Africa has the world's greatest genetic diversity, yet it's missing from research: We're filling the gap
Throughout history, most of the world's genomic research has relied on DNA data from people of European ancestry.
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How invading cancer cells grip and rip their way into new tissues
Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have discovered that cancer cells do not simply push through surrounding tissues to spread, but instead actively grip onto protective tissue barriers and pull them apart, revealing a fundamentally new mechanism of
Stare Into the Heart of an Ancient Iceberg
The beauty of the blue ice belies a fragility exposed by human activity The post Stare Into the Heart of an Ancient Iceberg appeared first on Nautilus .
Cold events rival heat waves in bleaching Indonesia's corals, analysis reveals
The Indonesian seas are a biodiversity hotspot, harboring the highest coral diversity in the tropics and home to an extraordinary variety of marine life. Yet these unique ecosystems have been under growing pressure for years, particularly from increasing heat waves in the
Who gets credit for research? How the hidden rules of academic authorship can leave women at a disadvantage
Scientific discoveries rarely happen alone. Modern research often involves teams spanning institutions and even countries. Yet when research is published in academic journals, credit is reduced to a list of names—a list that can shape careers.
Roots reveal climate adaptation as 284 plant varieties reshape water barrier
Plant roots are far more than simple absorption organs: they can adjust their structure to better cope with water stress. Scientists at the University of Geneva (UNIGE), in collaboration with the University of Lausanne (UNIL), studied 284 natural varieties of Arabidopsis
Conserving 30% of the planet will only succeed if people are part of the plan
What do you see when you imagine a conservation area? Perhaps a remote rainforest, a towering mountain range or a coral reef teeming with life. But do you expect to see any people?
How we feel political emotions in our bodies—and why this matters for democracy
Researchers have found our emotions toward politics not only play on our minds, but shape how our bodies respond to political experiences, even driving political participation higher. The new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveals that
Major survey of London tap water shows 'forever chemicals' within safe limits
A large study of London's tap water has revealed that trace amounts of PFAS "forever chemicals" are present, but their levels are within U.K. and EU safety limits. The analysis, led by researchers at Imperial College London in 2024, is the largest study of its kind to look at
80 years after the Trinity nuclear test, scientists identify new molecule-trapping crystal formed in the blast
Matter behaves strangely under extreme conditions, and often, remnants of these behaviors are left behind even when conditions return to normal. The Trinity nuclear test in 1945 left behind such remnants, and now, 80 years after the explosion, researchers have identified
AI tool developed to predict E. coli contamination in waterways
Every summer, beach closures disrupt families, harm local businesses, and raise public health alarms. Most of the time, the warning comes after it is already too late.
Quantum circuit test finally exposes what has been warping performance
Quantum computers could someday solve pressing problems that are too convoluted for classical computers, such as modeling complex molecular interactions to streamline drug discovery and materials development.
A baby bird's wish list: Mild weather, attentive parents, not being the smallest sibling
Experiences in the first days and weeks of life can have a profound impact on humans—and birds. A new study led by Sage Madden, a graduate student in evolution and ecology at the University of California, Davis, shows how weather conditions and family dynamics affect the growth
Metabolism-inspired hydrogels replicate heartbeat-like motion and photosynthesis
Living organisms sustain themselves through intricate metabolic processes that continuously convert energy and materials into useful functions. Inspired by these biological systems, researchers are now engineering synthetic materials that can replicate such dynamic behaviors.
Why some of the most successful startup founders are 'a bit toxic'
Could "dark triad" traits like narcissism and manipulation in leadership actually foster entrepreneurial energy? New research shows they may, but the same traits that build successful start-ups can also break them.
Can cloud seeding save us from water bankruptcy?
We’ve long tried to control the weather by engineering rainfall. Now such cloud-seeding efforts are escalating, creating conflict between countries and stoking conspiracy theories. But do they work?
One drug, two cleanup crews: A built-in backup for targeted protein degradation
Most drugs work by inhibition: they block a protein's activity but leave the protein itself intact. Targeted protein degradation takes a fundamentally different approach, harnessing the cell's own quality-control machinery to remove proteins entirely.
We found hundreds of huge ancient mass graves hidden in the Sahara desert
We have been on a years-long campaign of satellite remote sensing of the vast desert landscapes in Eastern Sudan.
