en-us Science X internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. The Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) has made a breakthrough in exploring the extreme universe. For the first time, the LHAASO collaboration has detected ultra-high-energy (UHE) gamma rays—with energies exceeding 100 trillion electron-volts (TeV)—from a gamma-ray binary system, LS I +61° 303. The discovery challenges existing theories of particle acceleration in extreme astrophysical environments. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-lhaaso-extreme-particle-milky.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 13:20:06 EDT news696768002 New research published in Science Advances reveals that the largest expansion of coral reefs in the past 100 million years happened about 20 to 10 million years ago, between Australia and Southeast Asia. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-massive-reef-expansion-million-years.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 13:00:10 EDT news696766381 Artificial intelligence that cannot explain how it makes decisions—often called "black box" AI—could soon be replaced by more transparent systems, research suggests. A study by Loughborough University, published in Physica D: Nonlinear Phenomena, outlines a new mathematical blueprint for building AI that can reveal how it learns, remembers, and makes decisions. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-black-ai-scientists-blueprint-transparent.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 13:20:02 EDT news696772801 The beaches of Sydney's Royal National Park have been disrupted by a pungent odor. And its source is drawing in more than just seagulls. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-nose-dont-selfie-beached-whale.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 13:20:05 EDT news696765302 A new manufacturing technology has been developed for the continuous production of large-area flexible printed circuit boards (FPCBs). As demand grows for lightweight and long flexible cables capable of replacing conventional heavy wire harnesses amid the increasing size of electric vehicle batteries, this research establishes a foundation for the stable production of large-area circuit boards through a continuous manufacturing process. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-lamination-stable-production-large-area.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 13:00:06 EDT news696772023 The Milky Way galaxy grew into its current form with the help of smaller galaxies over time, which it has "consumed" or merged with. Astronomers are able to pick out which stars in the Milky Way came from other galaxies by identifying certain features, like the eccentricities of their galactic orbits and how many heavier elements they contain. Properties of some of the merged galaxies can then be determined when astronomers find collections of stars with similar features. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-lost-galaxy-loki-milky.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 12:40:03 EDT news696769916 Using the Rozhen National Astronomical Observatory, Bulgarian astronomers have conducted optical photometric observations of an ultracompact binary known as GP Com. Results of the observational campaign, presented in the Proceedings of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, shed more light on the properties of this system. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-gp-sharpen-picture-rare-ultracompact.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 08:40:01 EDT news696675901 An autonomous underwater glider is giving us a new and effective way to track sperm whales by tuning into their clicks and silently following them. To study these large oceanic predators, researchers need to monitor their movements and social interactions for months at a time. But that's not easy, because they swim deep and stay underwater for long periods, making them hard to reach. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-silent-robot-shadows-sperm-whales.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 10:40:01 EDT news696685606 The total annual biomass of wild meat consumed across Central Africa has increased from an estimated 0.73 million metric tons in 2000 to 1.10 million metric tons in 2022. This increase is threatening wildlife populations and raising concerns about long-term nutritional security in rural areas. A study published in Nature provides the first quantitative spatial and temporal analysis of wild meat consumption in Central Africa, revealing a sharp increase in demand that is largely driven by urban populations. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-hidden-food-boom-central-africa.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 11:40:01 EDT news696762782 In this new image by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, a spiral galaxy glittering with star clusters is the center of attention. NGC 3137 is located 53 million light-years away in the constellation Antlia (The Air Pump). As a nearby spiral galaxy, this target offers astronomers an excellent opportunity to study the cycle of stellar birth and death, as well as giving researchers a glimpse of a galactic system similar to our own. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-hubble-reveals-spiral-galaxy-million.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 12:20:01 EDT news696764341 Engineering researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a mathematical framework that can be used to help hunger-relief organizations get food to households that need it more efficiently than conventional methods. The advance, which has already been incorporated into an app, could also lead to improved efficiency for other businesses that face logistical challenges associated with deliveries and volunteer assignments. The paper, "Anticipatory Monte Carlo Tree Search–Based Optimization for Stochastic Dynamic Routing with Time Windows," is published in the journal Computer-Aided Civil and Infrastructure Engineering. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-tool-hunger-relief-groups-food.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 12:20:06 EDT news696769502 Automated vehicles have been steadily rolling out in U.S. cities, but scaled deployment still faces a daunting challenge: proving the technology can safely navigate the complexity of real-world driving. Virginia Tech researchers estimate that traditional testing methods could take decades—or hundreds of millions of driving miles—to validate the full range of situations an automated vehicle may encounter. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-ultimate-driver-automated-vehicles.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 11:20:10 EDT news696765721 Manganese dioxide can convert amino acids into hydrogen cyanide (HCN) without requiring methane, a finding that solves a long-standing puzzle about the origin of this key prebiotic molecule on early Earth. Although HCN is central to origin-of-life theories, recent evidence suggests early Earth's atmosphere didn't contain sufficient methane needed for classic HCN-producing reactions. The newly found chemical pathway, reported by researchers from Science Tokyo, shows that HCN could instead have been continuously supplied from abundant amino acids. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-overlooked-mineral-quietly-powered-crucial.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 11:20:06 EDT news696762241 Researchers have uncovered a previously hidden layer of complexity in how genes are activated, showing that water molecules play a direct and essential role in one of the most fundamental processes in biology: DNA transcription. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-molecules-gene-transcription.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 11:00:14 EDT news696671043 The enzyme RNA polymerase (RNAP) carries out transcription, copying DNA into RNA. It's the first step in gene expression, and a process fundamental to all life. But the inner workings of this essential enzyme have long baffled scientists. Trying to work out how it performs its core chemical reaction, which stacks new RNA building blocks one nucleotide at a time, has proven especially difficult. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-captured-mid-reaction-rna-polymerase.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 11:00:17 EDT news696763261 As the global pollution crisis caused by manufacturing and disposing of single-use plastics continues to grow, researchers have developed a non-toxic plastic alternative derived from the hemp plant—a non-psychoactive type of cannabis. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-hemp-based-thermoplastic-greener-alternative.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 11:00:01 EDT news696680101 Tropical ecosystems rely on the infrastructure provided by termites. These insects supply plants with vital nutrients by breaking down organic waste, bringing water to the roots by aerating the soil through tunneling, and sustaining the food chain, as they make up an estimated 10–20% of the total biomass of rainforests. But termites were not always the backbone of tropical ecosystems. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-mass-extinctions-termites-essential-today.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 11:00:11 EDT news696763382 The number of wildfires burning in the Western United States each year dropped roughly 28% over the past three decades, even as annual burned area and damage from wildfires have soared. A decline in fires accidentally sparked by humans accounts for over 40% of the overall trend, according to a new study. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-western-fending-biggest-blazes.