A collaboration of scientists at the University of Manchester and the University of Birmingham has explored a more effective and less toxic way of delivering genetic material into cells, a challenge central to areas such as gene therapy, biotechnology and genome editing.
Contrails, short for condensation trails, are the white streaks often seen in the sky behind aircraft. The International Cloud Atlas, which classifies clouds, has a category just for them: cirrus homogenitus, an example of man-made clouds.
The Supreme Court of Canada has described the right to refuse unwanted medical treatment as "fundamental to a person's dignity and autonomy, [including] in the context of treatment for mental illness."
During infection, pathogens must adapt quickly to the conditions to thrive inside the body. A research team at the University of Basel, Switzerland, has uncovered how a key protein switches on the machinery that enables Leptospira pathogens to survive and cause disease. The
South Africa's Limpopo province borders Zimbabwe, Botswana and Mozambique. It is one of the poorest provinces in the country. This is due to a combination of historical underdevelopment, a high unemployment rate, heavy reliance on government grants and a rural-based economy
Planets may actually form more easily around double stars than around single stars like our sun, according to new research from astrophysicists at the University of Lancashire. Binary stars are common in our galaxy, yet for a long time astronomers believed that the
Roughly seven in 10 people still trust vaccine researchers, a new poll finds. The number is in line with trust for other scientists
With the NFL draft taking place in Pittsburgh and an estimated 500,000 to 700,000 people expected to attend the events downtown and on the North Shore, conversations about sex trafficking have resurfaced—as they often do when major events draw large crowds to a city.
Until now, molecular-level DNA circuits have mainly been used for simple tasks, such as detecting the presence of cancer-related substances. However, these systems have faced a key limitation: once a reaction occurs, the circuits cannot be reused. Overcoming this challenge, a
Preeclampsia can be deadly in pregnancy, and aside from delivering the baby, the condition has no targeted treatment. A new study suggests blood filtering with antibodies could help
Duolingo recently revealed a seemingly genius trick to assess candidates for a senior position. Hiring managers at the language-learning app read applications and cover letters, scheduled phone interviews and asked all the usual questions about skills and ambitions. But they
The conversion of Brazil's native biomes into agricultural areas has resulted in an estimated loss of 1.4 billion tons of soil carbon. This amount is equal to the emission of 5.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) equivalent, a unit of measurement used to standardize the
I watched Armageddon again fairly recently with Bruce Willis, oil drillers in space and an asteroid the size of Texas bearing down on Earth. Buried beneath the Hollywood chaos is a genuinely interesting question: What exactly could we do with an asteroid if we got our hands on
For most of their lives, plants get their energy from photosynthesis. But during the seed to seedling stage, when they can't absorb light just yet, they rely on other sources, like fatty acids. To process the fatty acids, plant cells, like human cells, rely on a membrane-bound
A Japanese startup has filed for approval of a new drug to treat chronic kidney disease in cats, the founder said on Monday, offering hope for a common affliction that currently has no definitive cure.
Storing genetic material as DNA or RNA is all well and good for life on Earth, but it would be entirely pointless if we couldn't do anything with it. To use our genetic blueprints, all organisms need to translate the message from their nucleic acid forms into protein, which
Scientists keep detecting new forms of ice. According to simulations, there could be many more left to find. The post Physicists Discover the Most Complex Forms of Ice Yet first appeared on Quanta Magazine
A mysterious “golden orb” found more than two miles deep in the Gulf of Alaska left scientists baffled for over two years, sparking wild speculation about its origins. After an intensive investigation combining deep-sea expertise, microscopic analysis, and advanced DNA
Wolves on a remote island in Lake Superior appear to be thriving, but they're making deep dents in the moose population that they rely on as a leading food source, according to a report released Monday.
A new study by scientists from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW) has revealed significant cryptic diversity within two-toed sloths (Choloepus) in Amazonia, challenging the long-established taxonomy of the genus. This international effort involved
Preeclampsia complicates 3 to 8 percent of pregnancies. In a recent trial, a blood filter lowered blood pressure and helped prolong some pregnancies.
