Phys.org news

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 / 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 ...

Feb 9, 2026 in Chemistry
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
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 / Supercomputer simulations test turbulence theories at record 35 trillion grid points

Using the Frontier supercomputer at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology have performed the largest direct numerical simulation (DNS) of turbulence ...

Feb 9, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / How an ancient seafloor turned Arkansas into 'Sharkansas,' a shark fossil hotspot

Most shark fossils are just teeth—their cartilage skeletons usually decay long before they can fossilize. But in northwestern Arkansas, a series of geological sites known as the Fayetteville Shale has preserved dozens of ...

Feb 9, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Stellar remnants may solve mystery of missing mass in galaxy clusters

Under the leadership of the University of Bonn, a research team led by Prof. Dr. Pavel Kroupa from the Helmholtz Institute for Radiation and Nuclear Physics has discovered that galaxy clusters are about twice as heavy as ...

Feb 9, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Why only a small number of planets are suitable for life

For life to develop on a planet, certain chemical elements are needed in sufficient quantities. Phosphorus and nitrogen are essential. Phosphorus is vital for the formation of DNA and RNA, which store and transmit genetic ...

Feb 9, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Satellite observations put stratospheric methane loss higher than models predicted

Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas with strong heat-trapping capabilities. Although there is less methane in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, the foremost greenhouse gas, researchers attribute 30% of modern global warming ...

Feb 9, 2026 in Earth