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 09:00:01 EDT news696681361 The new trend of "vibe coding" allows people to program software without writing a single line of code. Now, a new study by ETH Zurich published in the Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems has shown that users who want to develop apps and programs successfully with AI need not only a capacity for clear written expression, but also a basic knowledge of computer science. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-skills-people-successfully-ai.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 10:20:04 EDT news696762426 The southern Appalachians hold an estimated 1.43 million metric tons of lithium oxide, concentrated in the Carolinas, and the northern Appalachians hold an estimated 900,000 metric tons, concentrated in Maine and New Hampshire, according to estimates in a new USGS scientific paper published in Natural Resources Research. The lithium is present in pegmatites, large-grained rocks similar to granite. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-lithium-appalachians-imports-century.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 10:20:07 EDT news696762182 In human and animal medicine, biomarkers are used in several ways, including to diagnose, predict, or monitor health issues. Human health care consumers are familiar with biomarkers as mundane as blood pressure to gauge heart health, or more sophisticated testing for BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations to predict the likelihood of breast cancer. For clinicians, they are valuable tools – once they are identified. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-biomarkers-code-equine.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 11:40:08 EDT news696763982 In every backyard, park, and playground on Earth, the ground is teeming with a type of bacteria called Streptomyces—one of the most abundant organisms on the planet. While these dirt-dwelling microbes are known for producing that earthy odor that fills the air after rainfall, that familiar scent is only the tip of their chemical-producing iceberg. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-soil-million-year-bacterial-toxin.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 05:00:06 EDT news696682982 Scientists at Durham University, working in partnership with Jagiellonian University in Poland, have developed a new nanoscale tool that can capture and precisely position some of the most important proteins in the human body, opening up new possibilities for medicine, imaging, and bioengineering. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-dna-nano-viral-cell-proteins.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 10:00:10 EDT news696760442 A new report from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) and the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) warns that biodiversity loss, alongside climate shocks and geopolitical conflict, is disrupting our food system, risking catastrophic impacts for the financial system and for society as a whole. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-links-biodiversity-collapse-financial-food.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 11:20:08 EDT news696760921 What happens when natural selection, the most powerful process driving change in the living world, shapes artificial intelligence (AI), perhaps the most potent technology humanity has invented to date? https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-evolvable-ai-brink-major-evolutionary.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 11:20:03 EDT news696765422 In today's hospitals and clinics, a dermatologist may use an artificial intelligence model for classifying skin lesions to assess if the lesion is at risk of developing into a cancer or if it is benign. But if the model is biased toward certain skin tones, it could fail to identify a high-risk patient. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-whac-mole-dilemma-smarter-debias.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 09:20:03 EDT news696758402 It has been a dream of astronomers and solar scientists for ages. A new mission gives solar researchers a powerful new tool in their arsenal: on-demand, total solar eclipses. Launched in 2024, The European Space Agency's Proba-3 mission has proven the feasibility of a free-flying, space-based coronagraph. Now, the first science results from the mission are giving us a view of the origin of space weather. The results were recently published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-esa-proba-secrets-solar.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 08:20:02 EDT news696752402 For many people, the rollout of smart technology across the UK's road network has been clouded by fears about the removal of traffic-free safety lanes. Traditionally, motorway hard shoulders offered motorists a safe haven into which they could steer stricken vehicles. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-smart-motorways-halted-safety-future.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 11:00:13 EDT news696764719 As winter turned to spring, the skies over the Gulf of Alaska displayed textbook examples of numerous cloud formations. Winter 2026 roared to an end in southern Alaska as parts of the coast saw below-normal temperatures and bouts of moderate to heavy snow. Viewed from above, the region's atmospheric instability was apparent in the striking display of cloud formations just offshore. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-winter-written-clouds-alaska.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 11:00:07 EDT news696760744 Snow cover in the mountains of Greece—an important water source for communities, agriculture and natural ecosystems during the dry summer months—has more than halved over the past four decades, a study has found. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-greek-mountains-halved-decades.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 03:00:01 EDT news696676621 A new study from researchers at George Washington University Milken Institute of Public Health reveals that not all urban parks provide equal health benefits. Parks in less privileged neighborhoods across the United States tend to be smaller, hotter, and more polluted than those in wealthier areas—highlighting persistent environmental inequities in cities nationwide. The work is published in the journal Environmental Research Letters. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-urban-privileged-neighborhoods-smaller-hotter.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 08:40:03 EDT news696754441 An international team of Earth scientists led by Utrecht professor Douwe van Hinsbergen has developed an online tool that allows you to see, for any given location on Earth, what latitude it occupied in the distant past, right back to the heyday of the supercontinent Pangea 320 million years ago. The work has been published in PLOS One. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-backyard-millions-years.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 14:00:09 EDT news696672864 A new collaborative study from The University of Western Australia has found that partially replacing synthetic nitrogen fertilizer with low amounts of organic components can improve soil quality, crop productivity and nitrogen uptake. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-nitrogen-fertilizer-soil-crops.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 07:20:01 EDT news696749521 Graceful, brown-eyed, and a staple of local folklore, the roe deer is one of Romania's most iconic forest dwellers. But behind the serene image of these animals lies a hidden crisis: a new study reveals the roe deer is the most frequently poached mammal in the country, a finding made possible by turning to an unlikely source of scientific data: the local news. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-hidden-headlines-local-news-wildlife.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 10:40:04 EDT news696760381 A newly discovered object may be a key to unlocking the true nature of a mysterious class of sources that astronomers have found in the early universe in recent years. A "X-ray dot" found by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory could explain what these objects are. A paper describing the results is published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-nasa-red-dots-chandra-webb.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 14:40:04 EDT news696682321 In recent years, using drones for wildlife research has proven to be a valuable tool in collecting data for population surveys, observing behavior and measuring animals' physical dimensions. A new study led by Murdoch University has found that drones flown above the ocean are unlikely to disturb whale sharks, the world's largest fish. The findings are published in the journal Ecosphere. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-impact-drones-whale-sharks.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 07:40:02 EDT news696750482 New technology enables the insertion of a large segment of DNA into a genome, potentially expanding gene therapy treatment from cancellation of disease-causing mutations to replacement of an entire gene, scientists say. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-genome-method-swap-entire-genes.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 20:00:06 EDT news696693818 There was "no meaningful shift" away from big tech platforms like TikTok and Instagram in the immediate wake of Australia's world-leading teen social media ban, government documents obtained by AFP show. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-meaningful-shift-social-media-sites.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 07:00:03 EDT news696741760 A new study led by University of British Columbia researchers has found that pet cats allowed to roam outside unsupervised carry infectious diseases at rates comparable to feral cats, even when they receive veterinary care, regular meals, and shelter. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-pet-cats-roam-outdoors-similar.