A newly discovered prehistoric mammal may hold clues to how life survived the dinosaur-killing extinction. The tiny species, Cimolodon desosai, lived 75 million years ago and had traits—like a small body and varied diet—that likely boosted survival odds. Found in Baja
A new study reveals that internalizing stress—especially feelings of hopelessness—may significantly speed up memory decline in older Chinese Americans. Surprisingly, factors like community support didn’t show the same impact. Researchers say cultural pressures and stereotypes
Researchers at University College Dublin have identified a genetic "switch" that determines the sex of cannabis plants, and found the same system may exist in hops. The study, published in New Phytologist, pinpoints a specific section of the X chromosome that influences whether
A new study by a University at Buffalo social work researcher shows that 43% of frontline workers in the homeless services sector nationally reported an intention to leave their jobs. The findings published in the International Journal on Homelessness represent the first
The endangered Black Sea harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena relicta) is facing a critical fight for survival. As Europe's smallest marine mammal, this isolated population is being pushed toward extinction by bycatch—the unintentional entanglement in fishing gear. The crisis is
Scientists at Stanford University have discovered that DRT3, a unique defense system found in bacteria, creates DNA to protect against viral infections. DRT3 is made up of two different enzymes called reverse transcriptases, Drt3a and Drt3b, and a piece of noncoding RNA
Scientists are making a major leap toward freezing organs for future use without damaging them. A new study reveals that one of the biggest obstacles—cracking during ultra-cold preservation—can be reduced by carefully tuning the temperature at which tissues enter a glass-like
Whether it's robotic rovers heading to Mars or, one day, a crew of astronauts, a round-trip journey is an incredibly long one. But there may be a way to find a shortcut. A new study published in the journal Acta Astronautica suggests that hundreds of days could be shaved off a
At least 10 million Americans lost their homes during the 2008–09 global financial crisis. In the aftermath, Congress passed the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act, which was intended to promote financial stability, protect consumers from predatory financial practices, and prevent
A group of undergraduate students pulled off something remarkable: they built their own dark matter detector and used it to probe one of physics’ biggest mysteries. Working with limited resources but plenty of creativity, they designed a stripped-down experiment to hunt for
The Center for Coastal Climate Resilience (CCCR) at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has partnered with The Nature Conservancy to develop a new tool for funding wetland conservation and restoration projects through verifiable "Coastal Resilience Assets." The value of
At first glance, the white plastic box with a bright orange floor looks like something for storing children's toys. However, the box isn't used to store Lego bricks; it contains real mice—with the aim of minimizing their suffering. "This box allows laboratory animals to be
Fast-food workers in California may be earning more money, but their employers are cutting their hours to make up for the cost of higher pay. That's from a new study published in Applied Economic Letters in early March. Northeastern University postdoctoral research fellow
In a breakthrough experiment, scientists directly imaged how particles pair up in a system that mimics superconductors. Instead of behaving independently, the pairs moved in a synchronized, dance-like pattern—something never predicted before. This suggests a major gap in the
Deep within the brain, scientists have uncovered a hidden “switch” that may decide whether pain fades away—or lingers for months or even years. Researchers found that a small, little-known region called the caudal granular insular cortex (CGIC) acts like a command center,
Coincident with the rise of the dinosaurs, a large landmass filled most of the Arctic circle, potentially contributing to global cooling that advantaged the famous reptiles
Dolphins are famous for their speed and agility in the water, but what exactly allows them to swim so effectively? Scientists have been asking this question for years, hoping to learn how to optimize propulsion in fluids from these elegant creatures.
A conversation with a “pseudoscience” researcher about how infrasound could be linked to ghosts The post The Science of Spooky Sounds appeared first on Nautilus .
Finding planets used to be a painstaking business. Astronomers would fix their gaze on a handful of carefully chosen stars, watch and wait, and hope to catch the faint dip in starlight that signals a world passing in front of its host. It worked. It worked brilliantly. But it
Scientists at Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, CSIRO Darwin Laboratories and La Trobe University have identified key ecological needs of Caladenia formosa (elegant spider-orchid) for the first time, to improve conservation
A new study reveals how a remarkable group of plants on the Galápagos Islands developed their diverse leaf shapes—offering unique insight into evolution at the genetic level. A large international team of researchers has studied evolution in the plant group Scalesia, also known
Scientists at Ames National Laboratory developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool that accelerates discovery of materials needed for next-generation fusion energy systems. The tool, DuctGPT, combines advanced AI with physics-based modeling to help researchers predict
A growing body of research suggests that GLP-1 drugs do more than control appetite and blood sugar. They could also fight inflammation
A major new study finds that living in pesticide-heavy environments could raise cancer risk by up to 150%, even when the chemicals are considered “safe” on their own. The research suggests these mixtures may silently damage cells years before cancer appears.
NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite has been searching for exoplanets since its launch in 2018, and it turns out it may have found plenty more of them than we had thought
What NASA’s Curiosity Rover found on Mars, how youth suicides dropped after the launch of the 988 crisis line, and what people think of AI voice clones
Smartwatches commonly use heart rate variability to monitor stress. Columnist Helen Thomson explores what this metric actually tells us, and whether it could also predict and diagnose depression – and help improve your mental health more generally
MIT researchers discovered a paradoxical phenomenon in optical physics that could enable a new bioimaging method that's faster and higher-resolution than existing technology. They discovered that, under the right conditions, a chaotic mess of laser light can spontaneously
A host of positive "tipping points" can spark rapid nature recovery, a leading expert says. Action to protect and restore nature must accelerate radically to meet global goals for 2030 and beyond. Writing in the journal Nature Sustainability, Professor Tim Lenton says positive
