https://phys.org/science-news/sci-other/ en-us The latest news on chemistry, math, archaeology, biology, chemistry, mathematics and science technologies. As the four Artemis astronauts approached a high point of their lunar mission—getting slung around the far side of the moon—NASA staffers crowded into Houston's famed mission control room Monday for a team photo. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-morale-boost-nasa-moon-mission.html Other Tue, 07 Apr 2026 05:20:02 EDT news694753698 The history of science and technology is marked by major breakthroughs—the theory of evolution, the splitting of the atom, the development of antibiotics—and a research team including faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York, has developed a method to help pinpoint discoveries that reshaped the course of science. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-breakthroughs-science-large-scale-analysis.html Other Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:00:06 EDT news694194001 Magicians often talk while performing their acts, using a type of speech called "patter." This can include scripted dialog, storytelling, and interactions, and is often used to entertain and manage audiences, with many people—including magicians—believing that it can even misdirect spectators and make sleight-of-hand tricks harder to spot. But does patter actually pull focus and make it difficult for viewers to see what's happening? A new study published in Scientific Reports tests that assumption directly—and the results are surprising. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-magicians-doesnt-eyes-card-monte.html Other Wed, 01 Apr 2026 08:40:01 EDT news694251354 To date, the main role of AI in scientific research has been to assist with narrow tasks such as discovering chemical structures, analyzing data or predicting protein shapes. But now, the technology has broken new ground with a fully AI-generated paper passing peer review at a major machine-learning conference workshop. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-ai-paper-peer.html Other Mon, 30 Mar 2026 13:40:06 EDT news694094745 With artificial intelligence (AI) as an essential tool, San Diego State University researchers have discovered surprising similarities among ancient writing systems from Africa and the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Their study suggests that the Armenian alphabet may be more closely related in structure to the ancient Ethiopic writing system than linguists and historians previously thought. The paper is published in the journal Digital Scholarship in the Humanities. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-ancient-alphabets-insights-uncover-hidden.html Other Sun, 29 Mar 2026 17:30:01 EDT news693673401 This week, we learned that across the animal kingdom, sperm cells have a short shelf life. A study implicated autoantibodies in the development of long COVID. And among its other drawbacks, the weedkiller glyphosate may foster the spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-saturday-citations-birthday-cetaceans-quantifying.html Other Sat, 28 Mar 2026 09:00:02 EDT news693831274 A scientist who pioneered the modern food processing safety standards used around the world was awarded this year's World Food Prize, the organization announced Wednesday, crediting his work for averting millions of cases of foodborne illness and reducing food waste. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-world-food-prize-safety-scientist.html Other Wed, 25 Mar 2026 10:50:01 EDT news693653170 This week, among a lot of other important findings, we learned that emperor cichlid fish have gaze sensitivity and dislike it if you look at them—or especially their children. England is looking for a solution to its 5-billion-liter water deficit. And a high-fiber diet isn't only healthy for you—it also benefits your parasitic tapeworms! https://phys.org/news/2026-03-saturday-citations-merging-brown-dwarfs.html Other Sat, 21 Mar 2026 08:30:01 EDT news693226847 Humans really do rule the world. We took over fast and far, more than any other wild vertebrates. We inhabit nearly every corner of the world, and can thrive in deserts, tropical rainforests and even extremely cold climates. But how? Scientists say we did it through not only biological evolution, but another system: cultural evolution. That is what makes us so special. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-humans-planet-role-cultural-evolution.html Other Tue, 17 Mar 2026 17:30:03 EDT news692981821 The More You Know: This week, researchers successfully reconstructed videos from the brain activity of mice. According to a new study, female birds are more likely to sing when their extended families help with childcare. And mathematicians have disproven a decades-old classical geometry rule by constructing two compact, self-contained torus objects that have the same metric and mean curvature but are structurally different on a global scale. So that's neat. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-saturday-citations-neurology-huge-croc.html Other Sat, 14 Mar 2026 09:00:02 EDT news692620799 The tongue-in-cheek Ig Nobel awards will be held in Europe for the first time this year because the United States has become "unsafe" for international prize-winners to visit, the organizers have announced. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-ig-nobel-prizes-europe-unsafe.html Other Tue, 10 Mar 2026 12:20:04 EDT news692363166 What we learned this week: Left-handed people may have a psychological edge in competition. Humanoid robots can now do creepy parkour through the uncanny valley. And if you've ever cared for an elderly cat, a new study highlights a biological quirk that could explain why they're so prone to kidney disease. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-saturday-citations-bad-news-footballers.html Other Sat, 07 Mar 2026 08:30:01 EST news692017248 When scientists employ generative AI tools like ChatGPT to help with tasks such as editing and translation for their academic writing, many journals now ask them to disclose this assistance. The rules are intended to maintain transparency in scientific publishing. But many researchers are failing to acknowledge their reliance on these programs, according to a new report published in the journal PNAS. Yongyuan He and Yi Bu at the Department of Information Management, Peking University, analyzed more than 5.2 million papers published in 5,114 journals between 2021 and 2025. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-scientists-ai-disclose.html Other Fri, 06 Mar 2026 14:00:01 EST news692010988 The Neo-Latin theater play "Cenodoxus" (1602) by Jakob Bidermann is now only known to some researchers in Latin and German studies. But from 1930 to 1960, the story about the battle between heavenly and hellish powers for the soul of the Parisian scholar Cenodoxus was at the height of its popularity in German-speaking countries: actors in science and culture praised the play as a Latin "Hamlet" or "Faust." https://phys.org/news/2026-03-ljuba-metzl-theater-history.html Other Thu, 05 Mar 2026 14:50:07 EST news691944061 This week, astronomers reported that one of the biggest observed stars in the universe could soon explode. A study compared long-term COVID-19 brain effects to the flu. And a new eco-friendly battery could theoretically last for centuries (or for several hours if you put it into a Steam Deck, haha). https://phys.org/news/2026-02-saturday-citations-rex-tiptoe-subduing.html Other Sat, 28 Feb 2026 08:30:01 EST news691413577 Will humanity extend into the far future? It's likely many of us think it should. The problem is that each of us, individually and collectively, act otherwise—we are destroying the environment and climate at every turn. Now a group of scientists is arguing that civilization needs to specifically and systematically study how our species can ensure its survival, even for millions of years, via a new interdisciplinary field they call "Future Dynamics." Their study is published in Habitable Planet. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-scientific-discipline-humanity-deep-future.html Other Fri, 27 Feb 2026 15:00:01 EST news691407766 A comprehensive game plan and strategic tactics are critical to winning soccer, but how much does a team's unpredictability in moving the soccer ball around the pitch matter? In a new article published in PLOS One, an international team of researchers analyzed event data from top-tier association soccer competitions to provide insights into match analysis, player tactics and game strategy. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-sports-stats-unpredictable-play-winner.html Mathematics Fri, 27 Feb 2026 14:20:01 EST news691413601 Live music can engage more than just one sense, despite it being an auditory medium. Lighting and visual effects can enhance the listening experience, but it is unclear if they can also affect the impression of the sound. In a study appearing in The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, researchers from Germany's Technical University of Berlin found that the color of a concert hall has an impact on the sound perception of a listener. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-theater-affects-perception.html Other Tue, 24 Feb 2026 11:00:01 EST news691071541 This week in the scientific process: researchers reported the first-ever shark sighted in Antarctic waters. Penguins beware! Biologists report that honey bees navigate more precisely than previously thought. And not all humans scare wildlife, it turns out. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-saturday-citations-virus-proteins-spinosaurus.html Other Sat, 21 Feb 2026 08:50:01 EST news690808584 Four of five Norwegians use digital maps when they are in the outdoors. In just a few years, our mobile phones have gone from being a practical navigation aid to a virtual compass in your backpack. The more we rely on digital navigational tools, the more important it is that technology actually points us in the right direction. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-hikers-backup.html Other Fri, 20 Feb 2026 10:23:21 EST news690805381 An animatronic dire wolf looks around then tilts its head to greet you in the lobby. An animated megalodon shark circles its prey in a conference room made of floor-to-ceiling screens before striking and "breaking" the glass. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-colossal-techy-hq-dallas-startup.html Other Wed, 18 Feb 2026 22:40:02 EST news690619672 The new moon on Feb. 17 marks the start of the Lunar New Year, a celebration originating in China that today is celebrated around the world. According to the Chinese zodiac, 2026 is the year of the Fire Horse, symbolizing energy and passion. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-qa-lunar-year.html Other Tue, 17 Feb 2026 13:07:15 EST news690556022 Scientific publishing relies on peer review as the mechanism that maintains trust in what we publish. When we read a journal article, we assume experts have rigorously scrutinized it before publication. This crucial system is currently under severe strain. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-peer.html Other Mon, 16 Feb 2026 21:20:01 EST news690462295 This week, researchers reported on a juvenile great white shark caught by fishermen in Spanish Mediterranean waters. China's clean air initiatives have resulted in major public health gains, but may have one unintended consequence. And satellite data revealed that boreal forests expanded globally by 12% but have shifted north since 1985. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-saturday-citations-pig-boar-hybrids.html Other Sat, 14 Feb 2026 09:00:01 EST news690133301 Young children who grew up in slavery on Surinamese plantations were much more likely to die if they were without a mother. This is evident from a historical analysis of Surinamese slave registers by researchers at Radboud University and Wageningen University & Research. Their work was published this month in Demography. The presence of grandmothers, aunts and uncles also significantly increased children's chances of survival. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-surviving-slavery-family-vital.html Other Thu, 12 Feb 2026 11:51:17 EST news690119461 Rediscovering long forgotten music does not mean recovering how it was meant to be performed, and that is a major challenge for the arts, finds a new study from the University of Surrey. An expert has found that rediscovered music comes with no shared understanding for how it should sound, leaving performers to make radically different interpretive choices that reshape the work itself. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-rediscovered-music-yields-wildly-traditions.html Other Wed, 11 Feb 2026 09:30:02 EST news690024095 First names in Western countries today are more diverse than they were before early modern states evolved. This difference started to emerge in the 17th century in response to a change that took place in the naming system in large parts of Europe and the English-speaking world. Societies moved away from attributive last names—based on occupation or appearance like John (the) Short—to inherited surnames. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-parallels-cultures-repercussions-asian.html Other Tue, 10 Feb 2026 17:10:15 EST news689965801 This week in science news: Nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas, may break down more rapidly in the atmosphere than previously thought due to climate change. A new, experimental pill dramatically reduces bad cholesterol. And physicists believe they detected an exploding black hole, representing scary new behavior from what we once thought was a more limited arsenal of gravity-based terror and awe. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-saturday-citations-bonobos-cannabis-brain.html Other Sat, 07 Feb 2026 08:30:11 EST news689601416 Historian and Ph.D. research fellow Andreas Eliassen Grini at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) has delved into German soldiers' descriptions of their experiences in Northern Norway. This includes their encounter with the Sami culture. He found a number of unexpected discoveries, showing that the occupying power had a two-sided view of the Sami population and culture. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-norway-sami-population-posed-enigma.html Other Fri, 06 Feb 2026 13:01:13 EST news689605261 Keeping up with the latest research is vital for scientists, but given that millions of scientific papers are published every year, that can prove difficult. Artificial intelligence systems show promise for quickly synthesizing seas of information, but they still tend to make things up, or "hallucinate." https://phys.org/news/2026-02-ai-openscholar-scientific-cites-sources.html Other Wed, 04 Feb 2026 11:00:13 EST news689420235