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 19:20:03 EDT news696692821 US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he believes NASA has a good chance of returning astronauts to the moon's surface before he leaves the White House at the start of 2029. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-trump-shot-crewed-moon.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 04:26:39 EDT news696741834 Air quality in Europe is improving but more effort is needed to reach the European Union's 2030 targets, the European Environment Agency (EEA) said in its annual report on Thursday. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-air-quality-europe-effort.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 04:25:22 EDT news696741800 Understanding how to explore hidden glaciers on Mars begins not in a laboratory, but in remote field camps across Alaska and Wyoming. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-drone-radar-reveals-glaciers-earth.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 18:50:01 EDT news696700801 A research team from the LKS Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) has developed a machine-learning classifier capable of analyzing the genomes of influenza A viruses (IAVs) to accurately predict their potential risk of transmission among mammals. The team has successfully identified the key clues that may explain cross-species transmission of influenza A viruses from birds to mammals, and even to humans. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ai-flags-bird-flu-genomes.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 19:40:01 EDT news696694381 A major analysis led by the University of Cambridge has found that many REDD+ projects achieved meaningful reductions in forest loss—offering real environmental benefits. This is despite the study confirming that almost 11 times more carbon credits were issued from the REDD+ (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) voluntary carbon market than was justified. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-carbon-credits-enabled-vital-tropical.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 19:10:06 EDT news696687602 Research conducted at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil revealed that hops (Humulus lupulus L.) industrial waste from the brewing industry is a viable option for sunscreen formulation production. The multidisciplinary study, which involved researchers from USP's School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (FCF), was inspired by the large amount of waste generated and discarded during beer production. The study brought together complementary expertise in natural products and bioactive photoprotection. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-beer-sunscreen-ingredient-spent-uv.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 18:40:05 EDT news696692341 Researchers at Seoul National University have developed a new class of ultralight structural materials that combine the load-bearing strength of engineering materials with the weight of foam. Using a method called 3D node winding, the team created mesoscale carbon fiber lattices that achieve aluminum-level performance on a strength-to-weight basis while weighing as little as 1/100 the weight of aluminum. The findings, published in Nature Communications, demonstrate a new way to build strong, lightweight structures without the need for joints or layered assembly. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-ultralight-carbon-fiber-lattices-aluminum.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:40:01 EDT news696699182 Evolutionary biology holds clues for the future of AI, argue researchers from the HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research, Eötvös Loránd University, and the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts. In a new Perspective published April 20 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team warn that evolvable AI (eAI) systems that can undergo Darwinian evolution may soon emerge, and they will generate special risks that can be understood, and mitigated, based on insights from evolutionary biology. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-evolving-ai-agi-hard.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 17:20:09 EDT news696701761 Perched in a tower atop a hill, Matthew Douglas climbs a staircase and emerges from a hatch on the roof, where a heavy glass ball in a metal cradle has burned a thin streak into a strip of paper, recording the previous day's sunlight. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-america-oldest-weather-observatories-people.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 02:00:01 EDT news696685852 Rocks can bind carbon dioxide—and much faster than previously thought. For a long time, it was assumed that the transformation of CO2 into carbonate rock depends on very slow, time-consuming processes. According to that view, the binding of CO2 injected industrially into the ground would take centuries. However, practical observations and theoretical calculations suggested that there may also be a much faster route from CO2 to carbonate, mediated by water acting somewhat like a catalyst. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-faster-driven-pathway-term-carbon.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 17:20:08 EDT news696685659 An international research team has identified a previously overlooked factor that influences how antibodies neutralize SARS-CoV-2: their mechanical stability under force. Antibodies are key components of the immune system that bind to viral particles and block infection. Traditionally, their effectiveness has been evaluated based on binding affinity alone—how strongly they attach to viral proteins. However, in the human body, antibodies function in a mechanically dynamic environment shaped by blood flow, respiratory motion, and cellular forces. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-antibodies-strong-core-sars-cov.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 18:10:01 EDT news696697441 Antiferromagnetic materials, with antiparallel atomic spins and zero net magnetization, are fast and resistant to external magnetic interference, making them ideal for high-speed, high-density spintronic devices. However, their zero net magnetization makes conventional imaging difficult, as neutron- or synchrotron-based methods have limited resolution and cannot easily probe microscopic regions or interfaces. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-atomic-column-imaging-uncovers-hidden.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 15:50:01 EDT news696694742 A new "gold standard" for soil analysis and microplastic extraction has been developed at the University of New England (UNE), unlocking vital capabilities to safeguard agricultural soils and protect human health. Led by Ph.D. candidate Nivetha Sivarajah, the research team developed a new multi-criteria framework to identify the most effective method to extract six common plastic types from different soil textures. The study is published in the journal Soil Advances. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-method-standardize-microplastic-soils-worldwide.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 17:00:07 EDT news696684482 The development of an embryo is one of the most fundamental processes in biology. Early in this process, it is determined which cells will give rise to which tissues—controlled by epigenetic marks such as DNA methylation. Researchers at LMU have now shown that, rather surprisingly, this highly complex process is governed by physical laws. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-embryo-epigenome-universal-physical-reshaping.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 17:50:01 EDT news696696721 New research from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, published in Nature Microbiology, reveals that when microbes live together, they can sense one another and actively reduce competition by shifting toward different roles instead of all doing the same thing. It shows that microbes do not just respond to their environment, they respond to each other. In fact, the identity of neighboring microbes can have a stronger effect on protein production than the food source itself. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-microbes-neighbors-jobs-competition-clue.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:50:01 EDT news696696361 Water is fundamental to all life—contaminants are harmful to humans and the environment. Herbicides used in agriculture to control weeds present a particular challenge here. The most widely used herbicide in the world is glyphosate. Experts have differing views on its use. Some studies suggest potential risks such as carcinogenic effects in humans, nerve damage, and a negative impact on biodiversity. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-nanofiltration-cleaner-farming-persistent-chemicals.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:10:01 EDT news696695041 Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions in living organisms. They are widely applied in industries such as food production, detergents, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals. However, for commercial use, natural enzymes often need improved stability, substrate specificity, or catalytic efficiency. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-molecule-method-rapidly-screens-custom.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 17:40:05 EDT news696686821 Scientists have used an online game to discover the secrets of animal camouflage—such as why tigers have stripes. The study, by the universities of Exeter and Bristol, reveals that high-contrast markings like tiger stripes are harder to see in sunshine, and in complex 3D habitats such as tall grass or forest undergrowth. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-online-game-uncovers-tiger-stripes.