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Orcas never seen before in Seattle delight whale watchers with a visit
When tourists travel to Seattle, it's common to take in the Space Needle and the downtown skyline from Puget Sound.
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-orcas-seattle-whale-watchers.html
'Oldest octopus' fossil is no octopus at all, scans reveal
A famous 300-million-year-old fossil that was thought to be the world's oldest octopus—even featuring in the Guinness Book of Records—has turned out to be something else altogether. In what amounts to...
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-oldest-octopus-fossil-scans-reveal.html
New study reveals why housing booms and busts are built into the system
A new study shows that the ups and downs in house prices are far more dramatic than most people think—and that government policies play a big role in making them happen. The researchers analyzed housi...
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-reveals-housing-booms-built.html
AI is reengineering drug discovery by speeding up testing and scanning petabytes of data
In December, The Conversation hosted a webinar on AI's revolutionary role in drug discovery and development. Science and technology editor Eric Smalley interviewed Jeffrey Skolnick, eminent scholar in...
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ai-reengineering-drug-discovery-scanning.html
Global warming causes Colombian glacier to disappear
Where once there was ice, only rock remains. One of the glaciers in a chain of snow-capped mountains in the Colombian Andes has vanished due to high temperatures driven by climate change.
Why forest loss is making our watersheds leak rain
It's a well-established fact that forests and water are deeply connected. For decades, paired-watershed experiments—a scientific method for evaluating land-use impacts on water quantity or quality—hav...
https://phys.org/news/2026-03-forest-loss-watersheds-leak.html
New insights into hornification could strengthen the future of paper production
When paper dries and is subsequently rewetted, its properties change permanently. This phenomenon is known as hornification. New research now shows that the process is more complex than previously ass...
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-insights-hornification-future-paper-production.html
AI has powerful uses for First Nations oral cultural knowledge. Here's how
Much of the conversation about artificial intelligence (AI) and Indigenous peoples focuses on harms, such as cultural appropriation, cultural flattening and digital exclusion. These risks are real.
https://phys.org/news/2026-03-ai-powerful-nations-oral-cultural.html
Thermal justice: New report examines threat of extreme heat, suggests culturally informed policies
Extreme heat kills more people in the U.S. each year than hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes combined. But how can we address a seemingly natural force? Heat can often seem solely weather-related, with...
https://phys.org/news/2026-03-thermal-justice-threat-extreme-culturally.html
Artemis II: What's on the menu?
The food flying aboard Artemis II is designed to support crew health and performance during the mission around the moon. With no resupply, refrigeration, or late-load capability, all meals must be car...
Molecular editing tool relocates alcohol groups to neighboring sites while preserving 3D structure
In a discovery recently published in Nature, MIT chemists led by Professor Alison Wendlandt have developed a precision technique that allows scientists to seamlessly relocate alcohol functional groups...
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-molecular-tool-relocates-alcohol-groups.html
Microscopic mechanism of 'quantum collapse' in real-world environments uncovered for the first time
A research team has, for the first time in the world, elucidated the microscopic mechanism by which quantum order is lost and collapses in "open quantum environments" existing in nature. Since perfect...
https://phys.org/news/2026-03-microscopic-mechanism-quantum-collapse-real.html
Preparing students to deal with 'reality shock' in the workplace
A new study from Hiroshima University shows that, among university students just entering the workforce, those with optimism about the future better manage "reality shock" through formation of a caree...
https://phys.org/news/2026-03-students-reality-workplace.html
Artemis II's moonbound astronauts capture Earth's brilliant blue beauty as they leave it behind
The Artemis II astronauts have captured our blue planet's brilliant beauty as they zoom ever closer to the moon.
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-artemis-ii-moonbound-astronauts-capture.html
Expert explains how AI could redefine the scope of engineering work
In an editorial, National Academy of Engineering President Tsu-Jae Liu presents a forward-looking perspective on the role of artificial intelligence in engineering. She describes AI not as a replaceme...
Möbius-inspired surface controls light in two directions
Light is an unusually rich carrier of information. Its direction of travel, wavelength, and polarization can all be used to encode signals or images. Yet controlling these properties independently rem...
Researchers clarify how cells remove damaged endoplasmic reticulum
The cell's endoplasmic reticulum (ER) plays a central role in protein synthesis, folding, and calcium (Ca²⁺) storage. When damaged, ER-phagy (self-eating) removes affected ER regions via double-membra...
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-cells-endoplasmic-reticulum.html
Artemis astronauts more than halfway to Moon, putting Earth in rearview
The Artemis 2 astronauts have passed the halfway point between Earth and the moon on Saturday as they sped toward a planned lunar flyby, with NASA releasing initial images of Earth taken from inside t...
