Phys.org news

Phys.org / Tiny Mars's big impact on Earth's climate: How the red planet's pull shapes ice ages

At half the size of Earth and one-tenth its mass, Mars is a featherweight as far as planets go. Yet new research reveals the extent to which Mars is quietly tugging on Earth's orbit and shaping the cycles that drive long-term ...

Jan 12, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Mars was once a 'blue planet': Ancient river deltas point to vast ocean

Using images from cameras on Mars orbiters, an international research team has discovered structures on Mars that are very similar to classic river deltas on Earth. These are traces of rivers that have deposited their sediments ...

Jan 12, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / A new valve for quantum matter: Steering chiral fermions by geometry alone

A collaboration between Stuart Parkin's group at the Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics in Halle (Saale) and Claudia Felser's group at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids in Dresden has realized ...

Jan 12, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / El Niño and La Niña synchronize global droughts and floods, study finds

Water extremes such as droughts and floods have a huge impact on communities, ecosystems, and economies. Researchers with The University of Texas at Austin have turned their attention to tracking these extremes across Earth ...

Jan 12, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Yeast DNA changes reveal hidden triggers for cancer-linked chromosome chaos

Changes in genes have been linked to the development of different diseases for a while. However, it's not exactly clear what the mechanisms, or the causes behind those specific genetic changes, are. Recent studies using fission ...

Jan 12, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Tissue repair slows in old age. These proteins speed it back up

As we age, we don't recover from injury or illness like we did when we were young. But new research from UCSF has found gene regulators—proteins that turn genes on and off—that could restore the aging body's ability to ...

Jan 12, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Overlooked decline in grazing livestock brings risks and opportunities

For decades, researchers have focused on the problem of overgrazing, in which expanding herds of cattle and other livestock degrade grasslands, steppes and desert plains. But a new global study reveals that in large regions ...

Jan 12, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Robotic nanoprobe enables precise extraction of a single mitochondrion from a living cell

Mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with various chronic diseases and cancers, including neurodegenerative diseases and metabolic syndrome. Gently extracting a single mitochondrion from within a living cell—without ...

Jan 12, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Designer enzyme enables yeast to produce custom fatty acids, reducing need for palm oil

Whether they are laundry detergents, mascara, or Christmas chocolate, many everyday products contain fatty acids from palm oil or coconut oil. However, the extraction of these raw materials is associated with massive environmental ...

Jan 12, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / How E. coli exploit fluid flow and channel shape to swim upstream and cause infections

"The UN estimates that by 2050, common bacterial infections could kill more people than cancer," says Arnold Mathijssen, a biophysicist at the University of Pennsylvania who studies how active particles like bacteria move ...

Jan 12, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Fruit flies' embryonic stage reveals that climate adaptation begins early

As the climate changes, scientists are concerned about how well plants and animals will adapt to rapid warming. A new University of Vermont study has explored the early embryonic life stage of a globally common fruit fly, ...

Jan 12, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / What most corporate carbon reports get wrong, and how to fix them

A new Stanford-led analysis of corporate carbon disclosures finds that companies undercount emissions from their supply chains by billions of tons.

Jan 12, 2026 in Earth