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. A new study suggests that babies are able to distinguish between the different objects they see around them at 2 months old, which is earlier than scientists previously thought. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-month-olds-world-complex-scientists.html Other Sat, 21 Feb 2026 12:50:02 EST news689258624 How did the complexity of many organisms living today evolve from the simpler body plans of their ancestors? This is a central question in biology. Take our hands, for example: Every time we type a message on our mobile phone, we are using an evolutionary "masterpiece" that evolved over millions of years. Notably, we typically grasp and manipulate objects with the palm of our hand—its ventral side. The back of our hand, or dorsal side, plays almost no role. This differentiation of our limbs, with a ventral side adapted for contact and a dorsal side protected by nails or toenails, is essential for life on land. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-fins-fingers-nature-redeployed-ancient.html Evolution Mon, 09 Feb 2026 15:58:27 EST news689875082 When actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds bought a low-level Welsh soccer club in 2021, their goal was not just to save a sports team. In the FX docuseries "Welcome to Wrexham," which chronicles the stars' efforts to revitalize Wrexham AFC, the pair has been explicit about their hopes to uplift the surrounding community as well. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-sunny-wrexham-docuseries-nets-economic.html Economics & Business Mon, 09 Feb 2026 14:24:53 EST news689869382 The charismatic, robust, and impressive North American mountain sheep is losing its habitat to industrial mining, the changing climate, and human activity. And unless action is taken to protect this popular and inherently American species, it could face extinction. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-north-american-wild-mountain-sheep.html Plants & Animals Mon, 09 Feb 2026 12:20:01 EST news689861685 Historical injustices such as slavery and colonialism are not just matters of the past but active forces shaping present-day inequality and development, according to new legal research published in a leading African human rights volume. A new co-authored chapter by Mr. Olusegun Gbede, law lecturer at the University of East London, and Dr. Olalekan Bello, of the University of Leicester, argues that the economic and social legacies of historical exploitation continue to influence contemporary outcomes in African states and should be addressed through broader frameworks of justice and restoration. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-reparations-highlights-roots-african-inequality.html Social Sciences Mon, 09 Feb 2026 12:01:17 EST news689860802 A recent paper examines how emotional intelligence functions as a critical skill in education settings and as a leadership capability in modern organizations, particularly amid rising workplace strain, complexity, and change. The research is authored by Chanell Russell, a research fellow with the Center for Organizational Wellness, Engagement and Belonging (CO-WEB) at University of Phoenix College of Doctoral Studies. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-emotionally-intelligent-leadership-organizational-wellness.html Economics & Business Sat, 07 Feb 2026 17:00:04 EST news689527231 Pharmaceutical products are essential for health, and they play and will continue to play a key role in disease prevention and treatment. However, they are exerting a major impact on the environment by affecting ecosystems and human health, and contributing to biodiversity loss, antimicrobial resistance and climate change. The main ingredients of medicines designed to achieve the desired health effect, together with their excipients (inert substances mixed with medicines to provide them with consistency, shape, taste, etc.) and packaging materials, are polluting the air, soil and water worldwide. This leads to problems in ecosystems, which then translate into an impact on human health. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-multi-sector-approach-global-posed.html Environment Thu, 05 Feb 2026 16:38:41 EST news689531881 Muscles make up nearly 40% of the human body and power every move we make, from a child's first steps to recovery after injury. For some, however, muscle development goes awry, leading to weakness, delayed motor milestones or lifelong disabilities. New research from the University of Georgia is shedding light on why. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-crispr-screen-genes-essential-human.html Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 05 Feb 2026 15:40:04 EST news689521954 Studying the shape of tissues and organs is critical to understanding how they are formed. Embryonic development happens in three dimensions, but many studies are limited by the use of two-dimensional approaches and images to describe three-dimensional processes. To overcome this challenge, researchers at EMBL Barcelona have created LimbLab—an open-source pipeline made for three-dimensional visualization and analysis of growing limb buds. