https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Theoretical physicists at Emory University have discovered a way to use light to detect the "spectral fingerprints" of anyons—exotic quasiparticles that emerge from the collective behavior of many electrons. Their findings are published in Physical Review Letters. The work offers a new tool for the study of anyons, which hold potential as fundamental building blocks for quantum computing. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-theoretical-method-anyons-potential-quantum.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 29 Oct 2026 10:40:01 EDT news712484101 A tiny fossil discovered exactly a century ago has caused an enormous change in our understanding of when flying insects first appeared on Earth. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-fossil-scans-insect-flight-timeline.html Evolution Thu, 29 Oct 2026 10:20:18 EDT news712483323 Flying foxes are the biggest bats in the world; they look like German shepherd puppies with 5-foot (1.5-meter) wingspans. But Madagascar's flying foxes are shrinking. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-museum-specimens-reveal-flying-foxes.html Evolution Thu, 29 Oct 2026 10:00:08 EDT news712397762 Viewed under a microscope, the air above the Amazon rainforest teems with activity. It is full of pollen, fungal spores, tiny plant particles and bacteria. Normally, the composition of this bioaerosol community is quite stable. A team that included researchers from the University of Graz, the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz and Brazilian partner institutions has now shown that microorganisms are transported across the Atlantic along with desert dust from the Sahara. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-saharan-bacteria-atlantic-amazon-rainforest.html Environment Thu, 29 Oct 2026 09:20:01 EDT news712482062 Worldwide, antibiotic resistance is associated with millions of deaths every year, and the World Health Organization warns that the number of resistant infections is rising. Colistin is a last-resort antibiotic used when other treatments fail, but rates of colistin-resistant infections are rising as well, putting people at even greater risk and increasing the urgency for new therapeutic approaches. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-amino-acid-boosts-resort-antibiotic.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 29 Oct 2026 09:00:01 EDT news712404121 The energy required for brains of different sizes to function could play a role in how different species evolved over time. While the energetic costs of brains have long been deemed important in evolution, direct measurements of the rate at which the brains of different species consume energy, also known as brain metabolic rates (MRs), remain scarce. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-smaller-ants-devote-resting-energy.html Plants & Animals Thu, 29 Oct 2026 08:20:14 EDT news712411896 Ocean fish stocks have been increasingly exploited over time, and remote sensing shows they have declined in the open ocean over the last three decades, particularly in the tropics. But it's uncertain how fish populations will fare in the future, as climate models show both increases and decreases in global trends by the end of this century. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-ancient-oceans-carbon-export-fish.html Earth Sciences Thu, 29 Oct 2026 07:20:02 EDT news712402208 There are two lighthouses on Lady Elliot Island, at the southernmost tip of Australia's Great Barrier Reef. The first was built in 1873, but was decommissioned in 1995 when the second took over the job of warning ships off the reef. Visitors to the island, however, regularly report seeing signs of a third lighthouse. At night the beams of a nonexistent phantom lighthouse are seen far off, shining on the horizon. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-phantom-lighthouse-australia-strangest-illusions.html Mathematics Wed, 28 Oct 2026 19:40:01 EDT news712402306 Researchers at Kyushu University have found that an ultrathin layer of iridium manganese (IrMn) can improve two spin-related signals in a structure made of a magnetic insulator and a platinum film. By examining how spin currents are generated and absorbed, the team gained insights into how the intermediate layer improves spin transfer. The findings could inform the development of ultralow-power devices for computing and energy harvesting. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-ultrathin-metal-layer-boosts-door.html Condensed Matter Wed, 28 Oct 2026 19:20:02 EDT news712421221 Two nearly identical materials have completely different chemical behavior. Research teams at the University of Vienna and TU Wien studied catalysts that use the energy of sunlight to produce ammonia. Surprisingly, when the three iron atoms that form tiny triangles in these catalysts are replaced by chromium atoms, the chemical reaction no longer takes place. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-atomic-magnetism-reveals-iron-chromium.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 28 Oct 2026 19:00:01 EDT news712420921 Macromolecular crowding can serve as a design tool for controlling the formation and organization of synthetic DNA droplets, a study from Science Tokyo reveals. Researchers investigated this strategy using DNA nanostars and polymeric crowding agents to mimic the crowded cellular environment. They found that crowding promoted droplet formation and enabled control over droplet size, interactions and organization. The findings could support the development of programmable artificial cell systems. