Phys.org news
Phys.org / AI uncovers hidden immune defenses inside bacteria
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have discovered thousands of new proteins that protect bacteria from virus attacks using an AI system called DefensePredictor. What would usually take months ...
Phys.org / Sound-sensing hair bundles in our ears act as tiny thermodynamic machines
The hair cells lining the inner ear are among the most sophisticated structures in the human body: capable of detecting sounds as faint as a whisper, while helping to maintain our sense of balance. Through new models detailed ...
Phys.org / Unique double baptistery and mysterious marble block uncovered at Byzantine cathedral in Israel
In a new article published in the Palestine Exploration Quarterly, researchers Dr. Michael Eisenberg and Dr. Arleta Kowalewska describe a recently excavated Byzantine-period cathedral at Hippos. Archaeologists revealed a ...
Phys.org / Ancient Romans were obsessed with a plant said to be a contraception and an aphrodisiac. Then one day, it went extinct
Roman leader Julius Caesar is said to have kept a stock of it in the treasury. Ancient writer Pliny the Elder says Rome's Emperor Nero owned the last stalk of it. And some have suggested rampant extramarital sex in elite ...
Phys.org / The oldest breath: A 300-million-year-old mummy reveals the origins of how amniotes breathe
Every breath you take is an ancient inheritance. The rise and fall of your chest, the intercostal muscles pulling your ribs outward, the rush of air into your lungs—this mechanism is so familiar it barely registers as remarkable. ...
Phys.org / Ecuador study finds tropical rainforest biodiversity rebounds over 90% in 30 years
Tropical rainforests are home to almost two-thirds of all vertebrate species and three-quarters of all tree species: they are the most species-rich terrestrial ecosystem on Earth. However, over half of these diverse rainforests ...
Phys.org / Triple threat emerges as sharks, beach nourishment and murky waters collide
Each winter, thousands of blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus) migrate to the clear, shallow waters off South Florida, where they are easily spotted from the air—a movement that coincides with seasonal beach nourishment ...
Phys.org / AMOC collapse could turn Southern Ocean into carbon source, adding 0.2°C to global warming
A shutdown of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) could trigger a substantial release of stored ocean carbon into the atmosphere over hundreds of years, according to a new study that simulated such a collapse ...
Phys.org / DNA evidence reveals a Stone Age population collapse in France
By analyzing DNA of ancient skeletons at a Neolithic burial site near Paris, an international team of researchers has uncovered evidence of a dramatic population replacement 5,000 years ago. The findings indicate that the ...
Phys.org / AI trained like a Rubik's Cube solver simplifies particle physics equations
For years, Rutgers physicist David Shih solved Rubik's Cubes with his children, twisting the colorful squares until the scrambled puzzle returned to order. He didn't expect the toy to connect to his research, but recently ...
Phys.org / Giant jars, ancient bells, buried bones and a mystery that endures
Helping to preserve artifacts, some potentially 2,000 years old, was an irresistible privilege. Since 2016, an Australian-Lao team led by Louise Shewan, Dougald O'Reilly and Thonglith Luangkhoth has conducted archaeological ...
Phys.org / Uncharted island will soon appear on nautical charts
A 93-strong international expedition team has been exploring the northwestern Weddell Sea in the Antarctic on board the Alfred Wegener Institute's icebreaker Polarstern since February 8, 2026. In this key region for global ...
