Astronomers reveal spectacular birthplace of cosmic buckyballs

Fifteen years after Western astronomers first discovered "buckyballs" in space (soccer ball-shaped molecules that resemble a hollow sphere), they're back with stunning images and rich data generated using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)—the most powerful space telescope ever built. The team led by Jan Cami, a physics and astronomy professor, first detected buckyballs using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope in 2010. The fantastic find came from the planetary nebula Tc 1, formed from a dying star more than 10,000 light-years away in the constellation Ara.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-04-astronomers-reveal-spectacular-birthplace-cosmic.html

Better-fed calves are more motivated to play, pioneering study shows

New research has revealed dairy calves that are fed less complete tasks faster and remember more in pursuit of milk, but miss out on play. Calves that were given more food were more inclined to play. The study, led by the University of Bristol and published in Scientific Reports, sheds new light on how hungry animals sacrifice play and put finding food first.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-04-fed-calves-play.html

Rediscovered tracksite reveals large dinosaurs ranged as far as northern Mongolia 120 million years ago

An international research team has rediscovered a dinosaur tracksite in the Saijrakh area of northern Mongolia. The site was originally reported about 70 years ago but had since been lost due to a lack of detailed documentation and follow-up investigation. The team conducted the first comprehensive study of the site.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-04-rediscovered-tracksite-reveals-large-dinosaurs.html

Years On The Run, How Europe's Most Wanted Gang Leader Was Finally Tracked

Kinahan, 48, is expected to face charges in Ireland connected to a long-running feud between the Kinahan cartel and the Hutch gang.

source https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/years-on-the-run-how-europes-most-wanted-gang-leader-was-finally-tracked-11380512

How tiny voids could make fusion targets more stable under powerful shockwaves

Picture two materials sandwiched together. The boundary between them may appear flat, but, in reality, it is full of tiny bumps and dents. Suddenly, the materials are hit with a shockwave. If that wave hits a bump in the material interface, it slows down. If it hits a dent, it accelerates forward. This imbalance creates fast, narrow jets of material—called the Richtmyer-Meshkov (RM) instability.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-04-tiny-voids-fusion-stable-powerful.html

Raven personalities shape survival as human pressure grows at the Dead Sea

Along the stark and shimmering coastline of the Dead Sea, where desert cliffs meet one of the world's most extreme environments, a quiet drama is unfolding in the skies above. Fan-tailed ravens, intelligent, adaptable, and ever-watchful, are making life-or-death decisions every day. And according to new research, those decisions may come down to personality.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-04-raven-personalities-survival-human-pressure.html

Mental math's shortcut—pupil dilation suggests people start solving before all numbers are in

People often solve simple arithmetic problems, such as basic addition, subtraction, multiplication or division, in their minds. The precise mental processes they rely on to solve these problems, however, are not entirely clear. Researchers at Université de Bordeaux and UCLouvain recently tried to better understand how humans tackle simple math mentally by tracking the size of their pupils.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-04-mental-math-shortcut-pupil-dilation.html

One of the world's rarest mouses is adapting to climate change

A new study on climate adaptation in the Pacific pocket mouse—North America's most endangered mouse has been published in Science Advances. The research highlights a major challenge for endangered species, as many lack the genetic diversity needed to survive changing climates.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-04-world-rarest-mouses-climate.html

Gifted men exhibit lower levels of conservatism compared to their average-intelligence counterparts, finds study

Individuals with high intellectual ability frequently occupy leadership roles across business, science, and politics. To date, it has not been definitively established whether a high intelligence quotient correlates with specific political orientations. However, recent research reveals a significant gender-specific distinction: Intellectually gifted men tend to be less conservative than men of average intellectual ability. The study, authored by Maximilian Krolo and Jörn Sparfeldt, is published in the journal Intelligence.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-04-gifted-men-conservatism-average-intelligence.html

The beloved emperor penguin and Antarctic fur seal are now officially endangered. Here's what can be done

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.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-04-beloved-emperor-penguin-antarctic-fur.html

How debate about gender identity could undermine global efforts to protect victims of violence

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.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-04-debate-gender-identity-undermine-global.html

