Phys.org news

Phys.org / From sea to soil: Molecular changes suggest how algae evolved into plants

Before plants evolved, vegetative life consisted of primitive green algae living in the sea. Like plants, these algae survived by performing photosynthesis, turning sunlight into energy. However, little light reaches the ...

16 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Are cats 'vegan' meat eaters? Why isotopic signatures of feline fur could trick us into thinking that way

Cats—unlike humans—are true carnivores: they must eat meat to survive because their bodies can't draw some essential nutrients from plants. By looking at tissues, researchers can get a good understanding of what foods ...

22 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Ancient Alaskan site may help explain how the first people arrived in North America

New evidence has emerged that sheds light on the possible first people to populate the Americas. Dating of stone and ivory tools found at an archaeological site in Alaska suggests that these early pioneers traveled through ...

Feb 2, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / 91-qubit processor accurately simulates many-body quantum chaos

Quantum chaos describes chaotic classical dynamical systems in terms of quantum theory, but simulations of these systems are limited by computational resources. However, one team seems to have found a way by leveraging error ...

Feb 2, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / A student made cosmic dust in her lab—what she found could help us understand how life started on Earth

A Sydney Ph.D. student has recreated a tiny piece of the universe inside a bottle in her laboratory, producing cosmic dust from scratch. The results shed new light on how the chemical building blocks of life may have formed ...

Feb 2, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Long-period Jupiter-like exoplanet discovered with TESS

Using NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), an international team of astronomers has discovered a new extrasolar planet transiting a distant star. The newfound alien world, designated TOI-6692 b, is the size ...

Feb 2, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Newly identified RNA molecule may drive cancer patient survival

In a recent study, researchers at the Texas A&M University Health Science Center (Texas A&M Health) identify a novel RNA molecule that plays a crucial role in preserving the integrity of a key cellular structure, the nucleolus ...

Feb 2, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Experiments clear up confusion over the form of solid methane

Through a combination of high-pressure experiments and optical spectroscopy, physicists have revealed new insights into the structural forms of solid methane. Led by Mengnan Wang at the University of Edinburgh in the UK, ...

Feb 2, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Earth's largest volcanic event reshaped an oceanic plate, seismic wave analysis reveals

A research group has revealed through seismic wave analysis that the oceanic plate beneath the Ontong Java Plateau—the world's largest oceanic plateau—was extensively altered by massive volcanic activity during its formation. ...

Feb 2, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Geologists may have solved mystery of Green River's 'uphill' route

New research may have solved an American mystery which has baffled geologists for a century and a half: How did a river carve a path through a mountain in one of the country's most iconic landscapes? Scientists have long ...

Feb 2, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Lab-grown algae remove microplastics from water

A University of Missouri researcher is pioneering an innovative solution to remove tiny bits of plastic pollution from our water. Mizzou's Susie Dai recently applied a revolutionary strain of algae toward capturing and removing ...

Feb 2, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Removing livestock from grasslands could compromise long-term soil carbon storage

Removing sheep and other livestock entirely from upland grasslands—a strategy often promoted as a way to boost carbon storage and tackle climate change—may actually reduce the most stable forms of soil carbon, according ...

Feb 2, 2026 in Biology