Studying snakes' ability to stand upright could inform soft robotics and more

Snakes may be best known for slithering. But consider that these animals also perform one of the most extreme feats of posture control found in nature: They can stand nearly straight upright on a narrow perch without falling, lifting 70% of their body length, despite having no limbs.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-03-snakes-ability-upright-soft-robotics.html

Get ready for the Rubin Observatory's deluge of discoveries

It's been about eight months since the Vera Rubin Observatory (VRO) saw first light. Now the telescope is scanning the night sky to detect transient changes and sending alerts to astronomers and observatories around the world so they can perform follow-up observations. This alert system is one of the last milestones before the VRO starts its primary endeavor: the decade-long Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST).

source https://phys.org/news/2026-03-ready-rubin-observatory-deluge-discoveries.html

AI cracks Roman-era board game

A smooth, white stone dating from the Roman era and unearthed in the Netherlands has long baffled researchers.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-02-ai-roman-era-board-game.html

DNA study uncovers continental origins of Britain's Bronze Age population

When ancient DNA studies began to gain attention, little more than a decade ago, the view took hold among geneticists that everything we thought we knew about the peopling of Europe by modern humans was wrong. The story was simpler than anyone was expecting: Europe was settled in just three massive migrations from the east.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-02-dna-uncovers-continental-britain-bronze.html

Middle East Conflict: Exporters Fear Rise In Logistics, Insurance Costs, Impact On Shipmen

India is heavily reliant on the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait for crude oil and LNG imports and trade with key regions.

source https://www.ndtvprofit.com/markets/middle-east-conflict-exporters-fear-rise-in-logistics-insurance-costs-impact-on-shipments-11151170

Missing methane: Countries may be underestimating wastewater greenhouse gas emissions

The amount of greenhouse gases produced by the wastewater sector may be higher than reports suggest. According to a paper published in the journal Nature Climate Change, countries are missing out on reporting a significant portion of their emissions.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-02-methane-countries-underestimating-wastewater-greenhouse.html

Coral proxy data reveals century-long slowdown of South China Sea throughflow under global warming

The South China Sea Throughflow (SCSTF) serves as a critical oceanic conveyor belt for heat and freshwater, mediating water exchanges between the South China Sea (SCS) and the Pacific and Indian oceans while regulating key processes such as heat and salt budgets, eddy activities, and marine biogeochemical cycles. It also plays a pivotal role in modulating the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) and shaping climate variability across the Indo-Pacific. However, long-term direct observational data of the SCSTF have long been scarce, leaving its long-term changes under climate change and associated driving mechanisms poorly understood.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-02-coral-proxy-reveals-century-slowdown.html

Study shows digital hotlines make it easier for survivors to reach out

Use of chat and text services has surged since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Rachel Joy Voth Schrag, a UT Arlington professor of social work. Understanding how survivors use these digital channels, she said, is critical for ensuring hotline advocates have the tools they need to support survivor and family safety. New research from The University of Texas at Arlington shows that these digital hotlines are changing how survivors of domestic and sexual violence access safety planning and support.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-02-digital-hotlines-easier-survivors.html

New study reveals what crop advisors really want from AI tools

A new study co-authored by Virginia Tech and University of Vermont researchers offers one of the first, large-scale empirical looks at how Certified Crop Advisors (CCAs) across North America evaluate the next generation of artificial intelligence–enabled decision support systems (AI‑DSS) for agriculture. Published in Technological Forecasting and Social Change, the study identifies the specific design features that most influence whether trusted agricultural advisors will choose AI tools—and what might hold them back.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-02-reveals-crop-advisors-ai-tools.html

An indoor air scrubber developed to remove ammonia in poultry houses

Researchers from the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) are helping poultry farmers protect their flocks and their employees, while improving poultry production. ARS researchers recently developed an indoor air scrubber that purifies the air in chicken houses and reduces ammonia levels by 87% to 99%.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-02-indoor-air-scrubber-ammonia-poultry.html