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 14:00:15 EDT news696672721 A new analysis of experimental data led by the University of Michigan has unveiled insights into why and how plant communities are changing their makeup to survive in warmer temperatures. Thanks to field studies of plant communities in nature, scientists had previously established that plant species that prefer warmth are becoming more abundant, while those that prefer cooler temperatures are waning. Although researchers strongly suspected that this phenomenon, known as thermophilization, was driven by warming temperatures, their observations alone couldn't rule out other factors. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-species-community-response-temperatures.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:40:11 EDT news696684422 Insilico Medicine, a clinical-stage biotechnology company powered by generative artificial intelligence (AI), today announced advancements to its unified AI framework for drug target discovery, integrating its previously introduced Target Identification Pro (TargetPro) and Target Identification Benchmark (TargetBench 1.0) into a validated system designed to improve the accuracy, reliability, and scalability of early-stage drug development. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ai-drug-platform-pairs-benchmarking.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 15:40:01 EDT news696682566 Trying to untangle a knot in a mess of strings can be frustrating and time-consuming. But not so for molecular machines—molecules that convert chemical energy into mechanical work and motion. Machines from the AAA+ family, which exist in the cells of all living organisms from bacteria to humans, can, among their many functions, recognize misfolded protein chains and swiftly unravel them. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-revolving-doors-efficient-proteins-molecular.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 15:00:01 EDT news696682381 Europe's most powerful rocket Ariane 6 successfully released 32 satellites into orbit Thursday for Amazon's internet constellation, which is bidding to rival Elon Musk's giant Starlink. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-european-rocket-amazon-internet-satellites.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 10:00:06 EDT news696757927 A new study published in the journal npj Climate and Atmospheric Science shows that electronically tagged sharks can serve as mobile sensors, collecting ocean climate data in regions that are difficult to observe using conventional methods. https://sciencex.com/news/2026-04-sharks-climate-job-satellite-buoy.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 18:40:08 EDT news696677967 There is no question that violin-making is an art form. It requires a musician's ear, a craftsperson's skill, and a historian's appreciation of lessons learned over time. Making a violin also takes trust: Violin makers (luthiers) often must wait until the instrument is finished before they can hear how all their hard work will sound. But a new tool developed by MIT engineers could help luthiers play around with a violin's design and tweak its sound even before a single part is carved. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-virtual-violin-realistic-wood.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 14:40:08 EDT news696691981 Diving is physiologically challenging for marine animals. Long and deep dives can trigger "anaerobic" (oxygen-less) metabolism in organs other than the heart and brain that causes lactic acid to accumulate. Even though diving animals typically have evolved tricks to avoid "the bends," nitrogen bubbles may nevertheless build up in their blood. They tend to recover from these stresses while swimming at the surface for prolonged periods. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-hearts-detox-foraging-sea.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:00:02 EDT news696678589 A UCLA-led international research collaboration has unveiled a new technology that may help scientists better understand how small molecules, including many drugs, bind to proteins. The invention works with an existing lab method called photo-crosslinking. The paper is published in the journal Nature Chemistry. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-molecular-probe-drug-effects-easier.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:00:11 EDT news696683282 Major AI platforms, including OpenAI and Anthropic, as well as social apps like Replika and Character.ai, are increasingly designing chatbots to be warm, friendly, and empathetic. However, new research from the Oxford Internet Institute at the University of Oxford finds that chatbots trained to sound warmer and more empathetic are significantly more likely to make factual errors and agree with false beliefs. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-friendlier-ai-backfire.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 15:20:03 EDT news696693463 There is a troubling contradiction at the heart of the global transition to a cleaner, greener, tech-driven future: Modern technologies—everything from AI to wind turbines, as well as cellphones, electric vehicles and defense systems—depend on critical minerals. But many of the communities where those minerals are mined end up with polluted water and poorer health because of the mining. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-critical-materials-sacrifice-zones-health.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 22:40:03 EDT news696680969 Nature is replete with slender filaments that bend and coil—from climbing grape vines, to folded proteins, to elephant trunks that can pick up a peanut but also take down a tree. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-programmable-3d-filaments-mimic-artificial.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 14:20:08 EDT news696690961 A research team led by Prof. Zhang Jian at the Institute of Solid State Physics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with Prof. Xiao Chong from the University of Science and Technology of China and Prof. Zhang Yongsheng from Qufu Normal University, achieved a peak ZT value of 2.03 at 873 K in chalcopyrite-based thermoelectric materials using a novel dual antisite defect strategy. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-defect-chalcopyrite-thermoelectrics.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 21:20:01 EDT news696696901 Sequencing environmental DNA—or eDNA—from the East River in New York City can effectively monitor human diets and local wildlife, as well as the river's fish populations, report Mark Stoeckle and Jesse Ausubel of The Rockefeller University, U.S., in a study published in the open-access journal PLOS One. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-environmental-dna-nyc-east-river.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 14:00:01 EDT news696687122 Efficient and durable catalysts for the chlorine evolution reaction (CER) are critical for chlor-alkali and related brine electrolysis processes, but conventional anodic materials often struggle to balance catalytic activity, selectivity, cost, and stability under harsh operating conditions. Now, a research team led by Prof. Yin Huajie from the Institute of Solid State Physics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has developed a high-performance chlor-alkali electrode catalyst that combines outstanding activity with long-term stability. The study is published in Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-highly-efficient-durable-catalyst-chlor.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 22:00:03 EDT news696699121 Researchers at the National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST), Japan, and The University of Tokyo, Japan, in collaboration with Kyushu University, Japan, have developed a new class of biocompatible molecular quantum nanosensors (MoQNs) that operate inside living cells. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-molecular-quantum-nanosensors-reveal-temperature.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 14:00:03 EDT news696682742 Counterintuitively, despite the ongoing fuel crisis and the over two decades since the global phaseout of leaded gasoline, toxic lead still lingers in Metro Manila's air. By analyzing aerosol data from as far back as 2018 and 2019 using lead isotope fingerprinting, an international team including researchers from the Ateneo de Manila University Department of Physics and the Manila Observatory found that lead pollution has taken on new forms and quietly persists to this day. Their study, published in Atmospheric Environment, points to modern industrial activities, fossil fuel combustion, and legacy pollution as key sources of lead pollution in the nation's capital. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-metro-manila-air-toxic-decades.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 20:20:03 EDT news696679854 Malignant tumor treatment remains a major challenge due to the limited precision and significant side effects. Copper-based single-atom nanozymes have shown promise for tumor microenvironment-responsive precision therapy, but their practical application is limited by weak substrate adsorption, difficulty in synthesizing low-coordination unsaturated structures, and limitations of conventional preparation methods. A research team has now successfully developed a coordination-unsaturated copper single-atom nanozyme. Their work is published in Advanced Functional Materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-copper-nanozyme-powerful-tumor-suppression.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 20:40:01 EDT news696695221 Justin Scholten '22 knows the plants growing on the forest floor around the Finger Lakes. There's the white baneberry, Actaea pachypoda and the red baneberry, Actaea rubra. Both are about 30–70 centimeters tall, herbaceous and extremely toxic to humans. But in 2023 as he hiked through Summer Hill State Forest, less than 30 miles northeast of Ithaca, he noticed an oddity: a pink baneberry. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-blooming-upstate-york-reveals-species.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 18:40:01 EDT news696689809 With the involvement of scientists from the Paul Drude Institute for Solid State Electronics in Berlin and the Universities of Augsburg and Münster, international researchers have presented a new roadmap for surface acoustic waves. The study outlines how this technology will evolve over the next 10 years, spanning applications from signal processing to quantum technologies and the life sciences. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-roadmap-highlights-surface-acoustic-technologies.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 21:40:01 EDT news696679566 Birds sing the most about an hour before dawn, when the air is at its stillest. Theoretically, this enables sounds to travel farther, making song up to 20 times more effective than if sung at midday. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-birds-accents-fascinating-regional-differences.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 19:20:01 EDT news696693480 Most of the microlitter present in the South Atlantic Ocean originates from the West African coast and is particularly concentrated in areas near the equator and off the coast of Brazil, according to a study appearing in Environmental Pollution. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-west-african-coast-emerges-key.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 21:00:01 EDT news696695882 The prices of mineral fertilizers are rising. The Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB is working on alternative production methods: Researchers have developed various processes and demonstrated them on a pilot scale to recover nutrients from locally available waste streams. Fertilizers ready for immediate use can be obtained from digestion residues, manure, and wastewater, as the institute will show at IFAT in Munich in early May. This circular approach strengthens supply security and protects water bodies and the climate. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-fertilizer-local-resources-fossil-fuels.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 17:20:01 EDT news696685141 A new paper from researchers at the University of Kansas looks at extreme heat events in the United States, arguing a combination of inadequate data and unclear delineation of responsibility among government agencies leaves the nation unprepared for a hotter climate. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-hotter-future-america-response.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 17:10:08 EDT news696700021 Every day, millions of people watch their pet reptiles run, dig, swim or climb up against the walls of their enclosure. Reptile keepers call this "glass surfing," but among scientists, this conduct is typically considered to be a type of repetitive behavior, akin to pacing in polar bears. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-pet-reptile-surfs-glass-barriers.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 17:00:04 EDT news696685082 A luminous swirl set against the deep black of space, the barred spiral galaxy IC 486 glows with a soft, ethereal light in this NASA Hubble Space Telescope image from April 13, 2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-image-gently-galaxy.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 01:00:01 EDT news696685552 Engineers at the University of Houston have unlocked decades of hidden flood risk data, using artificial intelligence to transform paper flood maps into digital tools that reveal how flooding has evolved—and where future risks are rising. The team developed an AI-driven framework that extracts and georeferences historical Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), converting paper records into high-accuracy digital datasets. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ai-decades-hidden.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 17:40:06 EDT news696685322 Researchers Dr. Noushin Mohammadian and Prof. Dr. Omid Fatahi Valilai of Constructor University in Bremen have presented a new strategy that merges social media intelligence, behavioral assessment, and AI-assisted content creation to make environmental campaigns more adaptive, responsive, and scalable in engaging the public. Specifically anchored in "Zero Pollution" initiatives, the model utilized AI as an adaptive agent capable of both drafting posts and responding directly to citizen feedback in real time. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ai-supercharge-environmental-social-media.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:20:03 EDT news696684841 The effort to "align" AI with human values is falling dangerously short in robotic systems, according to researchers from Penn Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and the University of Oxford. In a new paper appearing in Science Robotics, the researchers highlight the need to develop more thorough frameworks for ensuring that AI-enabled robots embody a core principle famously articulated by science fiction author Isaac Asimov: "A robot may not injure a human being." https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-ai-enabled-robots-safer.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:26:50 EDT news696698762 Anusuyabai Pandekar and her daughter-in-law Mandabai sit facing each other beside a stone grindmill. The mill is still. No grain rests between its stones. No flour gathers at the edges. Instead it sits between them like an object from another time. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-women-songs-reveal-climate.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:00:05 EDT news696684782 When Hurricane Maria made its ferocious landfall on the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico in September 2017, the loss extended beyond several thousand human lives: The damage to the island's natural ecosystems, including its iconic rainforests and tropical dry forests, was catastrophic. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-puerto-rico-forests-recovered-unexpected.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 15:00:02 EDT news696683462 Researchers at the Institute of Science Tokyo have developed a simple and efficient method for synthesizing polyfunctionalized biaryls without transition-metal catalysts or complex multistep prefunctionalization. Through an innovative substrate design strategy, the researchers achieved a benzidine-type sigmatropic rearrangement of nitroarenes that efficiently produces the desired biaryls in high yields. This approach offers precise control over the reaction pathway, enabling the synthesis of diverse organic compounds, thereby benefiting many industries. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-metal-free-biaryl-method-drug.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 14:20:03 EDT news696680258 Representing the pathway of participants in a study is a key element in clinical and epidemiological research. Flow diagrams are the standard tool to do so, as they allow the different stages of the process to be clearly visualized, from initial selection to final analysis, following international guidelines such as CONSORT or STROBE. However, their creation is often laborious. It usually involves manually entering data or programming complex structures, which makes reproducibility more difficult and may increase the risk of errors. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-package-generation-flowcharts.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 15:40:03 EDT news696695642 Whether it's robotic rovers heading to Mars or, one day, a crew of astronauts, a round-trip journey is an incredibly long one. But there may be a way to find a shortcut. A new study published in the journal Acta Astronautica suggests that hundreds of days could be shaved off a return trip to the Red Planet by using the early orbital data of asteroids. This could bring the total mission time down to as low as 153 days. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-interplanetary-shortcut-mars.html Mon, 27 Apr 2026 10:00:06 EDT news696502416 Ferromagnets, such as iron, cobalt, and nickel, are materials with a strong, spontaneous, and permanent magnetic field. Over 150 years ago, the physicist and mathematician James Clerk Maxwell speculated that under specific conditions, non-spinning ferromagnets or electromagnets would behave as gyroscopes, objects that maintain their orientation, typically due to the angular momentum arising from spinning. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-levitated-nano-ferromagnet-year-physical.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 08:40:05 EDT news696602124 Shielding materials are essential in key modern industrial settings—such as spacecraft, nuclear power plants, semiconductor equipment, and advanced medical devices—to protect both equipment and personnel from electromagnetic waves and radiation. In particular, as space exploration gains momentum—such as with the successful launch of Artemis 2 on the 2nd—the importance of next-generation shielding technology capable of withstanding extreme environments is growing. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-thinner-hair-stretchable-rubber-shield.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 18:00:05 EDT news696613921 Dogs have long been known to have smaller brains than the wolves they descended from. But when they started to shrink has been a matter of some debate. New research published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, which compared ancient and modern canid skulls, puts the date at around 5,000 years ago. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-tail-dog-brain-reveals-began.