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-artemis-astronauts-halfway-moon-earth.html
Mars Express orbiter captures craters on planet's Arabia Terra
Craters, craters, and yet more craters: this snapshot from ESA's Mars Express is packed full of them, each as fascinating as the last.
https://phys.org/news/2026-03-mars-orbiter-captures-craters-planet.html
This protein helps cancer cells survive treatment—and points to new treatments
Researchers at Umeå University have contributed new insights into how cancer cells protect themselves from cell death. The study provides a deeper understanding of how key proteins interact within the...
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-protein-cancer-cells-survive-treatment.html
Nanoparticle vaccine approach takes on a new target: Hepatitis C virus
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects an estimated 50 million people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization, and remains a leading cause of cirrhosis and liver cancer. While antiviral drugs c...
https://phys.org/news/2026-03-nanoparticle-vaccine-approach-hepatitis-virus.html
Do narcissists ruin relationships over time? A six-year study suggests a more complex pattern
New research from Michigan State University challenges the popular assumption that narcissists gradually damage their relationships over time.
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-narcissists-relationships-year-complex-pattern.html
Notions of 'Christendom' often miss the mark: Medieval Europe's ideas about faith and power were not so simple
During the National Prayer Breakfast on Feb. 5, 2026, Paula White-Cain, senior adviser to the White House Office of Faith, introduced President Donald Trump as "the greatest champion of faith that we ...
https://phys.org/news/2026-03-notions-christendom-medieval-europe-ideas.html
'Nano-origami' reshapes liquid droplets into six-pointed stars
For the first time, researchers in France and Israel have observed how an emulsified liquid droplet can transform from a hexagon into a six-pointed star shape in response to rising temperature. Publis...
https://phys.org/news/2026-03-nano-origami-reshapes-liquid-droplets.html
Humans' closest invertebrate ancestors date back much further than thought
Animal life is extraordinarily diverse and complex, having colonized almost all environments on Earth—from hostile hydrothermal vents in the deep sea to the skies across our continents. But the planet...
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-humans-closest-invertebrate-ancestors-date.html
Humor helps older adults navigate aging, research suggests
Humor plays a vital role in helping older adults cope with the challenges of aging and staying socially connected, according to new research.
Artemis mission shares office space—and physics—with Apollo
As four astronauts whiz toward a flyby of the moon, looking out for them are mission control experts using cutting-edge technology and lessons learned from the Apollo program 50 years ago.
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-artemis-mission-office-space-physics.html
New study pinpoints climate conditions for restoring the endangered butternut tree
The butternut tree, a close relative of black walnut prized for its pale wood and wildlife value, is on the brink of disappearing from North American forests. A new study from Virginia Tech offers hop...
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-climate-conditions-endangered-butternut-tree.html
'Vegan leather' isn't as sustainable or eco‑friendly as brands might claim
In a high-end fashion store or luxury car showroom, the term "vegan leather" sends a strong message of quality. For many shoppers, it promises the look and feel of real leather without using animal sk...
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-vegan-leather-isnt-sustainable-ecofriendly.html
Canadian astronaut describes 'phenomenal' Artemis journey
Artemis 2 astronaut Jeremy Hansen felt like he was "falling out of the sky" as his spacecraft followed its complex flight path to the moon, the Canadian said in a Saturday video call.
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-canadian-astronaut-phenomenal-artemis-journey.html
Earthrise to Earthset: How the planet's climate has changed since the photo that inspired the environmental movement
A new Earthset image has been captured by the crew of Artemis II, 58 years since the iconic Earthrise photograph taken by the crew of Apollo 8. Over these past six decades, the climate has changed dra...
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-earthrise-earthset-planet-climate-photo.html
A simple ECG test could flag racehorses at risk of exercise arrhythmias
A quick heart trace taken during a warm-up trot could identify racehorses at risk of cardiac arrhythmias during high-intensity exercise, according to a new study led by the University of Surrey. The s...
https://phys.org/news/2026-03-simple-ecg-flag-racehorses-arrhythmias.html
The hidden workload behind burnout: Why unpaid work may worsen women's mental health
Mental load, invisible work, "the extra shift"; no matter the newly coined term, unpaid work in the domestic sphere, predominantly done by women, is a hidden burden eating away at the sleep and mental...
