Phys.org news

Phys.org / Lifting magnetic fingerprints using scanning probe microscopy

A Czech and Spanish-led research team has demonstrated the ability to distinguish subtle differences between magnetic ground states using a new form of scanning probe microscopy.

Jan 19, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / 'Supercooling' keeps salamanders from freezing in Canadian winters

On a frigid April day, Brock University Professor of Biological Sciences Glenn Tattersall, then-Ph.D. student Danilo Giacometti and wildlife researcher Patrick Moldowan ventured out into Ontario's Algonquin Provincial Park ...

Jan 19, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / 3D mapping of fault beneath Marmara Sea reveals likely sites for future earthquakes

According to researchers from Science Tokyo, a new three-dimensional model of the fault beneath the Marmara Sea in Turkey reveals where a future major earthquake could take place. Using electromagnetic measurements, the team ...

Jan 19, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Japan Trench geology confirmed as key driver of 2011 megaquake

Geologists from Heriot-Watt are part of an international research team that has confirmed why the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake off northeast Japan behaved in such an extreme and destructive way.

Jan 19, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Calm seas can drive coral bleaching, research reveals

New research by Monash University and the ARC Center of Excellence for the Weather of the 21st Century analyzed close to three decades of weather data during the coral bleaching season and identified the prevalence of "doldrum ...

Jan 19, 2026 in Earth
Phys.org / Seychelles leads the way in the protection of sharks and rays, finds study

A new study published in Ecology and Evolution has evaluated the extent to which recently identified Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs) in the Western Indian Ocean overlap with existing marine protected areas.

Jan 19, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / New class of strong magnets uses earth-abundant elements, avoids rare-earth metals

Georgetown University researchers have discovered a new class of strong magnets that do not rely on rare-earth or precious metals—a breakthrough that could significantly advance clean energy technologies and consumer electronics ...

Jan 18, 2026 in Physics
Phys.org / Experiments bring Enceladus' subsurface ocean into the lab

Through new experiments, researchers in Japan and Germany have recreated the chemical conditions found in the subsurface ocean of Saturn's moon, Enceladus. Published in Icarus, the results show that these conditions can readily ...

Jan 18, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / How to prevent charge buildup in a lunar rover

As they roll across shadowed regions of the moon's surface, future lunar rovers could develop hazardous buildups of electric charge on their wheels. Through new analysis published in Advances in Space Research, Bill Farrell ...

Jan 18, 2026 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Scientists design artificial pain receptor that senses pain intensity and self-heals

All over the body are tiny sensors called nociceptors whose job is to spot potentially harmful stimuli and send warning signals to the brain and spinal cord, helping protect us from injury or tissue damage.

Jan 18, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / Two harmful gene variants can restore function when combined, study reveals

Sometimes, in genetics, two wrongs do make a right. A research team has recently shown that two harmful genetic variants, when occurring together in a gene, can restore function—proving a decades-old hypothesis originally ...

Jan 18, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / More than 55% of Cerrado native vegetation already lost, new review reveals

A comprehensive new review synthesizing decades of research warns that the Brazilian Cerrado—a biodiversity hotspot, known for its vast inverted forests—is facing a massive, multi-faceted ecological crisis.

Jan 18, 2026 in Biology