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 11:20:04 EDT news696675845 An international team of astronomers reports the discovery of a new supernova remnant (SNR) using radio observations. The newfound supernova remnant, dubbed Abeona, is one of the faintest radio SNRs so far detected. The discovery is detailed in a research paper published April 21 on the arXiv preprint server. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-newly-supernova-remnant-faintest.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 08:10:01 EDT news696589426 They already have the bill of a duck, the tail of a beaver, lay eggs like reptiles and have venom like snakes. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-platypus-weirder-thought-scientists.html Sat, 25 Apr 2026 09:10:01 EDT news693068589 The first study to measure the full economic value of bottom trawling in Europe's waters calculates that the destructive fishing practice imposes up to €16 billion annually in net costs to society. The research is published in the journal Ocean & Coastal Management. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-europe-seafloor-fishing-profitable-societal.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 18:00:01 EDT news696615361 Diamond coatings are considered a key technology for numerous industrial applications—from power electronics to optics to sensors. To enable these high-performance coatings to fully realize their potential, uniformity is crucial. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST have developed a new measurement and analysis method that allows the optical constants of large-scale diamond films to be determined with high precision and efficiency. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-precise-method-diamond-coatings.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:00:02 EDT news696695761 I watched Armageddon again fairly recently with Bruce Willis, oil drillers in space and an asteroid the size of Texas bearing down on Earth. Buried beneath the Hollywood chaos is a genuinely interesting question: What exactly could we do with an asteroid if we got our hands on one? As it turns out, the answer has nothing to do with blowing it up, sorry Bruce, but everything to do with building a new world. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-solar-world.html Mon, 27 Apr 2026 11:40:05 EDT news696505022 Most contemporary artificial intelligence (AI) systems learn to complete tasks via machine learning and deep learning. Machine learning is a computational approach that allows models to uncover patterns in data that are useful for making predictions. Deep learning, on the other hand, is a subset of machine learning that entails the use of multi-layered neural networks, which can autonomously extract features and learn complex patterns from unstructured data, sometimes with little or no human supervision. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-brain-approach-ai-overconfidence.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 09:00:02 EDT news696520698 Scorpions wield some of the natural world's most formidable built-in weapons, from crushing pincers to venomous stingers. Scientists have long known that these structures contain trace metals that strengthen them, but only a small fraction of the roughly 3,000 scorpions have ever been examined for this trait. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-scorpions-weapons-fortified-metal.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 19:10:01 EDT news696586562 Climate scientists like to keep their accounting books neat and balanced. As climate change alters energy flows all across the planet, which in turn causes effects like sea level rise, ice melt and more, keeping close track of these changes is important for an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon of climate alteration as well as how it will play out in the future. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-anomaly-global-sea-deep-ocean.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:40:04 EDT news696596921 A team of astrophysicists from Nanjing University and University of Bonn have demonstrated that, rather than being random, the mass of new stars born inside a star cluster is actually governed by a defined process of self-regulation. Their work has been published in the journal Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-cosmic-star-clusters.html Fri, 24 Apr 2026 13:40:04 EDT news696248642 Imagine your favorite sunny beach. Anywhere will do. You look out and see the ocean stretching to the horizon. To a glaciologist, that view is not just water; it's melted ice. Our new study shows that the best case sea-level rise scenarios may now be out of reach. The work is published in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-delaying-climate-action-higher-seas.html Fri, 24 Apr 2026 13:00:01 EDT news696248281 Astronomers now estimate there is at least one planet for every star in our galaxy. These worlds, called exoplanets, are planets that orbit stars outside our solar system. But new research from McMaster University reveals a surprising twist: the most common planets in our galaxy don't exist around the most common stars. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-common-planets-galaxy-dont-stars.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 12:20:04 EDT news696680521 During the Sturtian glacial period during the Neoproterozoic Era, Earth underwent periods of global glaciation, which have been described as either "Snowball" and "Slushball" Earth scenarios. In Snowball Earth models, the planet was completely covered in ice for around 56 million years. In the Slushball models, portions of thin or patchy ice or even open water still existed in the tropics. However, there are some inconsistencies between these models and geological and biological evidence. https://sciencex.com/news/2026-04-snowball-earth-stranger-climate.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 13:20:06 EDT news696596965 Every cell in the human body squeezes over six feet of DNA into a minuscule speck invisible to the naked eye—like compressing a whole house into a single sugar cube. In order to fit in a cell and remain organized, DNA is carefully wrapped around spool-like protein clusters called nucleosomes. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ai-discovery-reveals-dna-isnt.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 11:00:22 EDT news696670382 A research team from the Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont (ICP-CERCA) has led the paleohistological study of Ampelomeryx ginsburgi, a giraffomorph ruminant from the Middle Miocene recovered at the Els Casots site (Catalonia, Spain). Through microscopic analysis of bone tissues, the researchers were able to determine that this peculiar animal reached skeletal maturity at three years of age, while reproductive maturity began around the second year. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ampelomeryx-grew-life-history-giraffe.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 13:40:07 EDT news696681781 The rise in infertility is not limited to humans, as environmental stressors are quietly undermining the reproductive potential of different forms of life. A recent review published in npj Emerging Contaminants investigated how today's environmental challenges are shaping the reproductive capacity of both humans and animals. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-invisible-fertility-crisis-chemicals-climate.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 14:00:02 EDT news696602190 Scientists have known for more than a century that a single-celled organism with no nerve cells—much less a brain—can behave in ways that resemble learning. But those observations only went so far. How the organism did that was a mystery. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-brain-required-celled-stentor.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 09:20:03 EDT news696672002 Each year, 20 million people are diagnosed with cancer. Various organs can be affected, and cancer types sometimes differ greatly at the cellular and molecular level. In about half of all cases, however, the protein p53 is mutated. Known as the "guardian of the genome," it plays a central tumor suppressor role: In healthy cells, it ensures that DNA damage is detected and repaired. If this is not successful, the affected cell is selectively eliminated through apoptosis—an important protection against cancer. Conversely, cells can often only develop into tumor cells when the protein p53 is inactivated by a mutation. In many cases, it becomes unstable as a result of the mutation and loses its functional structure. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-mini-antibodies-reactivate-guardian-genome.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 12:00:01 EDT news696680402 If a city's suburban railway network is expanded, additional flats are likely to be built in an agglomeration that is better connected as a result. The opposite also holds true: If new buildings spring up like mushrooms in a suburb, this will call for an expansion of the transport infrastructure. Urban development and transport therefore have a mutual relationship. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-traffic-roads.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 12:40:05 EDT news696684721 An international team of astronomers has employed the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to perform high-resolution observations of the Needle galaxy. Results of the new observational campaign, presented April 15 on the arXiv preprint server, provide more insights into the properties of molecular gas in this galaxy. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-alma-reveals-giant-molecular-clouds.