First Proba-3 science: Surprisingly speedy solar wind found in inner corona

Since July 2025, the European Space Agency's pair of Proba-3 satellites has already created 57 artificial solar eclipses. So far, the mission has collected more than 250 hours of high-resolution videos of the sun's atmosphere, called the corona. That's the same amount of observing time as about 5,000 total solar eclipse campaigns carried out on Earth.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-04-proba-science-speedy-solar-corona.html

ISL Points Table: Check Standings After Mohun Bagan's Comeback Win Over Punjab FC

Mohun Bagan Super Giant's stoppage-time win over Punjab FC tightens the ISL title race, with the Mariners now just one point behind leaders Mumbai City FC as the league enters its decisive phase.

source https://www.ndtvprofit.com/sports/club-football-indian-super-league-isl-points-table-standings-mohun-bagan-mumbai-city-east-bengal-jamshedpur-bengaluru-fc-matches-11347984

Extinct ice age giants in Bender's Cave challenge existing climate records for the Edwards Plateau

A recent study by Dr. John Moretti of the University of Texas and local caver John Young uncovered the remains of Ice Age megafauna, revealing an entirely new ecosystem that once thrived on the Edwards Plateau. Among the finds were a genus of giant tortoise (Hesperotestudo) and a large armadillo-like pampathere (Holmesina septentrionalis). The work is published in the journal Quaternary Research.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-04-extinct-ice-age-giants-bender.html

Thief Steals Rs 20 Crore Faberge Egg, Trades Them For Drugs In London

A thief who snatched a handbag outside a central London pub in November 2024 unknowingly made off with a Faberge egg and gold watch worth 2 million pounds (Rs 21.4 crore).

source https://www.ndtv.com/offbeat/thief-steals-rs-20-crore-faberge-egg-trades-them-for-drugs-in-london-11344435

A nanoscale robotic cleaner can hunt, capture and remove bacteria

Tiny robots—around 50 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair—open up fascinating possibilities: they enable the controlled manipulation of objects far too small for human hands. This brings us closer to a long-standing dream—the direct interaction with the microscopic world.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-04-nanoscale-robotic-cleaner-capture-bacteria.html

Scientists identify kinesin-2 motor assemblies that selectively transport proteins to specific regions within neurons

Intracellular transport is a vital process that allows cells to move proteins and other molecules to specific locations. This process is especially important in neurons, which have highly polarized structures with long extensions such as axons and dendrites. For neurons to function properly, proteins must be transported accurately to specific regions, such as the axon initial segment (AIS), a specialized site for initiating electrical signals.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-04-scientists-kinesin-motor-proteins-specific.html

Oxygen sensing helps explain why amphibians regenerate limbs but mammals cannot

Some animals can regrow lost body parts. Salamanders and frog tadpoles can rebuild entire limbs after amputation. Mammals cannot. For decades, biologists have tried to understand why. Now a team led by Can Aztekin at EPFL (now at the Friedrich Miescher Laboratory of the Max Planck Society) has discovered that oxygen plays a crucial role in limb regeneration. By comparing amputated limbs from frog tadpoles and embryonic mice, the researchers found that the way cells sense oxygen determines whether regeneration can even begin. The study is published in Science.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-04-oxygen-amphibians-regenerate-limbs-mammals.html

"No BJP Factor": Shashi Tharoor To NDTV As Kerala Goes To Polls

Having travelled extensively during the campaign, Shashi Tharoor said the momentum on the ground points clearly towards a change in government.

source https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/no-bjp-factor-shashi-tharoor-to-ndtv-as-kerala-goes-to-polls-11333802

UK house prices fall as Iran war uncertainty dampens demand

Mortgage rates have been rising and hundreds of the cheapest deals have disappeared over the last month.

source https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj401ll8j5zo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

'Chills': Artemis astronauts say lunar flyby still washing over them

They took thousands of photographs and documented copious observations on their voyage around the moon, but as they sped closer to home the Artemis astronauts said Wednesday they have barely started processing the extraordinary experience they shared.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-04-chills-artemis-astronauts-lunar-flyby.html

Sinking land drives coastal flood risk on densely populated Java Island

A new study published in Science Advances reveals that sinking land—not just rising oceans alone—will be the main cause of future coastal flooding along Indonesia's densely populated Java Island, putting millions at risk sooner than expected.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-04-coastal-densely-populated-java-island.html

