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Science X provides daily science news on research developments, technological breakthroughs and the latest science innovations.
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AI analysis of a Roman-era stone board from Heerlen suggests blocking games were played in Europe centuries earlier than previously documented, offering new insights into ancient gaming practices.
Rules of unknown board game from the Roman period revealed
Researchers have used AI to reconstruct the rules of a board game carved into a stone found in the Dutch city of Heerlen.
phys.org
February 10, 2026 at 5:00 PM
AI analysis of a Roman-era stone board from Heerlen suggests blocking games were played in Europe centuries earlier than previously documented, offering new insights into ancient gaming practices.
Female-authored papers in biomedical and life sciences experience review periods 7.4% to 14.6% longer than male-authored papers, highlighting persistent gender disparities in academic publishing. doi.org/hbn5vs
Female scientists wait longer to have papers published in life and biomedical sciences
If you are a woman working in biomedical and life sciences, you may have longer to wait for your academic paper to appear in print than a comparable paper authored by a man.
phys.org
February 10, 2026 at 4:40 PM
Female-authored papers in biomedical and life sciences experience review periods 7.4% to 14.6% longer than male-authored papers, highlighting persistent gender disparities in academic publishing. doi.org/hbn5vs
A newly engineered fractional quantum material enables current to flow along its edges without energy loss, marking a significant advance for future quantum technologies. doi.org/hbn5pz
Current flows without heat loss in newly engineered fractional quantum material
A team of US researchers has unveiled a device that can conduct electricity along its fractionally charged edges without losing energy to heat.
phys.org
February 10, 2026 at 4:30 PM
A newly engineered fractional quantum material enables current to flow along its edges without energy loss, marking a significant advance for future quantum technologies. doi.org/hbn5pz
A silicon-based nanothrombolytic platform demonstrates targeted clot clearance and local coagulation regulation, achieving effective thrombolysis while minimizing systemic bleeding in preclinical studies. doi.org/hbn5pt
Novel nanosheets boost clot clearing while limiting systemic bleeding
Thrombotic disorders—such as ischemic stroke, heart attack, pulmonary embolism, and deep vein thrombosis—are principal contributors to global mortality.
phys.org
February 10, 2026 at 4:20 PM
A silicon-based nanothrombolytic platform demonstrates targeted clot clearance and local coagulation regulation, achieving effective thrombolysis while minimizing systemic bleeding in preclinical studies. doi.org/hbn5pt
A new wearable device tracks hydrogen in flatulence, providing continuous, objective data on gut microbial activity and helping to establish baseline measures for human gas production. doi.org/hbn5pr
Scientists create 'smart underwear' to measure human flatulence
Scientists at the University of Maryland have created Smart Underwear, the first wearable device designed to measure human flatulence.
medicalxpress.com
February 10, 2026 at 4:10 PM
A new wearable device tracks hydrogen in flatulence, providing continuous, objective data on gut microbial activity and helping to establish baseline measures for human gas production. doi.org/hbn5pr
When real-world costs and benefits are considered, duloxetine at 120 mg emerges as the most cost-effective treatment for moderate to severe fibromyalgia. doi.org/hbn5pp
In comparing real-world costs and benefits of fibromyalgia medications, a clear winner emerges
Fibromyalgia is a long-term chronic condition that causes widespread pain in the muscles and soft tissues throughout the body.
medicalxpress.com
February 10, 2026 at 4:00 PM
When real-world costs and benefits are considered, duloxetine at 120 mg emerges as the most cost-effective treatment for moderate to severe fibromyalgia. doi.org/hbn5pp
OpenAI is introducing ads to the free and Go tiers of ChatGPT for logged-in adult users in the US, while premium subscription services will remain ad-free.
OpenAI starts testing ads in ChatGPT
OpenAI has begun placing ads in the basic versions of its ChatGPT chatbot, a bet that users will not mind the interruptions as the company seeks revenue as its costs soar.
techxplore.com
February 10, 2026 at 4:00 PM
OpenAI is introducing ads to the free and Go tiers of ChatGPT for logged-in adult users in the US, while premium subscription services will remain ad-free.