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 08:20:01 EDT news696502546 The rising popularity of urban beekeeping has raised concerns about honeybee well-being and the impact they might have on wild bee populations in cities. A collaborative study by beekeepers, political stakeholders and research institutions, including researchers from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has resulted in the "Urban Bee Concept," which includes measures to foster co-existence between honeybees and wild bees in cities. The study is published in the journal People and Nature. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-cities-rethink-beekeeping-honeybee-boom.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 12:40:09 EDT news696681229 The sperm and the egg cell's nuclei compete for size directly after fertilization and this is necessary for proper embryonic development. A mouse study with Kobe University participation finally gives meaning to a phenomenon biologists have known for decades. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-sexes-egg-early-nuclear-rivalry.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 11:00:15 EDT news696587701 To reliably complete various manual tasks, robots should be able to handle a variety of objects, ranging from items found in households to tools used in specific professional settings. While many existing robotic systems can now complete basic manual tasks, such as picking up objects and carrying them to a set location, most systems still struggle with tasks that entail the dexterous manipulation of objects. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-fingereye-bridges-vision-robot-contact.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 14:00:07 EDT news696596891 A new study led by the University of Oxford and ETH Zurich reveals that a key part of the climate system—the large-scale wind patterns that determine where rain falls—can be underestimated by current climate models, helping explain why forecasts of regional rainfall remain uncertain. Ultimately, this insight could enable more confident projections of future rainfall patterns, supporting better preparation for floods and droughts. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-rainfall-hard-world.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 11:00:10 EDT news696586322 Chemists and computer scientists tapped AI to find new disinfectants to combat the growing threat of dangerous "superbugs." Their computational-experimental framework for developing quaternary ammonium compounds, or QACs, to kill bacteria yielded 11 new QACs that show activity against antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ai-chemists-disinfectants.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 11:40:02 EDT news696680281 Scientists at UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography have uncovered new insights into the bioluminescence of a unique species of marine plankton that feeds on other plankton, including the harmful algae responsible for red tides and algal blooms. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ruthless-predator-red-tide-plankton.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 09:40:03 EDT news696672303 Researchers at the National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST) and the University of the Ryukyus have developed a new imaging method that makes it possible to see, in real time, how food is distributed and exchanged inside groups of ants. The work sheds light on how social insects organize themselves, and it could eventually help scientists detect early signs of disruption in insect communities that play essential roles in pollination, agriculture, and biodiversity. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-radioactive-imaging-reveals-ants-secret.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 07:00:02 EDT news696646429 Scientists have discovered how cells decide when to respond to physical forces, potentially opening new avenues for tackling diseases such as cancer and fibrosis. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-cells-react-future-treatments-cancer.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 07:33:25 EDT news696666744 A new method developed by MIT researchers can accelerate a privacy-preserving artificial intelligence training method by about 81%. This advance could enable a wider array of resource-constrained edge devices, like sensors and smartwatches, to deploy more accurate AI models while keeping user data secure. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-everyday-devices-ai-faster-personal.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 11:40:08 EDT news696680881 In addition to habitat loss and illegal hunting, the jaguar (Panthera onca) faces another threat that increases its risk of extinction in the South American Atlantic Forest: food scarcity. A study by Brazilian researchers has found that the availability of jaguar prey is reduced, even in the protected areas of the biome, which covers approximately 15% of Brazil and extends across 17 states in the South, Southeast, and Northeast regions, as well as parts of Argentina and Paraguay. The paper is published in the journal Global Ecology and Conservation. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-atlantic-forest-predator-hidden-collapse.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 19:40:04 EDT news696614701 A study conducted in the Brazilian state of Amazonas has demonstrated that small amounts of Amazonian dark earth (ADE)—an anthropogenic soil created by ancient Amazonian populations—can increase the height and diameter of the pink trumpet tree (Handroanthus avellanedae) by up to 55% and 88%, respectively. This tree also occurs in the Atlantic Forest. The research is published in the journal BMC Ecology and Evolution. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-soil-fertilization-amazonian-dark-earth.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 16:40:06 EDT news696612241 Scientists at Stanford University have discovered that DRT3, a unique defense system found in bacteria, creates DNA to protect against viral infections. DRT3 is made up of two different enzymes called reverse transcriptases, Drt3a and Drt3b, and a piece of noncoding RNA (ncRNA). Together, this trio makes long, double-stranded DNA consisting of alternating repeats (GT/AC). https://phys.org/news/2026-04-bacterial-defense-dna-unexpected-viruses.html Mon, 27 Apr 2026 10:20:03 EDT news696502424 Most people struggle to create and manage strong, unique passwords across many accounts. Password vaults may be helpful, but a single breach can expose dozens or even hundreds of passwords. To address these concerns, researchers at Texas A&M University created "HIPPO," a browser extension that creates passwords for each website without saving them. https://sciencex.com/news/2026-04-pssw0rds-longer-anxiety.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 22:00:01 EDT news696602234 Why are there so many species of coral reef fish? According to a new study, it's because about 50 million years ago, some fish figured out how to bite food from hard surfaces. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-hard-surface-reef-fish-evolution.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 19:20:05 EDT news696614582 After nearly four decades, the world's longest-running soil warming experiment is revealing a surprising result: even "stable" carbon in forest soils can break down as temperatures rise, releasing more CO₂ into the atmosphere. The findings are published in the journal Science of The Total Environment. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-decades-stable-soil-carbon-degrades.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 18:30:06 EDT news696616801 Understanding the universe as a whole requires simulations on cosmic scales. An international team of astrophysicists, with a leading role for researchers at Leiden University, Netherlands, has now released one of the largest cosmological simulation datasets ever produced. The dataset contains more than 2.5 petabytes of simulation data—roughly equivalent to half a million HD movies. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-astronomers-massive-virtual-universes-global.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 09:00:02 EDT news696585421 Researchers from the National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Nagoya City University, and Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science in Japan have identified the first animal ion channel molecules that open and close in response to extracellular potassium ions (K⁺). The paper is published in the journal Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-flipping-potassium-gated-ion-channel.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 18:40:01 EDT news696614341 Microplastics are now widely distributed throughout the environment—in water, in the air, in the soil and even inside living organisms, including marine life. However, most studies to date have focused on adult fish, including those used for human consumption. The history of these microplastics, however, remained unknown. It was not clear exactly when this contamination begins throughout the life cycle. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-microplastics-fish-larvae-shortly-hatching.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 12:20:07 EDT news696678759 It does not take much to confuse some robots. A machine might be great at handling a simple object like a box, yet when it tries to work with a more irregular shape like a banana, it often fails. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-bananas-cups-peelers-robots-fruits.html Mon, 27 Apr 2026 14:40:03 EDT news696519081 Natural rubber, tapped from trees as latex, is the world's most widely used bio-elastomer. Comprising long molecular chains that make it pliable and stretchy yet highly resistant to cracking and strain, natural rubber is foundational to countless products, including the heavy-duty tires in trucks, buses, and airplanes. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-natural-rubber-boosts-toughness-tenfold.