Twisting optical fiber creates a robust new pathway for light

Light powers everything from communications to sensing, yet even tiny imperfections can scatter it and weaken signals. To address this, a team led by the University of Bath—working with the University of Cambridge and international partners—has developed a new structure that keeps light flowing smoothly even through bends, twists or damage, with the potential to operate over unprecedented distances.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-02-optical-fiber-robust-pathway.html

The Kerala Story 2 Director Slams Anurag Kashyap For Calling Film "Propaganda"

The controversy began when Kashyap criticised The Kerala Story 2 in a viral video

source https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/the-kerala-story-2-director-reacts-to-anurag-kashyap-calling-film-propaganda-yeh-mansik-roop-se-durbal-ho-gaye-hain-11122148

Sunray-like ripples emerge on a frozen reaction front

Researchers in Belgium have unveiled a striking chemical reaction in which ripples along a frozen reaction front resemble the rays of a shining star. Publishing their results in Physical Review Letters, Anne De Wit and colleagues at the Université Libre de Bruxelles have shed new light on the patterns that emerge in reaction–diffusion systems, offering fresh insight into how similar structures arise in the natural world.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-02-sunray-ripples-emerge-frozen-reaction.html

2-month-olds see the world in a more complex way than scientists thought, study suggests

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.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-02-month-olds-world-complex-scientists.html

Neutron scattering helps clarify magnetic behavior in altermagnetic material

Scientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) have identified the true source of a magnetic effect seen in the material ruthenium dioxide (RuO₂), helping resolve an active debate in the rapidly growing field of altermagnetism. The study is published in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-02-neutron-magnetic-behavior-altermagnetic-material.html

A new method to decode how DNA 'switches' control gene activity

DNA is the blueprint of life. Genes encode proteins and serve as the body's basic components. However, building a functioning organism also requires precise instructions about when, where, and how much those components should be produced.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-02-method-decode-dna-gene.html

How the humble silkworm could help us discover new anti-aging treatments

When scientists want to study aging and how to slow it down, they often turn to microscopic worms or lab mice among other models. The former are too different from humans, while the latter are expensive and take too long to study. But there's a new model in town that can potentially help us wind the clock back, and that is the silkworm (Bombyx mori).

source https://phys.org/news/2026-02-humble-silkworm-anti-aging-treatments.html

World's smallest QR code, read via electron microscope, earns Guinness recognition

Just how small can a QR code be? Small enough that it can only be recognized with an electron microscope. A research team at TU Wien, working together with the data storage technology company Cerabyte, has now demonstrated exactly that. The QR code covers an area of just 1.98 square micrometers—smaller than most bacteria. The record has now been verified and officially entered into the Guinness World Records.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-02-world-smallest-qr-code-electron.html

Will AI eat into your jobs? The sharp divide between layoffs and evolution at India AI impact Summit

Several experts argue that AI could drive significant benefits, such as boosting productivity. However, they also stress that society must quickly adapt to these changes.

source https://www.livemint.com/technology/will-ai-eat-into-your-jobs-the-sharp-divide-between-layoffs-and-evolution-at-india-ai-impact-summit-11771259961977.html

Injured seabird desperately pecks at hospital door for help

An injured seabird sought help by pecking at the door of an emergency room at a hospital in Germany until medical staff noticed it and called firefighters to help with its rescue.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-02-seabird-desperately-hospital-door.html

India set to host AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam tomorrow: When and where to watch live

India will host the AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam from February 16 to 20, bringing together global leaders, tech CEOs and policymakers. Here is when and how to watch the livestream.

source https://www.livemint.com/technology/tech-news/india-set-to-host-ai-impact-summit-2026-at-bharat-mandapam-tomorrow-when-and-where-to-watch-live-11771176159697.html

