Phys.org news

Phys.org / Biofilm made from fish skin could be a sustainable alternative for food packaging

Using the skin of an Amazonian fish known as tambatinga as the raw material, researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) and EMBRAPA Pecuária Sudeste—a decentralized unit of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation ...

23 hours ago in Chemistry
Phys.org / Engineered moths could replace mice in studies on antimicrobial resistance

A scientific breakthrough not only promises faster testing for antimicrobial resistance, but also an ethical solution to the controversial issue of using rodents in research. University of Exeter scientists have created the ...

22 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Can't tally love: Tracking favors may hurt relationship, research indicates

They say that love is a two-way street, but that may only hold true to a point. It turns out that couples who obsess over equal give-and-take may be sabotaging their relationship, suggests a study involving University of ...

23 hours ago in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Building blocks of life discovered in Bennu asteroid rewrite origin story

Amino acids, the building blocks necessary for life, were previously found in samples of 4.6-billion-year-old rocks from an asteroid called Bennu, delivered to Earth in 2023 by NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission. How those amino acids—the ...

Feb 9, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Nature's 'engine is grinding to a halt' as climate change gains pace, says study

Many ecologists hypothesize that, as global warming accelerates, change in nature must speed up. They assume that as temperatures rise and climatic zones shift, species will face local extinction and colonize new habitats ...

Feb 9, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Escape from Fukushima: Pig-boar hybrids reveal a genetic fast track in the wake of nuclear disaster

A new genetic study examines an unusually large hybridization event that followed the Fukushima nuclear accident, when escaped domestic pigs bred with wild boar. The research shows that domestic pig maternal lineages sped ...

Feb 9, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Leading AI models struggle to solve original math problems

Mathematics, like many other scientific endeavors, is increasingly using artificial intelligence. Of course, math is the backbone of AI, but mathematicians are also turning to these tools for tasks like literature searches ...

Feb 9, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / A long-lost Soviet spacecraft: AI could finally solve the mystery of Luna 9's landing site

Using an advanced machine-learning algorithm, researchers in the UK and Japan have identified several promising candidate locations for the long-lost landing site of the Soviet Luna 9 spacecraft. Publishing their results ...

Feb 9, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Third exoplanet detected in the planetary system HD 176986

Using HARPS and HARPS-N spectrographs, astronomers have observed a nearby K-type star designated HD 176986, known to host two super-Earth exoplanets. The observations resulted in the discovery of another planet in the system ...

Feb 9, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Scientists harness nature's chirality bias to design series of complex mechanically interlocked molecules

In nature, molecules often show a strong preference for partnering with other molecules that share the same chirality or handedness. A behavior that is quite evident in the phenomenon known as homochirality-driven entanglement, ...

Feb 9, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Laser‑written glass chip pushes quantum communication toward practical deployment

As quantum computers continue to advance, many of today's encryption systems face the risk of becoming obsolete. A powerful alternative—quantum cryptography—offers security based on the laws of physics instead of computational ...

Feb 9, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / 5,300-year-old 'bow drill' rewrites story of ancient Egyptian tools

A new study reveals that Egyptians were using a mechanically sophisticated drilling tool far earlier than previously suggested. Researchers at Newcastle University, and the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna, have re-examined a ...

Feb 9, 2026 in Other Sciences