Bird flu spread could be impacted by where waterfowl like to live

The movement patterns of waterfowl, including ducks, swans and geese, may affect the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza in bird populations, according to a new study from the University of Georgia. The findings are published in the journal Ecology Letters.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-04-bird-flu-impacted-waterfowl.html

Three Himalayan predators coexist by partitioning prey, reducing direct competition

Snow leopards, leopards, and Himalayan wolves all share similar stomping grounds in Nepal's Lapchi Valley in the Himalayas. A recent study, published in PLOS One, has taken a closer look at how these apex predators have found a way to coexist, despite limited resources.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-04-himalayan-predators-coexist-partitioning-prey.html

A Chinese Man Lost His Family In 1990s, He's Been Riding Ever Since

A 90-year-old Chinese man has spent decades cycling across the country after losing his family, choosing life on the road as a way to cope with grief and find peace.

source https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/after-losing-entire-family-in-1990s-chinese-man-cycles-for-decades-seeking-solace-11315194

Does AI mean more university students are plagiarizing their work?

People using other people's ideas, words and creations without acknowledgment is a widespread problem. Plagiarism occurs everywhere from restaurant menus to political speeches and music.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ai-university-students-plagiarizing.html

'Newcomer Of 550 Films': Anupam Kher's Post With Ranveer Singh, Vicky Kaushal Goes Viral

Anupam Kher took to his Instagram to share a picture of himself along with Ranveer Singh and Vicky Kaushal at the event. As he stood between Ranveer and Vicky, Anupam Kher felt like a newcomer and...

source https://www.ndtvprofit.com/lifestyle/newcomer-of-550-films-anupam-khers-post-with-ranveer-singh-vicky-kaushal-goes-viral-11311463

A simple ECG test could flag racehorses at risk of exercise arrhythmias

A quick heart trace taken during a warm-up trot could identify racehorses at risk of cardiac arrhythmias during high-intensity exercise, according to a new study led by the University of Surrey. The screening method analyzes short, routine electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings that could be used to help prevent cardiac events in otherwise healthy horses, where no obvious signs of arrhythmia have been detected.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-03-simple-ecg-flag-racehorses-arrhythmias.html

Pharmaceuticals face 100% tariffs in US - unless firms strike a deal

The order does not affect generic medicines, the most commonly used in the US.

source https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx29kke01gpo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

A tiny detector for microwave photons could advance quantum tech

Detecting a single particle of light is hard; detecting a single microwave photon is even harder. Microwave photons, the tiny packets of electromagnetic radiation used in current technologies like Wi-Fi and radar, carry far less energy than visible light. They are about 100,000 times weaker than optical photons.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-04-tiny-detector-microwave-photons-advance.html

Cryogenic microcalorimetry: New tool for nuclear dating

The moment nuclear material is produced, processed or purified, it sets off a hidden countdown, marked by the half-life of its radioactive atoms as they begin to decay. For scientists tracking the origins of these substances, decoding this natural clock is crucial for verifying material histories in support of global security efforts.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-04-cryogenic-microcalorimetry-tool-nuclear-dating.html

Are relationship surveys measuring the wrong thing? How one 'Q-factor' shapes most answers

Commonly used self-report measures of romantic relationships may capture people's overall appraisal of their relationship more than measuring distinct relationship facets such as communication, conflict and affection, according to a new study published in PLOS One by James Kim of Lakehead University in Ontario, Canada, and colleagues. The findings also suggest that a person's judgment of their overall relationship quality strongly shapes how they answer questions intended to capture distinct, separate facets of the relationship.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-03-relationship-surveys-wrong-factor.html

SimCells successfully target and kill drug-resistant bacteria

We are continually in an evolutionary arms race with bacteria. As we develop new antibiotics, they develop resistance, and so it goes on until some of our treatments no longer work. Superbugs and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are a huge global health problem. So what do you do when your medicines are ineffective? The answer for some researchers is to build their own biological weapons. A team including experts from the University of Oxford in the UK has developed a way to create specialized cells that hunt down and kill drug-resistant germs.

source https://phys.org/news/2026-03-simcells-successfully-drug-resistant-bacteria.html