Strong correlations and superconductivity observed in a supermoiré lattice

Two or more graphene layers that are stacked with a small twist angle in relation to each other form a so-called moiré lattice. This characteristic pattern influences the movement of electrons inside materials, which can give rise to strongly correlated states, such as superconductivity.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-02-strong-superconductivity-supermoir-lattice.html

When AI meets physics: Unlocking complex protein structures to accelerate biomedical breakthroughs

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming how scientists understand proteins—these are working molecules that drive nearly every process in the human body, from cell growth and immune defense to digestion and cell signaling. At NUS, researchers are harnessing AI to fast-track discoveries, offering fresh insights into life at the molecular level and new strategies against disease.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-02-ai-physics-complex-protein-biomedical.html

Gradient cathodes boost stability of Li-rich batteries

Recently, a research team led by Prof. Zhao Bangchuan from the Institute of Solid State Physics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with Prof. Xiao Yao from Wenzhou University, developed a composition gradient strategy to precisely regulate the internal stress distribution and electronic structure of Li-rich Mn-based cathode materials. The findings are published in Nano Letters.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-02-gradient-cathodes-boost-stability-li.html

Porous material uses green and blue light to repeatedly store and release CO₂

Scientists at the University of Groningen, led by Nobel laureate Ben Feringa and colleagues, have created a new porous material that captures and releases carbon dioxide using only visible light. The breakthrough could pave the way for more energy-efficient and sustainable carbon capture technologies that help combat climate change.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-02-porous-material-green-blue.html

Living in space can change where your brain sits in your skull: New research

Going to space is harsh on the human body, and as a new study from our research team finds, the brain shifts upward and backward and deforms inside the skull after spaceflight.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-02-space-brain-skull.html

Collaboration between universities and hospitals intensifies in times of crisis, finds study

Economic and public health conditions influence universities' research priorities. A study led by INGENIO, a joint research center of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), reveals how, in times of economic growth, cooperation between universities and businesses increases, while in times of crisis and high disease burdens, collaboration with hospitals is strengthened.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-02-collaboration-universities-hospitals-crisis.html

Fear or dread? How intensity of emotion may shape climate policy support

New research has found that we are more likely to back policies aimed at tackling climate change when we feel fearful, but feelings of dread make us less likely to support such policies.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-02-dread-intensity-emotion-climate-policy.html

Parabolic mirror-enhanced Raman spectroscopy enables high-sensitivity trace gas detection

A research team led by Prof. Fang Yonghua from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences proposed and systematically optimized a novel parabolic mirror cavity-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (PMCERS) technique, achieving a marked improvement in gas detection sensitivity through the integration of advanced optical design and signal processing methods. These results were published in Optics & Laser Technology.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-02-parabolic-mirror-raman-spectroscopy-enables.html

Taxing Africa's informal economies: Technology's promise and pitfalls

Changes in the development finance world—especially the sharp drop in foreign aid and fewer cheap loans for low-income countries—have pushed taxation back into the spotlight.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-02-taxing-africa-economies-technology-pitfalls.html

Goats can play a role in multi-pronged restoration of buckthorn-invaded woodlands

Goats are increasingly being used in efforts to manage invasive common buckthorn in Midwestern woodlands. New research demonstrates when and how they are best used.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-02-goats-play-role-multi-pronged.html

Apple reportedly readies iOS 26.4 with smarter Siri and Intelligence tools: What to expect

Apple’s iOS 26.4 is expected to bring a major Siri overhaul with Apple Intelligence, personal context, on-screen awareness and cross-app actions. The developer beta could arrive this month, with a public release tipped for March.

source https://www.livemint.com/technology/tech-news/apple-reportedly-readies-ios-26-4-with-smarter-siri-and-intelligence-tools-what-to-expect-11770571528463.html

