Phys.org news

Phys.org / Forest loss can make watersheds 'leakier,' global study suggests

Forest loss does more than reduce tree cover. A new global study involving UBC Okanagan researchers shows it can fundamentally change how watersheds hold and release water. The research, published in the Proceedings of the ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / What 'housane' rings are and why a light-powered route may matter for drugs

When developing new drugs, one thing is particularly important: finding and producing the right molecules that can be used as active ingredients. The key elements of some drugs, such as penicillin, are small, tri- or quadripartite ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Study links 'dark pool' trading to higher risk of sudden stock price crashes

More stock trading is moving away from traditional public stock exchanges and into places called "dark pools." These are private, electronic markets where investors buy and sell stocks without showing their orders to the ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Obstacle or accelerator? How imperfections affect material strength

Imagine a material cracking—now imagine what happens if there are small inclusions in the material. Do they create an obstacle course for the crack to navigate, slowing it down? Or do they act as weak points, helping the ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Webb maps the mysterious upper atmosphere of Uranus

For the first time, an international team of astronomers have mapped the vertical structure of Uranus's upper atmosphere, uncovering how temperature and charged particles vary with height across the planet. Using Webb's NIRSpec ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Nanodevice produces continuous electricity from evaporation

A nanodevice developed at EPFL produces an autonomous, stable current from evaporating saltwater by using heat and light to control the movement of ions and electrons. Previously, researchers in the Laboratory of Nanoscience ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / AI tool observes solar active regions to advance warnings of space weather

New research by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and the National Science Foundation's National Center for Atmospheric Research (NSF-NCAR) has developed a new tool providing a first step toward the ability to forecast ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Lab-in-the-loop framework enables rapid evolution of complex multi-mutant proteins

The search space for protein engineering grows exponentially with complexity. A protein of just 100 amino acids has 20100 possible variants—more combinations than atoms in the observable universe. Traditional engineering ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Largest ever radio sky survey maps the universe in unprecedented detail

An international collaboration using the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) has published an exceptionally detailed radio sky map, revealing 13.7 million cosmic sources and delivering the most complete census yet of actively growing ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Flickering glacial climate may have shaped early human evolution

Researchers have identified a "tipping point" about 2.7 million years ago when global climate conditions switched from being relatively warm and stable to cold and chaotic, as continental ice sheets expanded in the Northern ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / New AI framework reveals chemistry driving high-conductivity lithium-ion electrolytes

A new artificial intelligence framework developed at Cornell can accurately predict the performance of battery electrolytes while revealing the chemical principles that govern them, providing engineers with a new tool for ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Novel bacteria discovered in Florida's stranded pygmy sperm whales

Pygmy sperm whales (Kogia breviceps) are among the ocean's most enigmatic inhabitants—rarely seen and largely unstudied. They live far offshore in small groups, diving in search of squid and fish. Their quiet behavior and ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Biology