Chang'e-6 samples from the lunar far side indicate a steady decline in early impact flux, challenging the Late Heavy Bombardment hypothesis and supporting a unified lunar cratering chronology. doi.org/hbn5pn
Chang'e-6 samples constrain lunar impact flux and illuminate early impact history
Scientists from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the CAS Aerospace Information Research Institute, and other institutions, have revised the decades-old lunar crater chronology model, using samples collected from the far side of the moon by China's Chang'e-6 mission and complementary remote sensing imagery.
phys.org
February 10, 2026 at 4:00 PM
Chang'e-6 samples from the lunar far side indicate a steady decline in early impact flux, challenging the Late Heavy Bombardment hypothesis and supporting a unified lunar cratering chronology. doi.org/hbn5pn
A potential millisecond pulsar detected near the Milky Way’s center may provide new opportunities to test General Relativity in the strong gravitational field of Sagittarius A*. doi.org/hbn5nt
Discovery of a possible pulsar in the Milky Way's center could enable unprecedented tests of General Relativity
Researchers from Columbia University and Breakthrough Listen, a scientific research program aimed at finding evidence of civilizations beyond Earth, have published new results from the Breakthrough Listen Galactic Center Survey, one of the most sensitive radio searches ever conducted for pulsars in the dynamically complex central region of the Milky Way.
phys.org
February 10, 2026 at 3:50 PM
A potential millisecond pulsar detected near the Milky Way’s center may provide new opportunities to test General Relativity in the strong gravitational field of Sagittarius A*. doi.org/hbn5nt
A new AI-based diagnostic tool predicts masked hypertension with 83% accuracy by analyzing a range of health indicators, offering a less cumbersome alternative to ambulatory monitoring.
New artificial intelligence tool diagnoses masked hypertension
About 10% of people with hypertension have normal blood pressure readings at the doctor's office. Now researchers at the University of Arkansas have developed an artificial-intelligence diagnostic tool to detect this condition, known as masked hypertension.
medicalxpress.com
February 10, 2026 at 3:44 PM
A new AI-based diagnostic tool predicts masked hypertension with 83% accuracy by analyzing a range of health indicators, offering a less cumbersome alternative to ambulatory monitoring.
Mindfulness techniques during endoscopy enable more thorough examinations in awake patients, reducing the need for sedation and potentially improving early cancer detection and patient satisfaction. doi.org/hbn5np
Mindfulness enables more effective endoscopies in awake patients, study finds
A new study has shown that mindfulness helps patients to relax during an endoscopy, allowing doctors to carry out detailed examinations without the need for sedation or general anesthesia.
medicalxpress.com
February 10, 2026 at 3:40 PM
Mindfulness techniques during endoscopy enable more thorough examinations in awake patients, reducing the need for sedation and potentially improving early cancer detection and patient satisfaction. doi.org/hbn5np
The Einstein Probe has detected an unusual X-ray event consistent with an intermediate-mass black hole disrupting a white dwarf, offering new insights into extreme cosmic phenomena. doi.org/hbn5mv
A possible first-ever Einstein probe observation of a black hole tearing apart a white dwarf
On July 2, 2025, the China-led Einstein Probe (EP) space telescope detected an exceptionally bright X-ray source whose brightness varied rapidly during a routine sky survey.
phys.org
February 10, 2026 at 3:28 PM
The Einstein Probe has detected an unusual X-ray event consistent with an intermediate-mass black hole disrupting a white dwarf, offering new insights into extreme cosmic phenomena. doi.org/hbn5mv
Earth science data offers benefits beyond economic value, including cultural, social, and relational impacts that are essential for informed decision-making and societal well-being. doi.org/hbn5mn
Moving beyond money to measure the true value of Earth science information
They're all around us: sensors and satellites, radars and drones. These tools form vast remote sensing networks that collect data on the climate, the ground, the air, and the water.
