Phys.org news

Phys.org / Why termite kings and queens are monogamous: Scientists uncover surprising answer

Termites are among the most successful animals on Earth, forming vast societies that can number in the millions. But how did such complex social systems evolve from solitary ancestors that looked much like today's cockroaches?

Jan 29, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / New map of the Milky Way's magnetism offers insights into cosmic evolution

A UBC Okanagan-led research project has given a group of international scientists their clearest view yet of the Milky Way's magnetic field, revealing that it is far more complex than previously believed.

Jan 29, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Real-time imaging captures contact between cells and between a single neuron's extensions

Living organisms are made up of hundreds of thousands of cells that cooperate to create the organs and systems that breathe, eat, move, and think. Now, researchers from Japan have developed a new way to track how and when ...

Jan 29, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Light-based nanotechnology offers potential alternative to chemotherapy and radiation

Researchers at NYU Abu Dhabi have developed a new light-based nanotechnology that could improve how certain cancers are detected and treated, offering a more precise and potentially less harmful alternative to chemotherapy, ...

Jan 29, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Unusual RNA caps reveal previously unknown mechanism of genetic transcription

Scientists at IOCB Prague are uncovering new details of gene transcription. They have identified a previously unknown molecular mechanism by which the transcription of genetic information from deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) ...

Jan 29, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / RNA droplets may have accelerated prebiotic Earth's development of complex molecules

The origin of life from Earth's primordial chemistry has long fascinated and perplexed us. Generations of scientists have endeavored to understand how complex biochemistry developed from organic compounds. Researchers at ...

Jan 29, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / NASA researchers probe tangled magnetospheres of merging neutron stars

New simulations performed on a NASA supercomputer are providing scientists with the most comprehensive look yet into the maelstrom of interacting magnetic structures around city-sized neutron stars in the moments before they ...

Jan 29, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Programmable terahertz vortices enable dual electric and magnetic skyrmion modes

Researchers have created an optical device that can generate both electric and magnetic vortex-ring-like light patterns. These structured light vortices, known as skyrmions, are highly stable and resistant to disturbances, ...

Jan 29, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / MXene nanoscrolls could improve energy storage, biosensors and more

Researchers from Drexel University who discovered a versatile type of two-dimensional conductive nanomaterial called MXene nearly a decade and a half ago, have now reported on a process for producing its one-dimensional cousin: ...

Jan 29, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Mapping 'figure 8' Fermi surfaces to pinpoint future chiral conductors

One of the biggest problems facing modern microelectronics is that computer chips can no longer be made arbitrarily smaller and more efficient. Materials used to date, such as copper, are reaching their limits because their ...

Jan 29, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Novel quantum refrigerator benefits from problematic noise

For quantum computers to function, they must be kept at extremely low temperatures. However, today's cooling systems also generate noise that interferes with the fragile quantum information they are meant to protect. Now, ...

Jan 29, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / New satellite method maps 'creeping drought' in Canada's mountain snow

Researchers at Concordia have developed a new method of measuring the amount of usable water stored in snowpacks. The comprehensive technique, known as snow water availability (SWA), uses satellite data and climate reanalysis ...

Jan 29, 2026 in Earth