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Phys.org / After switch from ULA, SpaceX set for speedy national security launch

SpaceX is set to launch its latest national security mission, yet another GPS satellite that was originally to have been launched by United Launch Alliance.

22 hours ago in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Aging populations could cut global water use by up to 31%, study finds

Across the world, water scarcity is emerging as one of the most pressing challenges of the 21st century. Climate change is pushing rivers and aquifers into unprecedented extremes, droughts and floods are intensifying, and ...

Jan 26, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Saltier seas in spring double the chance of extreme El Niño events, study finds

Stronger El Niño events are more likely when springtime surface waters in the western Pacific Ocean become unusually salty, a new study in Geophysical Research Letters suggests. Traditionally, scientists have focused on ...

Jan 26, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / World not ready for rise in extreme heat, scientists say

Nearly 3.8 billion people could face extreme heat by 2050 and while tropical countries will bear the brunt cooler regions will also need to adapt, scientists said Monday.

Jan 26, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Changes to cougar diets and behaviors reduce their competition with wolves in Yellowstone, study finds

A new study shows that interactions between wolves and cougars in Yellowstone National Park are driven by wolves stealing prey killed by cougars and that shifts in cougar diets to smaller prey help them avoid wolf encounters. ...

Jan 26, 2026 in Biology
Medical Xpress / Florida bill expands vaccine exemptions, but keeps mandates in law

Florida may keep some required vaccine mandates after all. Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo made national news in September when he announced a plan to remove all vaccine mandates from state law. But so far, no lawmaker ...

22 hours ago in Pediatrics
Medical Xpress / Wood burning in homes drives dangerous air pollution in winter, study finds

Throwing another log into a crackling fireplace on a cold winter's night might seem like a cozy, harmless tradition. But Northwestern University scientists have found residential wood burning is a major—yet often overlooked—contributor ...

Dialog / The hidden physics of watersheds: Why some are more sensitive to climate variability than others

Water is everywhere, from the snowpack in the mountains to the tap in our kitchens. But while we often think about rainfall and snow as the main drivers of our water supply, it turns out that something we rarely see has just ...

Jan 26, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Shipping regulations to reduce pollution may have exacerbated Great Barrier Reef bleaching

Rising ocean temperatures have been implicated in mass coral bleaching events affecting the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). These events have been increasingly frequent, with major events occurring in 2016, 2017, 2020, 2022, 2024, ...

Jan 26, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Global health impacts of plastics systems set to double by 2040

The adverse health impacts associated with emissions across the full life cycle of plastics could double by 2040 unless immediate action is taken, new research suggests. The study identified health harms at every stage of ...

Jan 27, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Amplifying feedbacks could drive Greenland ice sheet to near-complete disappearance

Greenland, which has been prominently in the news in recent days, hosts a vast ice sheet. If it melts, it will become one of the largest contributors to global sea-level rise. Under a high-emissions scenario, the Greenland ...

Jan 22, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / ATLAS confirms collective nature of quark soup's radial expansion

Scientists analyzing data from heavy ion collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC)—the world's most powerful particle collider, located at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research—have new evidence that ...

Jan 22, 2026 in Physics