Phys.org news

Phys.org / Scientists discover a hidden RNA 'aging clock' in human sperm

Increasing paternal age has been linked to elevated health risks for the next generation, including higher risks of obesity and stillbirth. But what drives this increased risk remains unknown.

Jan 20, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Pūkeko birds combine sound elements to create complex call sequences for communication, study reveals

Pūkeko use sound elements to create calls and combine them to create complex call sequences in order to expand the range of options for expressing themselves—these are the findings of an international team including Konstanz ...

Jan 20, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Get ready for smokier air: Record 2023 wildfire smoke marks long-term shift in North American air quality

A new analysis of air quality data from the past 70 years shows that Canada's record wildfire smoke in 2023 is part of a broader, continent-wide trend toward smokier skies across North America.

Jan 20, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Water makeup of Jupiter's Galilean moons set at birth, new study finds

While Io, the most volcanically active moon in the solar system, appears completely dry and devoid of water ice, its neighbor Europa is thought to harbor a vast global ocean of liquid water beneath its icy crust. A new international ...

Jan 20, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / ChatGPT found to reflect and intensify existing global social disparities

New research from the Oxford Internet Institute at the University of Oxford, and the University of Kentucky, finds that ChatGPT systematically favors wealthier, Western regions in response to questions ranging from "Where ...

Jan 20, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Beyond chemistry: How mechanical forces shape brain wiring

During brain development, neurons extend long processes called axons. Axons link different areas of the brain and carry signals within it and to the rest of the body. Growing axons "wire up" the brain by following precise ...

Jan 20, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Intricacies of Helix Nebula revealed with Webb

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has zoomed into the Helix Nebula to give an up-close view of the possible eventual fate of our own sun and planetary system. In Webb's high-resolution look, the structure of the gas being ...

Jan 20, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Previously unknown chemical pathway for air pollution particle formation uncovered

An atmospheric scientist at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of The University of Alabama System, has helped uncover a previously unknown chemical pathway that plays a major role in the formation of air ...

Jan 20, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Direct visualization captures hidden spatial order of electrons in a quantum material

The mystery of quantum phenomena inside materials—such as superconductivity, where electric current flows without energy loss—lies in when electrons move together and when they break apart. KAIST researchers have succeeded ...

Jan 20, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Hot spring bathing doesn't just keep snow monkeys warm—it can disrupt lice distribution and reshape gut bacteria

Japanese macaques, colloquially referred to as snow monkeys, famously soak in steaming hot springs during winter. It's easy to see that this helps them stay warm in cold temperatures, but a team of researchers at Kyoto University ...

Jan 20, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / A century's worth of data could help predict future solar cycle activity

Research conducted by an international team of astronomers from Southwest Research Institute, Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences in India and the Max Planck Institute in Germany could help predict upcoming ...

Jan 20, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Seawater microbes offer new, non-invasive way to detect coral disease

Researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), in collaboration with the University of the Virgin Islands have discovered that microorganisms in seawater surrounding corals provide a powerful indicator of ...

Jan 20, 2026 in Biology