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. For over half a century, people in Central Africa have told tales of the fish seen climbing waterfalls, but these claims have never been officially confirmed. Now, these fish have finally been caught on camera, studied more closely, and described in a study published in Scientific Reports. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-tiny-african-fish-caught-climbing.html Plants & Animals Fri, 03 Apr 2026 15:40:01 EDT news694440397 Researchers Soma Chiyoda, Ko Mochizuki, and Atsushi Kawakita from the University of Tokyo have discovered that nocturnal hawkmoths are the main pollinators of Jasminanthes mucronata, a plant species native to Japan that produces black nectar. This is the first time that a colored nectar flower has been confirmed to be mainly pollinated by nocturnal insects. The discovery thus promotes further research into this so far unexplored ecology. The findings were published in the journal Ecology. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-exposing-secret-night-hawkmoths-japan.html Plants & Animals Fri, 03 Apr 2026 14:40:01 EDT news694436821 Imagine a dump truck dropping 13 tons of dirt into the waters of Brush Creek, a waterway that feeds northwest Arkansas' primary drinking water source, Beaver Lake. That's how much soil and sediment researchers measured going into the stream as runoff due to a single large storm event. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-unpaved-roads-watersheds-wade.html Environment Fri, 03 Apr 2026 14:20:02 EDT news694436641 Detecting a single particle of light is hard; detecting a single microwave photon is even harder. Microwave photons, the tiny packets of electromagnetic radiation used in current technologies like Wi-Fi and radar, carry far less energy than visible light. They are about 100,000 times weaker than optical photons. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-tiny-detector-microwave-photons-advance.html Optics & Photonics Fri, 03 Apr 2026 14:00:05 EDT news694368242 A team led by principal investigators Bobo Dang and Ting Zhou at Westlake University/Westlake Laboratory have developed a high-throughput platform for engineering fast-acting covalent protein therapeutics. Their study, titled "A high-throughput selection system for fast-acting covalent protein drugs" published in Science, opens new avenues for next-generation biologics. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-high-throughput-platform-fast-covalent.html Biotechnology Fri, 03 Apr 2026 13:40:01 EDT news694436341 A research team led by Zhen-Xing Endowed Professor Jian Yang at the School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, has developed a pangenome-informed genome assembly (PIGA) method. By combining a cost-effective hybrid sequencing strategy of long and short reads, the team successfully constructed a pangenome for more than 1,000 individuals. This achievement breaks through the limitations of previous small-sample pangenomes and provides a critical foundational infrastructure for medical and population genetics research. The study is published in the journal Nature. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-human-genomes-method-power-genetic.html Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 03 Apr 2026 13:20:01 EDT news694436102 A new Rice University study offers one of the first national measures of a viewpoint called "racial realism" and considers how it fits into the broader spectrum of perspectives Black Americans hold about race relations. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-diversity-black-perspectives.html Political science Fri, 03 Apr 2026 13:10:54 EDT news694440633 The interiors of ice giant planets like Uranus and Neptune could be home to a previously unknown state of matter, according to new computational simulations by Carnegie's Cong Liu and Ronald Cohen. Their work, published in Nature Communications, predicts that a quasi-one-dimensional superionic state of carbon hydride exists under the extreme pressures and temperatures found deep inside these outer solar system bodies. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-depths-neptune-uranus-superionic.html Planetary Sciences Fri, 03 Apr 2026 13:00:01 EDT news694435981 An international team of researchers, led by paleontologists of the University of Liège, has investigated the biting capabilities of extinct predatory marine reptiles, revealing how these formidable predators could coexist within the same ecosystem. This work sheds new light on the hunting strategies of long-extinct predators that dominated the seas during the Age of Dinosaurs. The research is published in the journal Palaeontology. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ancient-marine-predators.html Paleontology & Fossils Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:40:04 EDT news694435621 We're getting closer and closer to finding a real Earth-like exoplanet. But finding one is only half the battle. To truly know if we're looking at an Earth analog somewhere else in the galaxy, we have to directly image it too. That's a job for the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO), a planned space-based telescope whose primary job is to do precisely that. But even capturing a picture and a planet and getting spectral readings of its atmospheric chemistry still isn't enough, according to a new paper available on the arXiv preprint server by Kaz Gary of Ohio State and their co-authors. HWO will need to figure out how much a planet weighs first. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-habitable-worlds-observatory-astrometry-life.html Astronomy Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:20:04 EDT news694437361 Mangrove forests are natural wonders that protect coastal areas, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. They are able to dissipate wave energy and limit flooding, which can even mitigate tsunamis and coastal inundations during tropical cyclones. For this reason, mangroves are attracting attention as Nature-based Solutions, or NbS: natural infrastructure with the potential to enhance coastal resilience in an environmentally friendly way. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-3d-root-captures-mangroves-capacity.html Earth Sciences Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:20:03 EDT news694434541 Can a handful of atoms outperform a much larger digital neural network on a real-world task? The answer may be yes. In a study published in Physical Review Letters, a team led by Prof. Peng Xinhua and Assoc. Prof. Li Zhaokai from the University of Science and Technology of China of the Chinese Academy of Sciences demonstrated that a quantum processor comprising just nine interacting spins outperforms classical networks with thousands of nodes in realistic weather forecasting tasks. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-small-quantum-outperforms-large-classical.html Quantum Physics Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:00:04 EDT news694432081 An unusual team of astronomers used Sloan Digital Sky Survey-V (SDSS-V) data and observations on the Magellan telescopes at Carnegie Science's Las Campanas Observatory in Chile to discover the most pristine star in the known universe, called SDSS J0715-7334. Their work is published in Nature Astronomy. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-pristine-star-universe.html Astronomy Fri, 03 Apr 2026 11:40:03 EDT news694431725 The Artemis II astronauts have captured our blue planet's brilliant beauty as they zoom ever closer to the moon. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-artemis-ii-moon-bound-astronauts.html Space Exploration Fri, 03 Apr 2026 11:30:02 EDT news694433995 Gene drives—a genetic engineering approach that quickly spreads specific genetic changes throughout a population, whether to kill it off or add a new trait—may have potential for controlling weeds. But so far, gene drives have primarily been studied in mosquitoes, and have yet to be deployed in the real world. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-seed-banks-complicate-gene-aimed.html Biotechnology Fri, 03 Apr 2026 11:20:02 EDT news694431481 In an unusual perspective for an Earth-observing satellite, the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission captured this image of the moon, Earth's only natural satellite. The Sentinel-2 mission acquired this lunar image by rolling one of its satellites sideways to view the moon instead of Earth. This is part of a regular calibration process, whereby the stable intensity of the moon's light makes it possible to detect and correct even the smallest changes in the performance of Sentinel-2's instrument. This ensures data accuracy throughout the mission, which is critical for its applications. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-earth-space-eyes-moon.html Planetary Sciences Fri, 03 Apr 2026 11:20:01 EDT news694433101 This month's NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope Picture of the Month offers us a two-for-one on brand new stars—with some potential planets thrown in as well. This visual highlights Webb's views of the protoplanetary disks Tau 042021 (left) and Oph 163131 (right), otherwise known by the catalog numbers 2MASS J04202144+2813491 and 2MASS J16313124-2426281, respectively. Tau 042021 is situated around 450 light-years from Earth in the constellation Taurus, while Oph 163131 lies about 480 light-years away in Ophiuchus. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-webb-eyes-pair-planet-disks.html Planetary Sciences Fri, 03 Apr 2026 11:10:07 EDT news694432922 Located off the coast of Culasawani, in the Fiji archipelago, is an island that is made up of materials that might be part of someone's dinner. A recent study took a closer look at the 3,000-square-meter island and discovered that it is almost entirely made of edible shellfish remains with fragments of pottery mixed in the deposit. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-scientists-year-fijian-island-built.html Archaeology Fri, 03 Apr 2026 11:00:02 EDT news694428030 Cells are not isolated units; they continuously exchange proteins, genetic material, and even entire organelles with their neighbors. Intercellular transfer influences how tissues develop, respond to stress, and repair damage. In certain cancers, for example, tumor cells can acquire mitochondria from nearby cells to sustain growth; similar exchanges are also linked to aging processes. However, despite massive advances in gene-editing and molecular-targeting technologies, we still lack the tools to directly and reliably manipulate the cytoplasmic composition of living cells. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-nanotube-injector-cytoplasmic-contents-organelles.