The 'Little red dots' observed by Webb were direct-collapse black holes

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was designed to look back in time and study galaxies that existed shortly after the Big Bang. In so doing, scientists hoped to gain a better understanding of how the universe has evolved from the earliest cosmological epoch to the present. When Webb first trained its advanced optics and instruments on the early universe, it discovered a new class of astrophysical objects: bright red sources that were dubbed "Little Red Dots" (LRDs). Initially, astronomers hypothesized that they could be massive star-forming regions, but this was inconsistent with established cosmological models.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-02-red-dots-webb-collapse-black.html

Over 2,000 GCCs signal India’s rising clout in AI and technology services: Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw says India’s IT sector is shifting to an AI-led services model, backed by data centres, global capability centres and updated curricula, as government, industry and academia work together to position the country as a global hub for AI solutions.

source https://www.livemint.com/technology/tech-news/over-2-000-gccs-signal-india-s-rising-clout-in-ai-and-technology-services-union-minister-ashwini-vaishnaw-11770485192206.html

Q&A: Using AI to accelerate the discovery and design of therapeutic drugs

In the pursuit of solutions to complex global challenges including disease, energy demands, and climate change, scientific researchers, including at MIT, have turned to artificial intelligence, and to quantitative analysis and modeling, to design and construct engineered cells with novel properties. The engineered cells can be programmed to become new therapeutics—battling, and perhaps eradicating, diseases.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-02-qa-ai-discovery-therapeutic-drugs.html

Almost half of the world's aquatic environments are severely contaminated by waste, research reveals

"Dirty" or "extremely dirty": these are the classifications of 46% of the world's aquatic environments. This conclusion comes from a study that compiled and systematized data from 6,049 records of waste contamination in aquatic environments on all continents over the last decade.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-02-world-aquatic-environments-severely-contaminated.html

The Amaterasu particle: Cosmic investigation traces its origin

Cosmic rays are extremely fast, charged particles that travel through space at nearly the speed of light. The Amaterasu particle was detected in 2021 by the Telescope Array experiment in the U.S. It is the second-highest-energy cosmic ray ever observed, carrying around 40 million times more energy than particles accelerated at the Large Hadron Collider. Such particles are exceedingly rare and thought to originate in some of the most extreme environments in the universe.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-02-amaterasu-particle-cosmic.html

Simulations and supercomputing calculate one million cislunar orbits

Satellites and spacecraft in the vast region between Earth and the moon and just beyond—called cislunar space—are crucial for space exploration, scientific advancement and national security. But figuring out where exactly to put them into a stable orbit can be a huge, computationally expensive challenge.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-02-simulations-supercomputing-million-cislunar-orbits.html

Photosynthesis: Study reveals how minerals are involved in homeostasis of chloroplasts

Plants fix 258 billion tons of CO2 in their chloroplasts through photosynthesis every year. For these cell organelles to work properly, they require certain minerals—particularly ions of the metals iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn). Disruptions of ion homeostasis impair photosynthesis and thus growth and yields. A team with members from Munich, Bochum, Columbia (MO), and Saarbrucken, led by LMU biologist Professor Hans-Henning Kunz has now deciphered the chloroplast ionome—the totality of metal ions in the chloroplast—of various plant species.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-02-photosynthesis-reveals-minerals-involved-homeostasis.html

Nanotubes with lids mimic real biology

When water and ions move together through channels only a nanometer wide, they behave in unusual ways. In these tight spaces, water molecules line up in single file. This forces ions to shed some of the water molecules that normally surround them, leading to the unique physics of ion transport. Biological channels are especially adept at this behavior, often choreographing channel openings and closings to achieve complex behaviors such as signals in the nervous system.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-02-nanotubes-lids-mimic-real-biology.html

"No Economic Strategy, Statesmanship": P Chidambaram On Union Budget 2026

Former Union finance minister P Chidambaram dismissed the Union budget 2026 presented today by Nirmala Sitharaman, saying it does not address any of the major challenges pointed out in the economic...

source https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/union-budget-2026-no-economic-strategy-statesmanship-p-chidambaram-10927236

