Phys.org news

Phys.org / Decoding the balance between life-and-death proteins

In every organism, the regulation of cell populations is a constant process. This balance relies on a continuous interplay between "guardian" proteins that promote cell survival and "killer" proteins that trigger programmed ...

23 hours ago
Phys.org / Rare seals hide in underwater bubble caves to escape tourists

The uninhabited islet of Formicula in Greece's Inner Ionian archipelago is a popular tourist draw for its clear waters, swimming spots, and marine diversity. A major attraction is the Mediterranean monk seal, one of the world's ...

May 19, 2026
Phys.org / Consistency check casts doubt on evolving dark energy

Cosmologists have long struggled to determine whether the universe's accelerating expansion is being driven by a simple cosmological constant, or whether dark energy's influence is evolving over time. In a new analysis published ...

May 19, 2026
Phys.org / Tritium-infused graphene could sharpen the hunt for neutrino mass

While neutrinos are some of the most abundant particles in the universe, they remain among the least understood. One of the biggest puzzles is their mass: although experiments have shown that neutrinos must have some mass, ...

May 19, 2026
Phys.org / A de-extinction company has hatched live chicks from an artificial eggshell

A biotech company that aims to resurrect lost creatures said Tuesday it has hatched live chicks in an artificial environment—a development that was met with mixed reviews from scientists and critics of its de-extinction mission.

May 19, 2026
Phys.org / MeerKAT discovers 15 new millisecond pulsars in a well known globular cluster

Using the MeerKAT radio telescope, an international team of astronomers has discovered 15 new millisecond pulsars in 47 Tucanae—one of the closest and best studied globular clusters. The finding is reported in the latest ...

May 19, 2026
Phys.org / New 'Happy-Face' spider species discovered in the Indian Himalayas

Vibrant, tiny, and sporting a bright red grin on its back, the Happy-Face spider is one of the most famous and recognizable arachnids in the world. For over a century, this cheerful-looking creature was thought to be a unique ...

May 19, 2026
Phys.org / Quantum-centric supercomputing simulates 12,635-atom protein

The scale of chemistry simulations with quantum computing has increased dramatically in just the last few months. In the latest milestone for the field, researchers from Cleveland Clinic, RIKEN, and IBM used a quantum-centric ...

May 19, 2026
Phys.org / Silver vine or catnip? When cats can choose, silver vine wins

What plant do cats love most? In Europe and North America, many people would probably answer "catnip." In Japan, the answer would more likely be silver vine (matatabi in Japanese). Both plants are famous for triggering the ...

May 19, 2026
Phys.org / Proteins that create ice inspire 'cool' applications, from cryomedicine to artificial snow

Bacteria from the Middle East have caused precipitation all the way out in California. The same bacteria, which are known to attack plants, have also been found embedded within lumps of hail in West Africa.

May 19, 2026
Phys.org / Brutal field trip provides new insights into Arctic winter

It was the hardest field trip they had ever been on, but the result was both surprising and exciting. After hiking 9 kilometers with a 400-meter elevation gain and carrying heavy backpacks through very rocky terrain, the ...

May 19, 2026
Phys.org / Scientists solve 200-year-old puzzle of how tobacco plants make nicotine

Scientists have uncovered how tobacco plants naturally make nicotine, solving a mystery that has puzzled researchers for nearly two centuries. The discovery, published in Nature Communications, could lead to safer production ...

May 19, 2026