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 03 Apr 2026 10:40:04 EDT news694431001 Plastic, once ingenious for its durability and versatility, has become a global environmental issue that is affecting every aspect of life. This, in turn, is fueling the development of degradable polymers as alternative solutions. Among contending the possibilities are poly(disulfide)s, which have garnered attention as redox-degradable polymers with various polymerization techniques that can break down in reductive environments, such as the seafloor. However, according to the specific objective, it is necessary to design and synthesize each monomer to control polymer properties and impart functionality. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-domino-polymerization-route-versatile-degradable.html Polymers Fri, 03 Apr 2026 10:20:01 EDT news694430161 Solar-power photocatalysis—turning sunlight into energy—holds promise for sustainable and cost-efficient energy and chemical production. Advancing the technology, though, has been hindered by a lack of understanding of exactly how the process works. To that end, a team of Yale researchers has developed a technique that allows them to observe the sunlight-to-fuel conversion in real time, right down to the nanoscale. Specifically, they can see how the light-driven catalyst splits water into hydrogen and oxygen, and how electrons and holes move through the material. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-real-nanoscale-reduction-oxidation-solar.html Nanophysics Fri, 03 Apr 2026 09:40:02 EDT news694427521 Collagen is an important protein that helps build the tissues of humans and animals. It is very strong because it is made of three protein strands twisted tightly together like a rope. Because of this sturdy structure, ordinary protein-cutting enzymes usually cannot break it down. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-bacterial-enzyme-donut-shred-tough.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 03 Apr 2026 09:33:10 EDT news694427529 Humans are creatures of rhythms. As far as we know, humans have always sung and always danced. We can recognize a song by its rhythm alone, regardless of whether it is played fast or slow. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-bumblebees-rhythm-brains-size-sesame.html Plants & Animals Fri, 03 Apr 2026 09:00:03 EDT news694424281 One of the greatest mysteries of modern physics, the "black hole information paradox," might have finally found an elegant solution, and the answer could also reveal the origins of the mass of fundamental particles. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-secrets-black-holes-higgs-mass.html General Physics Fri, 03 Apr 2026 08:40:01 EDT news694423741 Quantum states are notoriously fragile, and can be destroyed simply through interactions, measurements, and exposure to their surrounding environments. In a new theoretical study published in Physical Review X, Rohan Mittal and colleagues at the University of Cologne have discovered a new way to protect quantum behavior on large scales within systems driven far from equilibrium. Their results could have promising implications for the design of more robust quantum devices. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-quantum-coherence-large-scales-realistic.html Condensed Matter Fri, 03 Apr 2026 08:20:01 EDT news694340197 Every winter, storms wipe out swaths of the picturesque Spanish coast, undoing summer reconstruction work and threatening the foundations of the country's vital tourism industry. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-spain-rethinks-tide-beach-erosion.html Environment Fri, 03 Apr 2026 05:10:01 EDT news694410101 After hours spent in the thick pollution-choking parts of northern Thailand, Pon Doikam gets home and blows her burning nose to find blood clots spattered across the tissue. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-blood-clots-eyes-pollution-north.html Environment Fri, 03 Apr 2026 05:00:02 EDT news694409925 NASA's Artemis II astronauts fired their engines and blazed toward the moon Thursday night, breaking free of the chains that have trapped humanity in shallow laps around Earth in the decades since Apollo. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-artemis-ii-astronauts-rocket-moon.html Space Exploration Fri, 03 Apr 2026 04:35:04 EDT news694409628 Although neighborhood cats may seem like a fun, charming presence, unowned cat populations have been criticized for causing harm to a community and its environment. Without proper management, stray cat populations can rise rapidly, leading to concerns about predation, disease, and public nuisance. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-benefits-community-neuter-unowned-cats.html Veterinary medicine Thu, 02 Apr 2026 22:50:02 EDT news694347688 University of Queensland researchers are urging governments to use newly created national data to protect the country's last remaining ecosystems free of human pressures. The two new datasets map the extent of ecosystem disturbance across the country and show that while about 30% of Australia is still free or almost free of human pressures, many landscapes are becoming increasingly fragmented. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-scale-ecosystem-disturbance-australia.html Plants & Animals Thu, 02 Apr 2026 22:20:01 EDT news694337619