Phys.org news

Phys.org / Retail therapy fail? Online shopping may raise stress more than news, email or adult content

Planning to save time by doing your shopping online? If so, it's possible you're not doing your well-being any favors. A study from Aalto University in Finland has found that online shopping is more strongly linked to stress ...

Jan 12, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Major gaps in global satellite maps of forests raise policy concerns

For decades, global efforts to combat climate change and protect biodiversity have relied on a high-tech promise: that satellite-derived maps can tell us exactly where the world's forests are.

Jan 12, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / High-speed AFM imaging reveals how brain enzyme forms a dodecameric ring structure

Scientists at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, have captured real-time images showing how a key brain enzyme organizes itself to help memory formation.

Jan 12, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Vaccinia virus breaks textbook rules by ditching its cap

A research team led by Václav Vopálenský and Martin Pospíšek from the Faculty of Science, Charles University, has discovered a surprising way in which the vaccinia virus handles its genetic messages.

Jan 12, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / How marine viruses help fuel underwater oxygen-rich zones

Newly published interdisciplinary research led by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and University of Maryland shows that viral infection of blue-green algae in the ocean stimulates productivity in the ecosystem and ...

Jan 12, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Nightingales strike right chord in territorial singing duels

During conversation, people sometimes synchronize their voices in ways that often go completely unnoticed. Talking speeds converge, sentence lengths shift, turn-taking rhythms fall into sync. New research from the Max Planck ...

Jan 12, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Global 60-year study sheds light on staple crops' nutrient use inefficiency

A 60-year study covering 205 countries and regions worldwide has systematically uncovered the evolutionary patterns of nitrogen and phosphorus use efficiency (NUE and PUE) in the four major staple crops—rice, wheat, maize, ...

Jan 12, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Eye for trouble: Automated counting for chromosome issues under the microscope

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have developed a suite of algorithms to automate the counting of sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) in chromosomes under the microscope. Conventional analysis requires trained ...

Jan 12, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Regular email reminders can help bank customers save more money

Wish you could save more money? A new study led by Katy Milkman, a Wharton professor of operations, information and decisions and the co-director of Penn's Behavior Change for Good Initiative (BCFG) finds that simple reminder ...

Jan 12, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Physicists create resilient 3D solitons in the lab

For the first time, physicists in Italy have created a 'lump soliton': an extremely stable packet of light waves which can travel through 3D space, and even interact with other solitons without losing its shape.

Jan 11, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / A new AI tool could dramatically speed up the discovery of life-saving medicines

Researchers in China have unveiled a new AI framework that could accelerate the discovery of new medicines. DrugCLIP can scan millions of potential drug compounds against thousands of protein targets in just a few hours—ten ...

Jan 11, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Organic crystals self-heal at cryogenic temperatures via zipping action

At temperatures where most molecular movement ceases, certain organic crystals begin their self-healing journey.

Jan 10, 2026 in Chemistry