye pollen's cancer-fighting structure revealed for first time

Nearly three decades ago, scientists found that a pair of molecules in rye pollen exhibited an unusual ability to slow tumor growth in animal models of cancer. But progress stalled for one seemingly simple reason: No one ...

Jan 21, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / 2.6-million-year-old Paranthropus fossil expands early hominin range

In a paper published in Nature, a team led by University of Chicago paleoanthropologist Professor Zeresenay Alemseged reports the discovery of the first Paranthropus specimen from the Afar region of Ethiopia, 1,000 km north ...

Jan 21, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Low-platinum catalyst could make hydrogen production cheaper

A new type of catalyst that uses five times less platinum than usual could help make hydrogen production more affordable in the future.

Jan 21, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / US forests store record carbon as natural and human factors combine

U.S. forests have stored more carbon in the past two decades than at any time in the last century, an increase attributable to a mix of natural factors and human activity, finds a new study.

Jan 21, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Velocity gradients prove key to explaining large-scale magnetic field structure

All celestial bodies—planets, suns, even entire galaxies—produce magnetic fields, affecting such cosmic processes as the solar wind, high-energy particle transport, and galaxy formation. Small-scale magnetic fields are ...

Jan 21, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Fossil shorebirds reveal Australia's ancient wetlands lost to climate change

Flinders University paleontology researchers—with local fossil experts—have discovered how prolific shorebirds, including the Plains-wanderer, once lived across South Australia's South-East during wetter times up to 60,000 ...

Jan 21, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / How early cell membranes may have shaped the origins of life

Modern cells are complex chemical entities with cytoskeletons, finely regulated internal and external molecules, and genetic material that determines nearly every aspect of their functioning. This complexity allows cells ...

Jan 21, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Sculpting complex 3D nanostructures with a focused ion beam

Scientists from the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science and colleagues have developed a new way to fabricate three-dimensional nanoscale devices from single-crystal materials using a focused ion beam instrument. The ...

Jan 21, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / New method creates acinar cells involved in formation of pancreatic cancer

Organoids are three-dimensional miniature models of organs, grown in a dish. They have become a valuable tool for studying human development, organ regeneration, function, and disease progression. Organoids derived from patient ...

Jan 21, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Strategic sex: Alaska's beluga whales swap mates for long-term survival

In the icy waters of Alaska's Bristol Bay, a new study reveals how a small population of beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) survive the long haul through a surprising strategy: they mate with multiple partners over several ...

Jan 21, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Data-driven analysis reveals three archetypes of armed conflicts

The language used to describe conflicts naturally reflects assumptions about how different forms of violence emerge and develop.

Jan 21, 2026 in Other Sciences