https://phys.org/ en-us Latest news from The Conversation Do aliens exist? Could Earth really be the only planet hosting intelligent life? https://phys.org/news/2026-04-aliens-real-scientists-extraterrestrial-life.html Astrobiology Thu, 16 Apr 2026 17:40:03 EDT news695561461 On a chilly yet beautifully clear evening last November, I sat on a video call with colleagues and happened to mention the live feed from the International Space Station—a real-time broadcast from onboard cameras as the station orbits Earth. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-sunsets-night-sky-technology-nature.html Space Exploration Thu, 16 Apr 2026 17:20:01 EDT news695561222 When 240 million gallons of raw sewage spilled into the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., starting in mid-January 2026 and running through mid-March, it was estimated to be the largest sewage spill in U.S. history. But it wasn't the first, nor will it be the last. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-washington-dc-milliongallon-sewage-symptom.html Environment Thu, 16 Apr 2026 16:20:10 EDT news695560742 The south coast of South Africa's Western Cape province is a rich source of fossil tracks and traces—clues suggesting what this environment may have been like many thousands of years ago. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-bird-tortoise-fossil-tracks-south.html Paleontology & Fossils Thu, 16 Apr 2026 16:00:09 EDT news695567462 Loneliness is something most of us will experience at some point. It is a normal emotion, not a character flaw. But it is also something that can quietly affect how we think and remember, and researchers have long debated whether it might even raise the risk of dementia. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-loneliness-affect-memory-doesnt-dementia.html Thu, 16 Apr 2026 15:40:01 EDT news695564835 Plants are often seen as passive organisms, rooted in one place and largely unable to react to the world around them. But a new field of research is challenging these assumptions and showing that plants are as sophisticated as animals in detecting and adjusting to environmental signals. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-secret-sensory-life.html Plants & Animals Thu, 16 Apr 2026 15:00:01 EDT news695558103 There has been no shortage of bold claims recently about artificial intelligence (AI) and jobs—from mass unemployment to over-hyped distraction. Much of this debate is speculative. Often, coming from the tech giants promoting their own products, it is self-serving. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-employment-early-ai-job-disruption.html Economics & Business Thu, 16 Apr 2026 14:40:01 EDT news695558042 Social media videos are claiming that mouthwash can raise the risk of blood pressure—and potentially damage heart health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-mouthwash-bad-heart.html Thu, 16 Apr 2026 13:40:11 EDT news695561282 Imagine you and your partner are sitting in the waiting room of your doctor's office, waiting for your appointment to get birth control—and instead of calculating how many other people will be called before you, or perusing old magazines, a nurse hands you a digital tablet and encourages you to play a game. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-health-video-game-bridge-communication.html Thu, 16 Apr 2026 13:20:07 EDT news695561102 Cozy is a vibe. So much so that even video games have been getting cozy. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-transactional-optimizable-cozy-video-games.html Business Thu, 16 Apr 2026 12:40:03 EDT news695561522 South Africa would seem like the perfect place for widespread uptake of solar energy. The country is sunny, with high solar generation potential. Solar is a clean, reliable source of power that can help people reduce their dependence on polluting fuels like paraffin and diesel. Switching to solar also cuts electricity bills, which have more than doubled over the last 10 years. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-south-africans-solar-power-panels.html Energy & Green Tech Thu, 16 Apr 2026 12:20:06 EDT news695560682 Energy bills in the UK are still expected to rise in the coming months, putting more pressure on household budgets despite the shaky ceasefire in the Gulf. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-solar-panels-wont-slash-energy.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 15 Apr 2026 22:40:05 EDT news695476738 Research published earlier this year found the strongest evidence yet that the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has played a key role driving up autism diagnoses in Australia. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-autism-largely-fueled-national-disability.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 20:40:01 EDT news695472781 If you've been in the market for a new hair dryer, you've likely seen advertising for ionic ones. Some claim to produce negative ions in the millions—with or without the help of added minerals like tourmaline. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-ionic-hair-dryers.html Consumer & Gadgets Wed, 15 Apr 2026 20:20:04 EDT news695476712 Walk across a mudflat at low tide and you might notice small, neat mounds of sediment scattered across the surface. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-microplastics-species-coasts-healthy.html Environment Wed, 15 Apr 2026 20:20:01 EDT news695472962 It's an athlete's worst fear. Hearing a loud "pop" and feeling severe pain are usually the first signs you've torn your anterior cruciate ligament, also known as the ACL. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-acl-knee-injury.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 19:20:03 EDT news695472661 At some point in the next several months, I am hoping to receive a modest check as a member of the class covered in the class-action settlement Bartz v. Anthropic. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-thousands-aiwritten-sold-eerie-echo.html Machine learning & AI Wed, 15 Apr 2026 19:00:06 EDT news695476425 On many coastlines around the world, piles of discarded oyster and mussel shells are a common sight—the leftovers of a global seafood industry that produces millions of tonnes of waste each year. At the same time, hidden in rocky deposits far from the coast, a very different sort of resource—rare earth elements—is plentiful. These metals are in soaring demand as they are essential for technologies such as wind turbines, electric vehicles, and most modern electronics. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-power-seashells-oyster-recapture-rare.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 15 Apr 2026 18:00:03 EDT news695476961 It's 3am. The room is dark, the house is silent, but your brain is suddenly wide awake. Many people find themselves waking at roughly the same time each night and start to wonder whether something is wrong with their sleep. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-night.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:00:04 EDT news695477582 If you live with a pet, you might feel like you can almost read each other's minds. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-dog-pain.html Veterinary medicine Wed, 15 Apr 2026 14:20:08 EDT news695472602 When you have a baby, mealtimes can be messy and stressful. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-baby-solid-foods.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 14:00:04 EDT news695472841 In 1902, British explorer Robert Falcon Scott spotted a large group of large black and white birds at Ross Island, Antarctica. This was among the many milestones of Scott's famous Discovery expedition: the first breeding colony of emperor penguins. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-beloved-emperor-penguin-antarctic-fur.html Plants & Animals Wed, 15 Apr 2026 14:00:01 EDT news695472362 If you watched the Super Bowl in 2026, you likely saw Serena Williams share her weight loss journey on GLP-1 medications in a commercial. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-ads-glp1-drugs-internet-safe.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 13:20:01 EDT news695476442 A recent move from a leading insurance provider has made it more difficult for AFL and AFLW players to access brain injury insurance. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-concussion-athletes.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 13:00:04 EDT news695472541 Menopause has long been treated as something private, but the silence surrounding it is increasingly at odds with demographic reality. Women over 50 are the fastest-growing group in the workforce in many countries, and most will experience menopause during their working lives. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-women-menopause-symptoms-workplaces.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:40:02 EDT news695472241 As school holidays continue around Australia, many parents are looking for educational ways to keep their children entertained. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-google-teacher-apps-kids-parents.html Education Tue, 14 Apr 2026 22:40:04 EDT news695384448 Hidden among the red sandstone escarpments of Mutawintji National Park in western New South Wales lives a rare lizard, long isolated in this arid landscape. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-kungaka-hidden-ancient-lizard-rarest.html Plants & Animals Tue, 14 Apr 2026 18:00:08 EDT news695384624 Forecasts of the impact of artificial intelligence range from the apocalyptic to the utopian. An October 2025 report from Senate Democrats, for example, predicted AI will destroy millions of U.S. jobs. A couple of years earlier, consultant company McKinsey forecast AI will add trillions to the global economy, while emphasizing job losses can be mitigated by training workers to do new things. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-industries-exposed-ai-productivity-gains.html Economics & Business Tue, 14 Apr 2026 14:40:02 EDT news695388301 Most clocks, from wristwatches to the systems that run GPS and the internet, work by tracking regular, repeating motions. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-atomic-nuclei-scientists-precisely.html Quantum Physics Tue, 14 Apr 2026 14:20:01 EDT news695388241 Aided by the Trump administration, debate over gender identity has gone from being a touchstone of domestic culture wars to infiltrating the work of international groups—including those designed to protect vulnerable communities. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-debate-gender-identity-undermine-global.html Social Sciences Tue, 14 Apr 2026 14:00:01 EDT news695388122