Scientists have identified unique sounds for 8 fish species

Have you ever wished you could swim like a fish? How about speak like one? In a paper recently published in the Journal of Fish Biology, our team from the University of Victoria deciphered some of the strange and unique sounds made by different fish species along the coast of British Columbia.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-01-scientists-unique-fish-species.html

Unlocking the high-performance potential of CF₃SF₄

Fluorine has changed the world of medicine. You might not see it, but newly approved drugs contain at least one fluorine atom. This tiny but powerful element is the "hidden engine" that makes our medications more stable and effective. Over the past decades, chemists have turned the trifluoromethyl (CF3) group into the "gold standard" in organic chemistry.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-01-high-potential-cfsf.html

Snakes on trains: King cobras are 'hopping railways' to unsuitable habitats in India

King cobras are the world's longest venomous snakes. So, imagine seeing one a few feet away as you embark on a train in India. The Western Ghats King Cobra (Ophiophagus kaalinga)—a vulnerable king cobra species found in India's Western Ghats—has reportedly been caught aboard many trains in the Goa region of India. A new study, published in Biotropica, takes a closer look at these reports, where these snakes end up and whether this strange mode of animal migration is putting snakes into unsuitable habitats.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-01-snakes-king-cobras-railways-unsuitable.html

Biodegradable bark–plastic composite lets engineers predict product lifetime from tensile tests

Old trees are learning new tricks with the advent of composite materials. A "green composite" made from biodegradable polymers and the waste bark of the Yakushima Jisugi tree was developed by a research team at Tohoku University. When assessing the material, they found that simply testing its mechanical strength—in this case, its tensile strength or ability to resist pulling—could reliably predict the biodegradation process.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-01-biodegradable-barkplastic-composite-product-lifetime.html

Warming weakens natural enemies of insects, new research shows

A warming climate is disrupting the delicate balance of nature. An international team of scientists led by entomologists from the Biology Center of the Czech Academy of Sciences has found that higher temperatures significantly reduce the success of parasitoids—tiny wasps that help regulate insect populations in nature. This is also bad news for farmers, who rely on these wasps as part of plant protection against insect pests.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-01-weakens-natural-enemies-insects.html

Gold 'supraballs' nearly double solar energy absorption in tests

Sunbeams contain a lot of energy. But current technology for harvesting solar power doesn't capture as much as it could. Now, in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, researchers report that gold nanospheres, named supraballs, can absorb nearly all wavelengths in sunlight—including some that traditional photovoltaic materials miss. Applying a layer of supraballs onto a commercially available electricity converter demonstrated that the technology nearly doubled solar energy absorption compared to traditional materials.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-01-gold-supraballs-solar-energy-absorption.html

Epigenetic switch found to halt fat cell formation in adipose tissue

Metabolic diseases such as obesity, fatty liver, and insulin resistance are rapidly increasing worldwide, but fundamental methods to regulate the process of fat formation remain limited. In particular, once adipocytes (fat cells) are formed, they are difficult to reduce, making treatment challenging. A research team from KAIST has discovered the existence of a switch that prevents fat formation. This discovery elucidates how an epigenetic switch, which regulates gene activity without altering the DNA sequence itself, functions during the process of adipogenesis, presenting new possibilities for the precise control of obesity and metabolic diseases in the future.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-01-epigenetic-halt-fat-cell-formation.html

A new study of lunar rocks suggests Earth's water might not have come from meteorites

For a long time, scientists assumed that Earth's water was delivered by asteroids and comets billions of years ago. This coincided with the Late Heavy Bombardment (ca. 4.1 to 3.8 billion years ago), a period when planets and bodies in the solar system experienced a much higher rate of impacts.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-01-lunar-earth-meteorites.html

Exercise In Middle Age Matters More Than You Think, Long-Term Study Finds

US study finds consistent physical activity in young adulthood and middle age reduces high blood pressure risk, with notable racial disparities.

source https://www.ndtv.com/science/exercise-in-middle-age-matters-more-than-you-think-long-term-study-finds-10879503