phys.org
February 10, 2026 at 3:22 PM
Earth science data offers benefits beyond economic value, including cultural, social, and relational impacts that are essential for informed decision-making and societal well-being. doi.org/hbn5mn
A new analytical framework for hydrodynamic heat transport clarifies how heat can exhibit backflow, moving from colder to hotter regions, with potential applications in advanced thermal management. doi.org/hbn5mj
When heat flows backwards: A neat solution for hydrodynamic heat transport
When we think about heat traveling through a material, we typically picture diffusive transport, a process that transfers heat from high-temperature to low-temperature as particles and molecules bump into each other, losing kinetic energy in the process.
phys.org
February 10, 2026 at 3:07 PM
A new analytical framework for hydrodynamic heat transport clarifies how heat can exhibit backflow, moving from colder to hotter regions, with potential applications in advanced thermal management. doi.org/hbn5mj
A newly described 307-million-year-old fossil suggests some of the earliest land vertebrates evolved specialized teeth for eating plants, offering insight into the origins of terrestrial herbivory. doi.org/hbn5mg
Football-sized fossil creature may have been one of the first land animals to eat plants
Life on Earth started in the oceans. Sometime around 475 million years ago, plants began making their way from the water onto the land, and it took another 100 million years for the first animals with backbones to join them.
phys.org
February 10, 2026 at 3:05 PM
A newly described 307-million-year-old fossil suggests some of the earliest land vertebrates evolved specialized teeth for eating plants, offering insight into the origins of terrestrial herbivory. doi.org/hbn5mg
Machine learning has uncovered multiple new classes of two-dimensional memories capable of robust information storage, revealing mechanisms that differ fundamentally from previously known approaches. doi.org/hbn5kw
Machine learning reveals hidden landscape of robust information storage
In a new study published in Physical Review Letters, researchers used machine learning to discover multiple new classes of two-dimensional memories, systems that can reliably store information despite constant environmental noise.
phys.org
February 10, 2026 at 3:00 PM
Machine learning has uncovered multiple new classes of two-dimensional memories capable of robust information storage, revealing mechanisms that differ fundamentally from previously known approaches. doi.org/hbn5kw
An 11-year analysis of Alaska's statewide cash transfer program found no increase in rates of traumatic injury or death following payments, suggesting no link between cash transfers and short-term harm.
Eleven-year Alaska analysis finds no spike in traumatic injury or death after cash transfers
Cash transfer programs, which provide money directly to recipients, are growing in the United States, but face significant scrutiny, with questions over their value.
medicalxpress.com
February 10, 2026 at 3:00 PM
An 11-year analysis of Alaska's statewide cash transfer program found no increase in rates of traumatic injury or death following payments, suggesting no link between cash transfers and short-term harm.
Analysis of a 27,500-year-old burial in Italy indicates a teenager survived a bear attack for several days before death, with his elaborate grave possibly reflecting a ritual response to his ordeal.
Mauled by a bear, 27,500 years ago: What a lavish teen burial reveals
A teenager's skeleton lay supine in a shallow pit on a bed of red ocher, his remains adorned with several ivory pendants, four perforated antler batons, mammoth ivory pendants, and a flint blade, his skull decorated with hundreds of perforated shells and several deer canines.
phys.org
February 10, 2026 at 2:48 PM
Analysis of a 27,500-year-old burial in Italy indicates a teenager survived a bear attack for several days before death, with his elaborate grave possibly reflecting a ritual response to his ordeal.
Networks of spiking nanolasers have been shown to emulate the brain’s ability to imagine unseen parts of the world, offering a path to ultrafast, energy-efficient AI hardware. doi.org/hbn5jj
Ultrafast nanolasers mimic how the brain imagines unseen parts of the world
A new study has demonstrated how networks of spiking nanolasers could emulate a key principle of brain function: to imagine things that we cannot directly perceive by sampling from internal models of the world.