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-limblab-tool-visualize-embryonic-3d.html Biotechnology Thu, 05 Feb 2026 09:20:01 EST news689503631 One of the most enduring goals in regenerative medicine is deceptively simple: replace a person's damaged or dying cells with healthy new ones grown in the laboratory. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-ai-foundation-aims-stem-cell.html Biotechnology Wed, 04 Feb 2026 21:40:01 EST news689437868 A spotted gray wolf has left his California pack and trotted across Silver State lines, wildlife biologists say. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-gray-wolf-nevada-california.html Plants & Animals Wed, 04 Feb 2026 20:10:01 EST news689411279 Humans' exposure to high temperature burn injuries may have played an important role in our evolutionary development, shaping how our bodies heal, fight infection, and sometimes fail under extreme injury, according to new research. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-exposure-injuries-played-key-role.html Evolution Wed, 04 Feb 2026 19:10:06 EST news689446742 A new study has uncovered a hidden step that helps the deadliest malaria parasite survive and multiply inside the human body. Researchers studying Plasmodium falciparum found that the parasite relies on a brief but essential stage, nicknamed the "Crown" stage, to make sure a crucial internal structure is passed on correctly when it divides. The discovery offers a fresh look at how the parasite reproduces and could point to new ways to stop malaria by disrupting this process. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-uncover-hour-crown-checkpoint-enables.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 04 Feb 2026 12:00:01 EST news689422182 In South and West Dallas, initiatives like Restorative Farms have turned vacant lots into hubs for fresh produce, job training, and sustainable practices such as hydroponics—helping combat food deserts and build local food networks. More complex than small community gardens, urban farms can help tackle food insecurity and create jobs, especially in underserved areas. But systemic challenges, such as funding gaps and overcoming environmental and soil contamination, can make sustainability challenging. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-term-partnerships-sustainable-urban-farming.html Environment Tue, 03 Feb 2026 18:10:01 EST news689338656 Math anxiety is a significant challenge for students worldwide. While personalized support is widely recognized as the most effective way to address it, many teachers struggle to deliver this level of support at scale within busy classrooms. New research from Adelaide University shows how artificial intelligence (AI) could help address challenges such as math anxiety by using a student's inputs and identifying signs of anxiety or disengagement during learning. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-ai-math-anxiety-student-feedback.html Mathematics Tue, 03 Feb 2026 15:40:04 EST news689355145 Studies from the Department of Communication and Learning in Science show that AI tools such as ChatGPT are not merely being used as support in students' studies. In fact, they may be reshaping how students perceive knowledge and learning—a perspective that is not always shared by teachers and universities. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-ai-norms-higher.html Education Tue, 03 Feb 2026 12:00:01 EST news689342007 More than 2,500 plant species have the potential to invade the Arctic at the expense of the species that belong there. Norway is one of the areas that is particularly at risk. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-thousands-alien-species-invade-arctic.html Plants & Animals Tue, 03 Feb 2026 10:50:01 EST news689336150 A research team led by Prof. Zhu Yongguan, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) at the CAS Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, has identified the mechanisms by which sponge city construction significantly enhances urban plant diversity, according to a study published in Cell Reports Sustainability on January 27. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-sponge-city-fuels-major-gains.html Ecology Tue, 03 Feb 2026 10:30:03 EST news689336482 University of Alberta researchers have, for the first time, captured a much better view of what may be contributing to failures in lodgepole pine seed orchards—a tree essential to Alberta's forest industry. The researchers used synchrotron microcomputed tomography, an advanced 3D imaging method usually used in medicine, in a pilot study to visually explore why some pollinated female pine cones, known as conelets, are healthy while others die long before they fully develop. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-high-tech-imaging-cultivation-trees.html Plants & Animals Tue, 03 Feb 2026 09:14:25 EST news689332441 New treatments based on biological molecules like RNA give scientists unprecedented control over how cells function. But delivering those drugs to the right tissues remains one of the biggest obstacles to turning these promising yet fragile molecules into powerful new treatments. