Phys.org news

Phys.org / New device aims to protect the Earth from Martian microbes

The possibility of life on other planets is one of the biggest mysteries in science. But what would happen if we actually found it? Our scientists are preparing for this possibility by helping to develop a new system that ...

Apr 20, 2026
Phys.org / AI model 'reads' protein pairs, unlocking new insights into disease and drug discovery

Researchers have developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) model that can more accurately predict how proteins interact with one another—an advancement that could accelerate drug discovery and deepen insights into diseases ...

Apr 20, 2026
Phys.org / Cambrian microfossils reveal earliest known ringed worms from 535 million years ago

Scientists have uncovered the earliest fossil evidence of annelids (ringed worms) in Cambrian microfossils dating back approximately 535 million years ago. This discovery offers fresh insights into the origin and early evolution ...

Apr 20, 2026
Phys.org / Australia's truffle industry may owe part of its success to a surprising underground secret

Imagine ordering a truffle dish in a fancy restaurant, and you might picture pricey gourmet mushrooms from France or Italy. But recent decades have seen an upstart on the truffle scene. Today, one of the world's largest producers ...

Apr 20, 2026
Phys.org / Hubble dazzles with young stars in Trifid Nebula

This shimmering region of star-formation, a close-up of the Trifid Nebula about 5,000 light-years from Earth, was captured in intricate detail by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The colors in Hubble's visible light image, ...

Apr 20, 2026
Phys.org / Hawaiian green sea turtles emerge as reef defenders against invasive algae

An invasive algae already well-established in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands is raising concern among researchers as it threatens to spread into the main Hawaiian Islands. Scientists from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa ...

Apr 20, 2026
Phys.org / Single mathematical model helps solve a decades-old puzzle involving ultrafast lasers

A team of international researchers, including an Aston University researcher, has cracked the code on how "breather" laser pulses work, creating a single mathematical model that explains two completely different laser behaviors ...

Apr 20, 2026
Phys.org / Mind the gap! The semiconductor industry is relying on the wrong materials

2D materials are widely seen as a promising path toward better computer chips. Researchers at TU Wien have now shown that some of these materials are unsuitable due to an underestimated effect. But there are alternatives.

Apr 20, 2026
Phys.org / Lost millennium of Galapagos deep-sea corals linked to major Pacific climate shift

Scientists have discovered that deep-water corals in the Galapagos region vanished for more than 1,000 years before eventually recovering. The findings reveal that deep-water coral ecosystems may be more susceptible to climate ...

Apr 20, 2026
Phys.org / Ant supergene reveals surprising twist in evolution of social behavior

In the spring, ants are once again hard at work. Beyond their everyday presence, ants are also key model organisms in cutting-edge evolutionary genetics research, helping scientists understand how social behavior and cooperation ...

Apr 20, 2026
Phys.org / Rare soft-bodied fossil from Quebec reveals a new jellyfish relative from 450 million years ago

Canadian researchers studying 450-million-year-old fossils near Quebec City have identified a new species of basal-medusozoan: Paleocanna tentaculum, a soft-bodied, tube-shaped polyp with a ring of tentacles. Closely related ...

Apr 20, 2026
Phys.org / To thwart pathogens, researchers are giving beneficial microbes what they really want

University of California San Diego researchers have developed a new tool for understanding and modifying any microbiome, including the human microbiome. The approach, called Microbial Interaction and Niche Determination (MIND), ...

Apr 20, 2026