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-macromolecular-crowding-artificial-cell.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 28 Oct 2026 18:40:01 EDT news712420261 An international study investigating why wild tomatoes are more resistant to the tomato leafminer (Phthorimaea absoluta) than cultivated varieties revealed that the secret lies in the spatial structure of a plant defense molecule. The researchers mapped the biochemical origin of this difference and demonstrated that altering four amino acids in a single enzyme is sufficient to alter the structure of the substance and increase its toxicity against the pest. This finding paves the way for creating resistant tomatoes through gene editing. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-molecular-architecture-tomato-resistance-main.html Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 28 Oct 2026 18:20:06 EDT news712420202 Glasses are (mostly) brittle, metals can be ductile (plastic), and liquids flow easily. Polymers are interesting because they exhibit all three types of behavior, depending on their chemical nature, temperature, and deformation rate. If polymers are not able to crystallize, their low-temperature state is glassy, and they are hard and transparent. One example is poly(methylmethacrylate) [PMMA], which has been used as an artificial glass since the early 20th century. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-difference-brittle-ductile-behavior-polymer.html Soft Matter Wed, 28 Oct 2026 18:00:01 EDT news712244706 The latest research on the wild population of dogs in Chornobyl reveals that the genetic differences between these dogs and other similarly isolated dog populations are likely evidence of directional selection, not mutation. The work suggests a potential association between genetic selection and environmental variables and could advance understanding of local adaptation and genomic resilience in contaminated environments. The study appears in Genes. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-chornobyl-dog-population-genetic-signatures.html Plants & Animals Wed, 28 Oct 2026 17:40:01 EDT news712419904 Planning a successful trip can be challenging, especially when your destination is in outer space. Even before liftoff, space missions require extraordinary amounts of scientific preparation and data analysis to succeed, which can take years to complete. However, as space agencies race to establish a permanent presence on the moon, using artificial intelligence to combine such information into a single system could make mission planning much more efficient. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-gen-artificial-intelligence-future-space.html Space Exploration Wed, 28 Oct 2026 17:30:01 EDT news712425961 Chemical reactions have their own "impatient molecules." Unable to stay still even for a moment, they latch onto other molecules indiscriminately. Researchers have now found that even these molecules change where they "sit" and how far they roam depending on who their neighbors are. The findings are expected to help scientists make better medicines and materials by directing reactions only to the desired sites. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-radical-paths-ray-snapshots-reveal.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 28 Oct 2026 17:20:13 EDT news712419782 During a recent expedition aboard the research vessel David Packard, MBARI scientists encountered a rarely seen barreleye fish (Macropinna microstoma). This sighting is MBARI's 11th observation of this unique deep-sea fish with a transparent head. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-rarely-deep-sea-barreleye-fish.html Plants & Animals Wed, 28 Oct 2026 17:00:06 EDT news712419481 Plant hormones influence growth and development by acting on specific cells and tissues. However, determining precisely where and when a hormone needs to act has been challenging because conventional hormone treatment generally activates signaling throughout the plant. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-gibberellin-reveals-hormone-root-growth.html Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 28 Oct 2026 16:40:08 EDT news712419362 Scientists at Bournemouth University (BU) have solved a 150-year-old mystery about the identity of an extinct giant crane that lived in Europe over 20,000 years ago. The work is published in the journal Royal Society Open Science. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-year-mystery-identity-extinct-giant.html Paleontology & Fossils Wed, 28 Oct 2026 16:30:01 EDT news712422061 How cells are arranged within tissue can reveal as much about disease as the cells themselves. When doctors examine a cancer tumor, for example, they don't just look at which cells are present; they also want to know how those cells are arranged and how they interact with each other. That's because the way cancer cells interact with neighboring immune cells can offer important clues about how a disease develops or responds to treatment. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-tissue-atlas-aims-ai-cancer.