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-future-metabolic-health-tissue-drug.html Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 02 Feb 2026 17:50:01 EST news689247909 The cells in our bodies move in groups during biological processes such as wound healing and tissue development—but because of resistance, or viscosity, those cells can't just neatly glide past each other. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-negative-viscosity-propel-groups-migrating.html Molecular & Computational biology Sat, 31 Jan 2026 04:50:53 EST news689057418 Public housing high-rises, common in the late 20th century, often siloed residents from surrounding communities. "You had these big towers that were in the middle of large courtyards, spaced far away from other residents," said Matthew Staiger, a research scientist with Harvard's Opportunity Insights. "It was extremely obvious where the public housing started and ended." https://phys.org/news/2026-01-housing-future-prospects-children.html Social Sciences Fri, 30 Jan 2026 08:45:23 EST news688985101 A Chinese personal safety app called Are You Dead?—recently rebranded as Demumu—has gone viral in recent weeks, attracting widespread media attention. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-dead-china-viral-app-reveals.html Social Sciences Fri, 30 Jan 2026 06:55:23 EST news688978501 Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a "capping-and-coupling" strategy to transform naturally occurring (native) sugars directly into compounds known as C-heteroaryl glycosides. This makes it easier to produce such molecules that are valuable for drug and vaccine development. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-photocatalysis-enables-coupling-native-sugars.html Biochemistry Thu, 29 Jan 2026 14:30:04 EST news688919152 Whether gathering berries, hunting, or fishing, humans searching for food make decisions not only based on personal experience but also by observing others. In a large-scale field study, an international team of researchers investigated how social information influences foraging behavior, using Finnish ice-fishing competitions as a natural setting. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-ice-fishing-competitions-reveal-human.html Social Sciences Thu, 29 Jan 2026 14:00:04 EST news688899301 For quantum computers to function, they must be kept at extremely low temperatures. However, today's cooling systems also generate noise that interferes with the fragile quantum information they are meant to protect. Now, researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have developed an entirely new type of quantum refrigerator, which is partly driven by the noise itself. This refrigerator enables very precise control over heat and energy flows and could play an important role in scaling up quantum technology. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-quantum-refrigerator-benefits-problematic-noise.html Superconductivity Thu, 29 Jan 2026 12:50:03 EST news688912696 Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Biology have discovered a remarkably streamlined strategy for developmental control in brown algae. They have shown that a single ARGONAUTE (AGO) protein orchestrates the transition from vegetative growth to sexual reproduction and directs germline establishment. The findings are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-protein-big-decision-brown-algae.html Ecology Thu, 29 Jan 2026 08:32:30 EST news688897921 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the United Nations Agreement on the High Seas (BBNJ) and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) have demonstrated strong commitment by governments and international organizations in recent years to social and environmental equity in ocean-related projects and decisions. However, progress is significantly hampered by a lack of clarity on how to define, measure, and monitor equity. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-ocean-equity-index-global-tool.html Environment Wed, 28 Jan 2026 15:26:22 EST news688836361 Research in the Journal of Applied Ecology has identified threats to endangered plants in an urban area, generating information that can be used to guide effective conservation strategies across major cities. Investigators in Germany analyzed data on 1,231 populations of 201 endangered plant species within Berlin's Flora Protection Program. Threats were categorized and their relative importance was quantified at both population and species levels, and across habitat types. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-native-affect-endangered-species-cities.html Plants & Animals Wed, 28 Jan 2026 03:10:07 EST news688725421 When families decide where to buy a home, when cities approve new development, or when governments decide where to invest billions in resilience, they increasingly turn to climate-risk scores for guidance. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-climate-scores-major-decisions-underlying.html Environment Tue, 27 Jan 2026 14:00:03 EST news688744641