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Phys.org / How much of 'us' is really 'us'?

Some time around 1683, amateur Dutch scientist Antonie van Leeuwenhoek scraped the plaque from between his teeth and peered at it through a home-made microscope.

Jan 20, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Bird retinas function without oxygen—solving a centuries-old biological mystery

Neural tissue normally dies quickly without oxygen. Yet bird retinas—among the most energy-demanding tissues in the animal kingdom—function permanently without it. This may be relevant in future treatment of stroke patients.

Jan 21, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Grains of sand prove people—not glaciers—transported Stonehenge rocks

Ask people how Stonehenge was built and you'll hear stories of sledges, ropes, boats and sheer human determination to haul stones from across Britain to Salisbury Plain, in south-west England. Others might mention giants, ...

Jan 21, 2026 in Earth
Medical Xpress / Taking acetaminophen during pregnancy does not increase risk of autism, ADHD or intellectual disabilities

Taking acetaminophen during pregnancy does not increase the risk of autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or intellectual disability among children. That is according to the most rigorous analysis of the ...

Jan 16, 2026 in Autism spectrum disorders
Phys.org / Understanding the unusual chirality-driven anomalous Hall effect via scattering theory

A new framework for understanding the nonmonotonic temperature dependence and sign reversal of the chirality-related anomalous Hall effect in highly conductive metals has been developed by scientists at Science Tokyo. This ...

Jan 16, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Key protein can restore aging neural stem cells' ability to regenerate

Researchers at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine), have found that a key protein can help to regenerate neural stem cells, which may improve aging-associated decline in neuronal ...

Jan 21, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Fast fashion: Why changes in return policies don't do enough to address environmental damage

Online fashion retailer Asos recently introduced additional fees for customers who return lots of items, marking a significant shift in the fast fashion model that has relied on free, frictionless return policies as a key ...

Jan 19, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Chile declares emergency as wildfires kill at least 19

Uncontrolled wildfires tore through communities in southern Chile, leaving charred ruins in their wake and at least 19 dead, authorities said, announcing the latest toll on Sunday.

Jan 18, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / EAST achieves new plasma confinement regime using small 3D magnetic perturbations

A research group has achieved a new plasma confinement regime using small 3D magnetic perturbations that simultaneously suppress edge instabilities and enhance core plasma confinement in the Experimental Advanced Superconducting ...

Jan 21, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Chiral phonons create orbital current via their own magnetism

In a new study, an international group of researchers has found that chiral phonons can create orbital current without needing magnetic elements—in part because chiral phonons have their own magnetic moments. Additionally, ...

Jan 21, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / SPHEREx imaging reveals increased sublimation activity on 3I/ATLAS

The interstellar object, 3I/ATLAS, was first discovered in July 2025, and made its closest approach to the sun (perihelion) in late October. New observations of 3I/ATLAS were taken in December from the SPHEREx observatory—a ...

Jan 20, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Quantum-enabled proteins open a new frontier in biotechnology

A research team led by the University of Oxford's Department of Engineering Science has shown it is possible to engineer a quantum mechanical process inside proteins, opening the door to a new class of quantum-enabled biological ...

Jan 21, 2026 in Biology