Phys.org news

Phys.org / One in six kids could be experiencing online sexual exploitation and abuse

One in six internet-using children from a survey of nearly 12,000 children in 12 countries across Asia and Africa are found to experience at least one form of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse, with many ...

May 28, 2026
Phys.org / Chang'e-5 regolith studies reveal nanoscale space-weathering processes

On the moon, the lack of atmosphere and accompanying features such as biological activity, oxygen-rich air, flowing water and rain, wind, and most erosion allows the lunar regolith to preserve a long-term record of surface ...

May 28, 2026
Phys.org / Cells trap heat in ways standard fluid physics cannot explain, study finds

Living cells cool much slower than our current understanding of heat conduction can explain, according to new research from the University of Tokyo. Researchers have used two techniques—high-speed temperature mapping and ...

May 28, 2026
Phys.org / Mitochondria reveal built-in speed control for protein production

Researchers at the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG) and the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Multidisciplinary Sciences have elucidated how the production of certain proteins and their insertion into the inner membrane ...

May 28, 2026
Phys.org / Astronomers discover how to estimate masses of newborn planets using dust rings

A team of astronomers, led by University of Warwick in collaboration with researchers at MIT and McMaster, have developed a novel method to use the properties of dust rings around stars to estimate the masses of newborn planets. ...

May 28, 2026
Phys.org / Hyena clan rank metrics need to be trait specific to fully explain hierarchies, scientists argue

Spotted hyenas live in hierarchically organized groups (clans). An individual's dominance over another determines priority access to resources such as food or mating partners, and thus reproductive success. However, the rank ...

May 28, 2026
Phys.org / A new approach to urban planning with less car traffic and lower carbon emissions

Urban planning needs to tackle greenhouse gas emissions—and an important way to achieve this is by reducing the number and length of car commutes. This can be achieved primarily by ensuring that homes are located close to ...

May 28, 2026
Phys.org / Plants select growth strategies by 'spying' on their neighbors' scents

New research reveals that plants have the ability to detect their neighbors' growth rates through aromatic cues called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and subsequently adjust how much energy they invest into their own growth ...

May 28, 2026
Phys.org / A severed piece of sea cucumber refused to die, and what happened next could transform medicine

From the revived corpse of Frankenstein's monster to the disembodied hand, "Thing," in the Addams Family, reanimated tissue is one of the most enduring images in science fiction. It turns out, that image has some basis in ...

May 27, 2026
Phys.org / A giant warm wave is crossing the Pacific, signaling an El Niño that could alter weather worldwide this year

Waves of higher, warmer water move eastward across the Pacific Ocean a few months before an El Niño emerges. Several have shown up in 2026 satellite data.

May 27, 2026
Phys.org / Memory-preserving transistors could bypass the Boltzmann limit

Researchers have created a new theoretical framework that shows how memory-preserving "memtransistors" could overcome the intrinsic limits in efficiency faced by conventional semiconductor transistors, imposed by the laws ...

May 27, 2026
Phys.org / Rare observations reveal an X9 solar flare before it erupts

Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation from the sun's surface, which can wreak havoc on Earth's power grids, damage orbiting satellites, and pose serious radiation risks to astronauts. Yet despite decades of study, ...

May 27, 2026