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 17:20:03 EDT news696613201 Digital image sensors (DIS), devices that capture images by converting light patterns into electrical signals, are integrated in many contemporary electronic devices, including smartphones, digital cameras and some medical instruments. These sensors rely on tiny light-sensitive units called pixels, which record brightness and color. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-motion-sensor-captures-ultra-high.html Mon, 27 Apr 2026 10:00:08 EDT news696502431 You're in the lab analyzing Martian regolith samples within your cozy Mars habitat serving on the fifth human mission to Mars. The power within the habitat has been flowing flawlessly thanks to the MARS-MES (Mars Atmospheric Resource & Multimodal Energy System), including the general habitat lighting, science lab, sleeping quarters, exercise equipment, the virtual reality headsets the crew use for rest & relaxation, oxygen and fuel generation, and water. All this from converting the Martian atmosphere into workable electricity. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-situ-power-stations-future-mars.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 12:40:12 EDT news696679141 Palmyra Atoll, a remote, uninhabited speck of land, coral and sea halfway between Hawaii and American Samoa, is one of the healthiest, intact atolls on the planet—so ecologically sensitive that visiting researchers freeze their clothes at night to kill invasive species. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-earth-remote-atoll-soil-fungi.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 11:00:17 EDT news696500581 Researchers including a number from the University of Exeter, have identified the most urgent unanswered questions about peatlands, providing a global roadmap to guide future science and policy for one of the planet's most important and threatened ecosystems. The paper, "Priority research questions in global peatland science," is published in Communications Earth & Environment. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-earth-unanswered-reshape-climate-action.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 13:00:03 EDT news696598042 Galaxies are not always teeming with vibrant, hot young stars. Sometimes, they are rich in gas and dark matter but have very few or no stars, making them extremely difficult to detect. They are called "dark galaxies" and recently astronomers have identified 70 potential dark galaxies using early data from the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST). A paper outlining this research work was submitted to the arXiv preprint server on April 16. https://sciencex.com/news/2026-04-dark-galaxies-astronomers-expose-hidden.html Mon, 27 Apr 2026 10:00:10 EDT news696502487 How do photosynthetic organisms harvest light so efficiently? To help answer this question, researchers have developed an ultrafast transient absorption microscope with sensitivity approaching the single-molecule level. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-microscope-reveals-previously-hidden-differences.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 18:20:02 EDT news696614221 Firefighters are battling two destructive blazes in the southern part of the state as drought grips the U.S. Southeast. An extreme drought that has gripped the Southeast for months helped fuel two large, destructive, human-caused wildland fires in southern Georgia in April 2026. The Pineland Road and Highway 82 fires together burned more than 50,000 acres (20,000 hectares) as of April 28, according to the Georgia Forestry Commission. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-image-rage-georgia.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 13:40:06 EDT news696680088 Under a microscope, a bouquet of lollipop-like structures, each smaller than a grain of sand, waves gently in a Petri dish of liquid. Suddenly, they snap together, like the jaws of a Venus flytrap, as a scientist waves a small magnet over the dish. What was previously an assemblage of tiny passive structures has transformed instantly into an active robotic gripper. The lollipop gripper is one demonstration of a new type of soft magnetic hydrogel developed by engineers at MIT and their collaborators at EPFL and the University of Cincinnati. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-swipe-magnet-microscopic-magno-bots.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 11:00:03 EDT news696587647 The retina, the thin layer of tissue at the back of the eye, is made up of photoreceptor cells that convert visible light into electrical signals, which is essential for human vision. Some diseases, such as retinal degeneration, cause these photoreceptor cells to stop working, which results in blindness. Researchers at Yonsei University, the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) and other institutes in the Republic of Korea have recently developed a new artificial retina that could partly restore vision in people with damaged retinas. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-artificial-retina-doesnt-aim-sight.html Fri, 24 Apr 2026 07:40:01 EDT news696223555 Astronomers, using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), have confirmed the existence of a close quasar pair housed in a pair of merging galaxies seen when the universe was less than a billion years old, at a redshift of 5.7. The system, designated J2037–4537, is one of only two confirmed quasar pairs at redshift greater than 5 ever found. A paper outlining this work was submitted to the preprint server arXiv on April 7. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-blazing-quasars-caught-waltzing-merger.html Sun, 26 Apr 2026 13:30:01 EDT news695898411 An international study led by Adelaide University has found bowhead whale populations are recovering only in stocks where large areas of hazardous sea ice conditions limited devastating hunting centuries ago. The research team analyzed historical logbooks from more than 700 whaling voyages, reconstructing their daily positions and hunting successes. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-bowhead-whale-recovery-century-whaling.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 09:20:07 EDT news696585963 Our current fascination with high-protein foods means plant-based protein now shows up in many food products. But rather than growing plants just for their protein, researchers wondered if edible flowers—like pot marigolds that are usually composted or thrown away once they're past their prime—could be a new, sustainable plant-based protein source. So, they measured the protein content and composition of dried marigolds, and they report the results in ACS Food Science & Technology. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-marigold-potential-source-based-protein.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 11:40:05 EDT news696678379 Eggs and poultry provide important sources of protein globally, driving a major industry with large economic impacts. Challenges to hatchery operations include embryo mortality, fertility, sex determination, and eggshell characteristics. These features have a substantial impact on production, but they are difficult and time-consuming to estimate. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-egg-scanning-ai-hatcheries-life.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 17:30:03 EDT news696614821 The latest statistics show that at least 14.77 million people around the globe suffer from protein-energy malnutrition. To revitalize traditional staples, scientists propose biofortifying cereals, as replacing just 5% of refined carbohydrates with protein significantly reduces the risk of non-communicable diseases. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-protein-boosted-rice-tackle-hidden.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 13:20:07 EDT news696679962 Imagine a display that harvests ambient light when it is not actively in use, offsetting some of its own energy consumption. Materials physics shows that this is possible; the same semiconductor material can, in principle, emit and absorb light efficiently. What has been missing is a device architecture that allows it to do both without reductions in efficiency of either application. A new study reports a perovskite diode that converts sunlight to electricity at 26.7% efficiency (a world record at the time of publication) and emits light at 31% efficiency, figures that would be high for a device designed to do only one of those things. The work is published in the journal Joule. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-solar-cell-moonlights-absorbing-emitting.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 16:40:04 EDT news696612362 The Hayward fault, part of the larger San Andreas fault system, runs 74 miles through the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. The fault is overdue for an earthquake that could cause extensive damage to such a dense population zone. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-simulations-ground-motion-earthquakes-bay.html Mon, 27 Apr 2026 18:20:04 EDT news696517322 In the middle of the Antarctic winter, during months of darkness when temperatures often dip below −30°C, the continent warmed dramatically. In July and August 2024, temperatures in parts of East Antarctica rose by up to 28°C above average and stayed high for more than two weeks. To put that in perspective, a similar anomaly in the UK would push January temperatures into the mid-30°Cs. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-unprecedented-antarctic-dead-winter-decades.html Mon, 27 Apr 2026 19:40:04 EDT news696519238 A new decades-long study of oceanographic data provides the first evidence that deep-ocean heat has moved closer to Antarctica, threatening the fragile ice shelves that fringe the continent. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-deep-ocean-closer-antarctica-reveals.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 05:00:02 EDT news696500822