Phys.org news

Phys.org / New 3D map of the sun's magnetic interior could improve predictions of disruptive solar flares

For the first time, scientists have used satellite data to create a 3D map of the sun's interior magnetic field, the fundamental driver of solar activity. The research, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, should ...

14 hours ago in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Sprint or marathon? Aging muscle stem cells shift from rapid repair to long-term survival

Aging muscles heal more slowly after injury—a frustrating reality familiar to many older adults. A UCLA study conducted in mice reveals an unexpected cause: Stem cells in aged muscle accumulate higher levels of a protein ...

12 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Optical atomic clocks poised to redefine how the world measures seconds

Time is almost up on the way we track each second of the day, with optical atomic clocks set to redefine the way the world measures one second in the near future. Researchers from Adelaide University worked with the National ...

13 hours ago in Physics
Phys.org / Signs of Sir Terry Pratchett's dementia may have been hidden in his books

Signs of Sir Terry Pratchett's dementia may have been present in his writing a decade before his official diagnosis, new research has found. Researchers have examined the lexical diversity—a measure of how varied an author's ...

13 hours ago in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Fossil hunters uncover 132-million-year-old dinosaur footprints on South Africa's coast

Southern Africa is world renowned for its fossil record of creatures that lived in the very distant past, including dinosaurs. But, about 182 million years ago, a huge eruption of lava covered much of the landscape (the inland ...

13 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / New species of ladybird beetle discovered on university campus in Japan

University campuses are often places of learning and discovery, but rarely do researchers find a new species living right on their doorstep. However, that is exactly what happened when a research team from Kyushu University ...

13 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / A world-first mouse that makes gene activity visible

DNA can be thought of as a vast library that stores all genetic information. Cells do not use this information all at once. Instead, they copy only the necessary parts into RNA, which is then used to produce proteins—the ...

15 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / Saturday Citations: Understanding procrastination; delicious baby sauropods; a study on musical 'pleasure chills'

This week, researchers identified the role of the brain's protein clean-up system in dementia. Fecal transplants show promising benefits in treating multiple cancer types. And biologists found that saltwater crocodiles traveled ...

16 hours ago in Other Sciences
Phys.org / 'Negative viscosity' helps propel groups of migrating cells, study finds

The cells in our bodies move in groups during biological processes such as wound healing and tissue development—but because of resistance, or viscosity, those cells can't just neatly glide past each other.

20 hours ago in Biology
Phys.org / 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 ...

Jan 30, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Tropical peatlands are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, research reveals

Using a new method to track groundwater levels and greenhouse gas emissions, researchers uncover the climate impact of Southeast Asia's peatlands. In Indonesia, Malaysia, and other parts of Southeast Asia, vast areas spanning ...

Jan 30, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Why are Tatooine planets rare? General relativity explains why binary star systems rarely host planets

Astronomers have found thousands of exoplanets around single stars, but few around binary stars—even though both types of stars are equally common. Physicists can now explain the dearth.

Jan 30, 2026 in Astronomy & Space