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. Fabian Coscia and his team have published in Nature Methods an open-source workflow that makes Deep Visual Proteomics easier to use, adapt and scale. OpenDVP enables scientists to spatially map thousands of proteins inside cells and their cellular environments, while preserving their tissue context. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-source-workflow-spatial-proteomics-easier.html Biotechnology Fri, 23 Oct 2026 12:20:10 EDT news711969422 New active ingredients for drugs to treat infections, cancer or other serious diseases are often based on substances originally discovered in microorganisms, plants or other living organisms. Producing or improving such active ingredients in a targeted manner using microorganisms is often challenging because the underlying biological processes are extremely complex. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-ai-functional-enzyme-components-drug.html Biochemistry Wed, 21 Oct 2026 16:20:14 EDT news711806642 What causes adversaries to escalate conflicts into costly, prolonged wars even when neither side wants to fight? And in the fog of war, what might help them break that cycle and find a path to peace? https://phys.org/news/2026-10-fog-war-game-based-boundaries.html Social Sciences Wed, 21 Oct 2026 16:00:13 EDT news711805381 The polar vortex, a swirling mass of cold air encircling the North Pole, is sometimes disrupted by sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) events, unleashing waves of frigid air that penetrate farther south than usual. Temperatures across North America and Europe drop precipitously when this happens, but such events remain hard to predict, meaning we can't easily warn people when SSW is imminent. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-machine-reveals-potential-polar-vortex.html Earth Sciences Tue, 20 Oct 2026 17:40:16 EDT news711721201 Announcements over recent months that artificial intelligence models have cracked previously unsolvable problems are shaking top-level mathematicians to the core, and they are now asking themselves: Where do we come in? https://phys.org/news/2026-10-ai-math-unsolvable.html Mathematics Tue, 20 Oct 2026 15:10:02 EDT news711723447 A research team led by distinguished professor Giuseppe Pezzotti at the Biomedical Engineering Center, Kansai Medical University (Japan), has demonstrated that differences in the molecular structures of viral RNA can be captured as "Raman barcodes," enabling the identification of 20 SARS-CoV-2 variants and subvariants. These findings are expected to contribute to the development of a rapid method for identifying newly emerging viral variants. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-raman-barcodes-distinguish-sars-cov.html Biotechnology Tue, 20 Oct 2026 13:40:27 EDT news711713502 One-quarter of the world's data centers are located in areas where water demand exceeds supply for at least one month each year, according to a new global analysis. Researchers reporting in Environmental Science & Technology mapped data center locations against available water resources and found that, under a future climate scenario, the proportion of facilities in water-stressed areas could rise to one-third. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-centers-resources-limited.html Environment Mon, 19 Oct 2026 14:00:01 EDT news711628081 Historians have created a first-of-its-kind online interactive map, using data from hundreds of thousands of pages of centuries-old port records to chart Britain's growth into a dominant global trading nation. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-ai-centuries-reveal-britain-vast.html Archaeology Mon, 19 Oct 2026 12:40:08 EDT news711622323 In principle, artificial intelligence could make finding the right material for an application as simple as ordering dinner: Scientists would tell a large language model what they want, and it would serve them the perfect material for the job. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-ai-crystal-view-materials-world.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 19 Oct 2026 12:20:01 EDT news711622141 The Cambrian explosion was a major diversification of animal life that unfolded early in the Cambrian period, which began around 538.8 million years ago. During this interval, marine animals became much more varied, building the foundations for current marine ecosystems. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-algae-fossils-cambrian-explosion-hint.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 19 Oct 2026 10:30:01 EDT news711620351 A research team led by senior researcher Minyoung Lee and principal researcher Sunggyu Park of the Advanced Bio and Healthcare Materials Research Division at the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), has developed a label-free surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) analysis technology that rapidly detects extremely low concentrations of viable bacteria by directly growing plasmonic metal nanostructures on and around bacterial cells. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-plasmonic-coating-bacterial-surfaces-paves.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 19 Oct 2026 09:40:01 EDT news711619741 Proteases are naturally occurring enzymes that break down proteins into peptides and even single amino acids. They are useful in medicine and industrial processes, where they clean tissue, digest waste and help in the manufacture of everyday products. Now scientists have used artificial intelligence to design new versions from scratch. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-ai-molecular-scissors-protein.html Biotechnology Fri, 16 Oct 2026 12:40:06 EDT news711294937 As an embryo develops from a small cluster of stem cells, those once "blank slate" cells begin to take on more specialized roles like brain, liver or muscle cells and organize themselves into three-dimensional structures such as tissues and organs. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-ai-reveals-language-cell.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 16 Oct 2026 11:20:12 EDT news711364201 New materials and catalysts have the potential to transform everything from food production and medicine to batteries and stainless steel. Computer simulations help scientists narrow down promising candidates before testing them in a lab, but those simulations can be unreliable, especially for molecules that contain multiple metals. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-electron-density-chemistry-difficult-metal.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 15 Oct 2026 18:00:10 EDT news711295441 About 2 billion metric tons of metal are produced worldwide every year to meet the demands of industry, infrastructure and the energy sector. Much of this production still relies on primary raw materials, contributing to an estimated 40% of industrial greenhouse gas emissions and 10% of global energy consumption. Increasing the use of recycled metals could significantly reduce the environmental impact of metal production while also lowering dependence on imports of scarce and strategically critical raw materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-ai-scrap-impurities-ingredients-stronger.html Materials Science Thu, 15 Oct 2026 16:20:18 EDT news711292976 In 2024, a collaborative Penn venture introduced a more objective way for people to examine how different outlets cover the same events and ultimately decide how they perceive and use information shared in the media. The Media Bias Detector, conceived in Penn's Computational Social Science (CSS) Lab, a joint venture of Penn Engineering, the Annenberg School for Communication and the Wharton School, uses artificial intelligence to analyze news articles for characteristics including topic, tone, political lean, and the facts and people included in coverage. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-ai-media-bias-voters-news.html Social Sciences Thu, 15 Oct 2026 12:00:12 EDT news711283345 Organizations are unprepared for the risks posed by quantum computing, IBM's Europe and Africa vice president Alessandro Curioni told AFP Wednesday, referring to the high-speed technology that could crack security encryptions and enable large-scale cyberattacks. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-ibm-quantum-hacks.html Quantum Physics Wed, 14 Oct 2026 14:50:01 EDT news711207380 Researchers have conducted the largest-ever controlled test of space-based methane monitoring, finding that dedicated methane sensors correctly detected nearly all methane plumes released on clear days. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-satellites-accurately-methane-emissions-largest.html Earth Sciences Wed, 14 Oct 2026 11:01:33 EDT news711043321 In 2021, Texas suffered the worst energy infrastructure failure in state history, following three severe winter storms in February. At least 246 people were killed as a result of the disruptions, which led to food, water, heat and electricity shortages. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-ai-weather-power-weeks.html Environment Wed, 14 Oct 2026 11:00:47 EDT news711042661 Millions of people worldwide, likely without realizing it, are capturing rare and valuable data that can help researchers assess trends in ecosystem health. Such data, however, are hidden in an ocean of comments on free online platforms like eBird and iNaturalist used by birdwatchers and other nature enthusiasts. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-nature-lovers-aid-ecology-ai.html Ecology Mon, 12 Oct 2026 11:40:20 EDT news711016082 Researchers from Rutgers, IBM and collaborating institutions have shown that a quantum computer can check what is happening inside it and respond while it is running, repeatedly resetting parts of the system to bring chaotic behavior under control. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-closer-quantum.html Quantum Physics Mon, 12 Oct 2026 11:20:22 EDT news711015962 Finding a single cancer cell in a tube of blood is a bit like finding a needle in a haystack. As researchers seek to detect ever-smaller and rarer targets, from viruses to circulating tumor cells in blood, the demand for ultrasensitive, robust sensors that are practical for real-world samples continues to grow. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-method-free-particle-sensor-surfaces.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 09 Oct 2026 13:40:06 EDT news710766515 Artificial intelligence is increasingly becoming part of our everyday lives, from digital assistants to robots that respond to their surroundings. Each of these capabilities is based on physical computational processes that consume energy. An international research team led by Hans Briegel from the Department of Theoretical Physics at the University of Innsbruck, Austria, has investigated the physical limits on the efficiency with which intelligent systems process information. Their findings are published in Physical Review X. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-physics-reveals-fundamental-energy-efficiency.html General Physics Fri, 09 Oct 2026 09:30:01 EDT news710753641 Earlier this week, OpenAI published a trove of hundreds of mathematical results it claimed could "push the frontier of human knowledge." Produced largely by an unreleased artificial intelligence (AI) model, the 722 papers relate to 372 open problems covering everything from algebra and geometry to theoretical computer science. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-mathocalypse-openai-latest-results-dump.html Mathematics Fri, 09 Oct 2026 08:00:02 EDT news710749202 A new technology promises to enable more comprehensive investigations into how individual genes determine the appearance and behavior of cells. Researchers led by professor Veit Hornung at LMU's Gene Center and professor Matthias Mann at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried, together with professor Fabian Theis at Helmholtz Munich, have developed SPARCS, a technology that combines artificial intelligence with microscopy and genetic screening. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-tracking-cellular-gene-functions-ai.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 08 Oct 2026 16:20:12 EDT news710679661 Using data from the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys, with help from artificial intelligence, an international team of scientists has discovered 70 new gravitational lenses—rare cosmic alignments that act as natural magnifying glasses. The new lenses further expand one of the largest collections of confirmed lenses to date and will allow scientists to study dark matter, galaxy evolution and the structure of the universe. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-largest-2d-universe-scientists-gravitational.html Astronomy Thu, 08 Oct 2026 09:40:12 EDT news710669701 Francis Halzen, winner of the Nobel Prize in physics, spoke with pride on Wednesday about his early promotion of artificial intelligence in his research on neutrinos. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-nobel-physics-winner-pride-ai.html General Physics Wed, 07 Oct 2026 18:40:01 EDT news710587906 A flash flood can devastate a community for years in a matter of minutes. These disasters account for roughly 85% of floods and cause thousands of deaths annually worldwide, with water levels capable of shooting up 30 feet (9 meters) and receding to normal levels in the span of a single, unpredictable day, according to the National Weather Service. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-ai-techniques-image-creation-river.html Earth Sciences Tue, 06 Oct 2026 17:30:01 EDT news710525041 Anyone who has ever tried and failed to swat a fly has experienced the speed of a tiny nervous system. Now, a new review brings together evidence that its secret lies partly in microscopic movements and shape changes within sensory cells and neurons, challenging conventional views of how brains process information. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-shifting-sensory-cells-insects-visual.html Plants & Animals Tue, 06 Oct 2026 16:20:12 EDT news710507162 In January 2013, Lake Michigan reached its lowest water level on record. Seven years later, in the summer of 2020, it broke the opposite record with widespread flooding, eroded shorelines and closed lakeside roads. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-ai-great-lakes.html Earth Sciences Tue, 06 Oct 2026 15:10:01 EDT news710515621