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-hidden-workload-burnout-unpaid-worsen.html
Iridium's hidden surface chemistry may change how hydrogen and chlorine are made
Iridium is a key component in many electrochemical technologies used for chemical transformations. These include producing hydrogen fuel from water, manufacturing chlorine from seawater for use as a d...
https://phys.org/news/2026-03-iridium-hidden-surface-chemistry-hydrogen.html
Fly ball: Drosophila can learn while playing with tiny spheres
For more than a century, the fruit fly has been a workhorse of the biological sciences that has helped scientists to make fundamental breakthroughs in fields such as genetics and neuroscience. As it t...
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-fly-ball-drosophila-playing-tiny.html
US plans tariffs up to 100% on some brand-name drugs
The United States is planning new tariffs on some name-brand medicines.
NASA's water-hunting tool will help scout moon's South Pole
NASA is joining international partners to hunt for ice on the moon in support of future human exploration. The agency is providing a water-detecting instrument, the Neutron Spectrometer System (NSS), ...
https://phys.org/news/2026-03-nasa-tool-scout-moon-south.html
African frogs haven't forgotten the ice ages. Scientists can tell by where they live.
Why are frogs diverse in some parts of Africa's rainforests and less so in others? The patterns of cooling and glaciation during the last ice age would probably not have been your first answer or even...
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-african-frogs-havent-forgotten-ice.html
Molecular 'leash' measures force-sensing protein activation at about 15 piconewtons
Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have built a molecular "leash" to pull directly on a force-sensing protein called Piezo1, and discovered it switches on at about 15 piconewton...
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-molecular-leash-protein-piconewtons.html
'We are living with disinformation. We are not going to eradicate it,' global expert argues
Disinformation communicated by and on behalf of foreign powers is now part and parcel of digital statecraft in the information age, an expert from Cardiff University has said.
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-disinformation-eradicate-global-expert.html
The Maya engineering paradox: Masters of water, prisoners of mercury
Under the supervision of Université de Montréal archaeology professor Christina Halperin, Ph.D. student Jean Tremblay spent six years, from 2018 to 2024, studying how the Mayan city of Ucanal managed ...
https://phys.org/news/2026-03-maya-paradox-masters-prisoners-mercury.html
Turmeric and ginger extract may boost implant bonding and kill 92% bacteria
An extract of turmeric and ginger helps bone implants bond strongly while killing bacteria and cancer cells, according to new research from Washington State University with implications for millions o...
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-turmericginger-multiple-benefits-bone-implants.html
Planting trees to remove carbon can harm the environment or protect it: Study highlights trade‑offs
Global efforts to limit climate change require deep cuts to carbon emissions. However, global emissions are still growing. Currently, we emit roughly 42 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide from foss...
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-trees-carbon-environment-highlights-tradeoffs.html
Would you spread pain to be fair? fMRI study tests moral choices in ice water
When making ethical decisions, university students appear to prioritize fairness and the fate of the worst-off over either reducing total harm or obeying unconditional moral precepts, according to a s...
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-pain-fair-fmri-moral-choices.html
Light-driven method enables sustainable production of porous semiconducting polymers
Researchers at Koç University have developed a light-driven method to produce porous semiconducting polymers under ambient conditions without the need for metal catalysts. The study, led by Prof. Dr. ...
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-driven-method-enables-sustainable-production.html
Insects in the tropics are already near their heat limits. Climate change could push many beyond survival
Insects make up to 90% of all animal species on the planet, and most of them can be found in the tropics, the regions around the equator. Yet we still know surprisingly little about how these species ...
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-insects-tropics-limits-climate-survival.html
How we came to be: Scientists get first look at the evolution of early complex animals
Newly discovered fossils have given scientists their first real glimpse of when Earth made a crucial transition from plants and unrecognizably simple animals to the complex creatures that took over th...
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-scientists-evolution-early-complex-animals.html
Schrödinger's carbon: The hidden uncertainty in every net-zero plan
Billions of tons of carbon dioxide are being classified as "dealt with" in global climate plans before anyone can know whether that is true. UT Researcher Rosalie Arendt has given a name to this probl...
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-schrdinger-carbon-hidden-uncertainty-net.html
Two's company: Scientists identify new class of star remnants
In about 5 to 8 billion years, our sun is expected to evolve into a white dwarf—an extremely dense, Earth-sized stellar remnant that has exhausted its fuel and shed its outer layer. But while our sun ...
https://phys.org/news/2026-03-company-scientists-class-star-remnants.html
AI makes rewilding look tame—and misses its messy reality
Humans have always imagined the natural world. From Ice Age cave paintings to the modern day, we depict the animals and landscapes we value—and ignore those we don't.
https://phys.org/news/2026-03-ai-rewilding-messy-reality.html