techxplore.com
February 10, 2026 at 2:20 PM
Networks of spiking nanolasers have been shown to emulate the brain’s ability to imagine unseen parts of the world, offering a path to ultrafast, energy-efficient AI hardware. doi.org/hbn5jj
Certain antibodies can activate immune cells to inhibit Mycobacterium tuberculosis, offering new insights for developing improved tools to detect, treat, and prevent tuberculosis. doi.org/hbn5fs
Antibodies block bacteria that cause tuberculosis, study shows
A study led by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers has found that certain antibodies inhibit Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the cause of tuberculosis (TB), the infectious disease that claims the most lives worldwide.
medicalxpress.com
February 10, 2026 at 2:04 PM
Certain antibodies can activate immune cells to inhibit Mycobacterium tuberculosis, offering new insights for developing improved tools to detect, treat, and prevent tuberculosis. doi.org/hbn5fs
Scientists have identified specific neurons in female fruit flies that integrate sensory signals and drive behavioral changes after mating, offering new insights into how the brain regulates reproduction. doi.org/hbn5dr
Fruit fly study reveals how mating triggers behavioral changes in females
Researchers from The Universities of Manchester and Birmingham have identified the exact nerve cells in the brain that drive important behavioral changes in female fruit flies after they mate.
phys.org
February 10, 2026 at 1:53 PM
Scientists have identified specific neurons in female fruit flies that integrate sensory signals and drive behavioral changes after mating, offering new insights into how the brain regulates reproduction. doi.org/hbn5dr
A portable, AI-powered microscope enables rapid, automated malaria diagnosis in remote settings, offering high sensitivity and affordability to support improved disease detection and management. doi.org/hbn5cv
Affordable microscope speeds up malaria diagnosis with AI
Engineers at Stanford University have developed a high-efficiency, battery/solar-operated, autonomous microscope with integrated artificial intelligence that automatically diagnoses malaria in blood smears—a previously tedious process done manually, slide-by-slide, by technicians in the field.
medicalxpress.com
February 10, 2026 at 1:47 PM
A portable, AI-powered microscope enables rapid, automated malaria diagnosis in remote settings, offering high sensitivity and affordability to support improved disease detection and management. doi.org/hbn5cv
Analysis of Mars samples from Curiosity indicates that nonbiological processes alone do not fully account for the detected organic compounds, suggesting alternative origins may be possible. doi.org/hbn5cp
Non-biologic processes don't fully explain Mars organics collected by Curiosity, researchers say
In a new study, researchers say that nonbiological sources they considered could not fully account for the abundance of organic compounds in a sample collected on Mars by NASA's Curiosity rover.
phys.org
February 10, 2026 at 1:46 PM
Analysis of Mars samples from Curiosity indicates that nonbiological processes alone do not fully account for the detected organic compounds, suggesting alternative origins may be possible. doi.org/hbn5cp
Observations of a distant protocluster suggest that some giant elliptical galaxies may have formed rapidly through intense mergers and gas collapse just 1.4 billion years after the Big Bang. doi.org/hbn5b9
How giant galaxies could form just 1.4 billion years after the Big Bang
The existence of massive, elliptical galaxies in the early universe has puzzled astronomers for two decades. An international team led by Nikolaus Sulzenauer and Axel Weiß from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (MPIfR) used data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to shed light on this open question of galaxy formation.
phys.org
February 10, 2026 at 1:44 PM
Observations of a distant protocluster suggest that some giant elliptical galaxies may have formed rapidly through intense mergers and gas collapse just 1.4 billion years after the Big Bang. doi.org/hbn5b9
Satellite data show boreal forests expanded by 12% and shifted northward since 1985, with young forests contributing significantly to carbon storage across the biome. doi.org/hbn482
Satellite record shows boreal forests expanded 12% and shifted north since 1985
The boreal forest—the world's largest terrestrial biome—is warming faster than any other forest type. To understand the changing dynamics of boreal forests, Min Feng and colleagues analyzed the biome from 1985 to 2020, leveraging the longest and highest-resolution satellite record of calibrated tree cover to date.
phys.org
February 10, 2026 at 1:43 PM
Satellite data show boreal forests expanded by 12% and shifted northward since 1985, with young forests contributing significantly to carbon storage across the biome. doi.org/hbn482