Phys.org news

Phys.org / Ancient diets reveal surprising survival strategies in prehistoric Poland

An international team of archaeologists and scientists has reconstructed the diets of prehistoric communities from north-central Poland, shedding new light on how people adapted to changing environments and shifting social ...

Feb 25, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Immune cells selectively pull DNA from dying nuclei, revealing a process dubbed nucleocytosis

Over the years, cell biology has built a detailed picture of how cells compartmentalize their internal functions. Central to this organization is the nucleus, which houses the genetic material and is separated from the cytoplasm ...

Feb 25, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Hair-like rhizoids in liverworts transport phosphorus, shedding light on evolution of roots

Liverwort uses hair-like rhizoids to collect phosphorus from its surroundings and deliver it to where it is needed. This Kobe University discovery sheds light on the evolution of one of the most essential features of land ...

Feb 25, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Nano-cage removes up to 98% of PFAS in tap water tests

Contamination of ground, surface and drinking water by perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) affects millions of people worldwide. A promising new method developed by Flinders University scientists paves the ...

Feb 25, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Vertebrate paleontology has a numbers problem. Computer vision can help

How many fossils does it take to accurately train an image-based AI algorithm? According to a new study co-authored by Bruce MacFadden, UF Distinguished Professor Emeritus and retired curator of vertebrate paleontology at ...

Feb 25, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Yogurt waste inspires researcher to innovate with sourdough bread

If you were one of the many amateur bakers who learned to bake sourdough bread during lockdown, you'll know how complex a single loaf can be. The rise of the bread, moisture, firmness and even crumb structure can make or ...

Feb 25, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / 'Tiny' dinosaur, big impact: A 90-million-year-old fossil rewrites history

A team co-led by University of Minnesota Twin Cities researcher Peter Makovicky and Argentinean colleague Sebastian Apesteguía has identified a 90-million-year-old fossil that provides the "missing link" for a mysterious ...

Feb 25, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Webb examines 'Exposed Cranium' nebula

Two heads are better than one in the latest images from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, which reveal new detail in a mysterious, little-studied nebula surrounding a dying star. Nebula PMR 1 is a cloud of gas and dust that ...

Feb 25, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Hidden architecture inside cellular droplets reveals new targets for cancer and neurodegeneration

Cells rely on biomolecular condensates to coordinate essential biological processes without surrounding membranes. These droplet-like dynamic assemblies control the way in which DNA is turned into proteins, help clear cellular ...

Feb 25, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / A robust new telecom qubit identified in silicon

Quantum technologies are anticipated to transform computing, communication, and sensing by harnessing the unusual behavior of matter at the atomic scale. Translating quantum's promise into practical devices will require physical ...

Feb 25, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Plants stay neatly patterned as they grow, and PLETHORA proteins may explain why

How do plants achieve their remarkably regular arrangement of leaves and flowers? And why does this pattern remain so stable, even as plants grow and respond to their environment? Researchers at Wageningen University & Research ...

Feb 25, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / A world first at the microscopic scale: Metamaterials that can shrink and expand on their own

Leiden physicists Daniela Kraft and Julio Melio have created soft structures that can take on different shapes without any external drive in their lab. They present their research on microscale metamaterials in Nature—a ...

Feb 25, 2026 in Physics