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 28 Oct 2026 16:20:08 EDT news712419121 A team of researchers has produced the first global, three-dimensional estimates of the sun's magnetic field, including the area beyond the sun's visible edge. This marks a step toward more accurate models of solar activity—and ultimately, better predictions of solar magnetic eruptions, which are the root cause of extreme space weather that can impact critical infrastructure technologies on Earth. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-sun-outer-magnetic-field-3d.html Astronomy Wed, 28 Oct 2026 16:10:02 EDT news712421641 Cells naturally send tiny packages to one another to share information. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have developed a simple, low-cost way to turn those packages into drug carriers that can deliver treatments directly to cancer cells, potentially improving effectiveness while reducing side effects. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-customizable-dna-drug-carriers-cancer.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 28 Oct 2026 16:00:05 EDT news712418881 What happens to smoke particles after sunset can depend strongly on something as familiar as the amount of water in the air. New research from Md. Sohel Rana and Marcelo I. Guzman at the University of Kentucky shows that relative humidity can redirect the chemical pathways involved in the nighttime oxidation of catechol, a phenolic compound associated with biomass burning. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-humidity-pollutants-dark.html Environment Wed, 28 Oct 2026 15:40:04 EDT news712418581 Patience Seamount is an underwater mountain in Australia's Huon Marine Park off the coast of Tasmania. Every year, it is the site of an enormous gathering of basketwork eels (Diastobranchus capensis) for reasons unknown, although most likely to spawn. The numbers are huge, but they have never been quantified. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-scientists-million-eels-underwater-mountain.html Plants & Animals Wed, 28 Oct 2026 15:20:09 EDT news712402182 Tucked away inside a limestone cave in southeastern France lies some of the oldest artwork in existence. Known as Chauvet Cave, the site is so historically important—and fragile—that its location is kept secret and the cave is locked behind a huge steel door. And now, researchers have devised a technique to safely investigate these artworks and understand the natural varnish that has protected them for centuries. Their findings are published in the journal ACS Omega. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-uv-scans-uncover-natural-varnish.html Archaeology Wed, 28 Oct 2026 14:40:07 EDT news712412720 A large-scale survey of adults in the U.K. shows that hugs are commonly remembered for comfort, support and understanding, according to a study published in PLOS One by Anna Lena Dueren of the University of Bristol, U.K., and colleagues. Notably, individual differences in empathy, attachment patterns in relationships, body perception and everyday hugging experiences were also related to the likelihood of remembering a hug for its positive emotional effect. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-why-hugs-become-memorable.html Social Sciences Wed, 28 Oct 2026 14:00:16 EDT news712397221 In September 2024, Storm Boris brought extreme precipitation and severe flooding to large parts of Central and Eastern Europe. Poland, Czechia and Austria were particularly affected. In some areas, several hundred millimeters of rain fell within a few days, and numerous rivers burst their banks. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-climate-amplified-european-rainfall.html Environment Wed, 28 Oct 2026 14:00:08 EDT news712331521 Caltech scientists have published the first detailed analysis of the atmospheric particles in the smoke plume from the Eaton Fire that devastated much of the town of Altadena in Southern California's San Gabriel Valley and the surrounding areas in January 2025. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-eaton-exposed-million-people-elevated.html Environment Wed, 28 Oct 2026 14:00:04 EDT news712398541 Many spiders reach their maximum size about this time of year, having spent the summer eating, which helps explain their starring role in Halloween decorations. Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have found that one particular trapdoor spider, Aptostichus stephencolberti, which is about the size of a quarter, is big in another way: It has an outsized genome. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-spider-stephen-colbert-genome-larger.html Plants & Animals Wed, 28 Oct 2026 13:40:11 EDT news712411681 To limit further climate change, researchers are exploring technologies that can convert atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) into useful products. In collaboration with BOKU University in Vienna (Austria), researchers at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) have demonstrated that electrochemical and microbial processes can be combined to capture CO₂ and produce itaconic acid, a bio-based chemical used in industry. According to the researchers, this new process demonstrates how CO₂ emissions can be converted into sustainable bio-based products, with the potential to produce a wider range of valuable chemicals by using different microorganisms. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-yeast-paired-electricity-chemical-biodegradable.html Biochemistry Wed, 28 Oct 2026 13:20:10 EDT news712410781