Birds can suffer serious harm from heat waves
Extreme weather poses a big threat to birds. Yet there is a lack of both knowledge and methods for measuring its negative effects. In a new study published in Trends in Ecology & Evolution, researchers from Lund University in Sweden have identified knowledge gaps and propose
How governments could fund permanent carbon removal now and shift costs by 2035
Carbon credits allow companies to offset their greenhouse gas emissions through mitigation projects in order to meet voluntary targets, compliance obligations, or national net-zero goals. However, a recent analysis found that at least 84% of carbon credits did not represent
Scientists use AI to interpret the sun's acoustic heartbeat
A new AI-based approach that can "hear" inside the sun could give vital signs of the solar disturbances that have significant effects in near-Earth space and on human activities. The solar cycle is an approximate 11-year period during which the sun's magnetic activity rises and
Engineered exosomes reverse sleep deprivation brain damage in mice
Sleep is a vital physiological process that allows humans and other animals to restore both the mind and body, while also consolidating memories, clearing out toxins and regulating their metabolism. Several past studies showed that getting insufficient sleep for prolonged
Digital inclusion funding misses mark
Millions across Asia, Africa, Latin America and Oceania remain locked out of meaningful digital participation and from the digital services that increasingly shape everyday life, despite two decades of investment. A new study from the University of Surrey warns that the real
New quantum protocol breaks distance and speed barriers in fiber networks
Scientists at the University of Science and Technology of China have successfully deployed a multi-mode quantum relay network, achieving matter–matter entanglement over 14.5 kilometers, according to media reports.
Researcher fuels global drive for better large outdoor fire modeling
Wildfires battered Iwate Prefecture in northeastern Japan for 11 days, starting on April 22. The fires burned about 1,600 hectares and forced 3,200 residents to evacuate. With warmer climates, continued expansion of urban areas into forested regions, and the increasing
Jazz and classical music have become simpler, a new study finds
Mathematical analysis suggests that melodies and harmonies have become less complex as music evolves and musicians find new ways “to create great music.”
'Implosion carving' shrinks 3D photonic devices 2,000-fold for visible-light computing
Using a new technique that can create vacancies at any site across a material and then shrink it to about 1/2,000 of its original volume, MIT researchers have designed nanotechnology devices that could be used for optical computing and other applications involving the
Bright blazar reveals 433-day optical quasi-periodic oscillation across nine years
By analyzing the data from the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (WEBT), an international team of astronomers has discovered optical quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) in a bright quasar known as 3C 454.3. It is so far one of the most persistent QPOs detected in the optical band. The
Hidden changes in plant reproduction reveal new clues about evolution of self-fertilization
In flowering plants, the transition from cross-fertilization (outcrossing) to self-fertilization has evolved repeatedly across species. This shift is often accompanied by a well-known set of traits collectively called the "selfing syndrome," including smaller flowers and
See SpaceX Starship V3 megarocket on the launchpad as it gears up for its next test flight
This test flight comes at a pivotal moment for Elon Musk’s SpaceX as the company pushes to go public this year and show it’s ready for NASA’s planned 2027 Artemis III mission
Climate change: How oxygen deficiency changes metabolic processes in the ocean
The world's oceans are losing oxygen—and rapidly. The principal cause is the increasing warming of the oceans, which reduces the solubility of oxygen in water and increases respiratory activity. In addition, it strengthens stratification of the water column, making it harder
Why do brown bats stop feeding during fireworks?
Firework shows are controversial in this day and age. While beautiful, fireworks are loud, bright, and smoky, and they can be dangerous to the surrounding environment, releasing contaminants into the air and frightening both pets and wildlife alike.
Carbon-capture technology could trigger the deforestation it was designed to prevent
A technology designed to mitigate global warming could, paradoxically, contribute to carbon emissions if hotter temperatures lead to a shift in where bioenergy crops are grown. Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) involves combusting or fermenting biological
Atoms vibrate on circular paths—with an unexpected twist
An international team of researchers, including scientists from HZDR and Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, for the first time directly observed how angular momentum is transferred and conserved within a crystal lattice. Using intense terahertz laser pulses, the
China’s Yangtze River has been ‘pirating’ water from the Yellow River for more than a million years, scientists reveal
For the last 1.7 million years, China’s Yangtze River has been stealing water from the Yellow River, new research shows
JWST maps cosmic web in record detail back to universe's first billion years
Using data from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers led by researchers at the University of California, Riverside have produced the most detailed map of the cosmic web ever made, tracing the network of galaxies all the way back to when the universe was one
Uterus transplants can provide a path to pregnancy and parenthood
Donated uteruses transplanted into women without a womb can allow for successful pregnancy and birth.
'Nature's algorithm' found in Chinese money plants
Look up at the clouds. What do you see? A sailboat? A seahorse? Your great-aunt Rosemary? As humans, we're prone to seeing patterns where they don't actually exist. This behavior is so common there's a name for it: apophenia. But sometimes, those patterns really do exist. Cold
Universal voting-by-mail increases voter turnout for both major US parties
In recent years, voting by mail has been the subject of numerous lawsuits and attacks that often claim the process gives Democratic nominees and legislative bills an edge. But a recent Caltech study shows that sending ballots to all registered voters boosts turnout for both
Meet the whistling mice that use inflatable air sacs to sing
Mice do more than just squeak when they want to make a noise. They can also sing. And the way they do it is different from most mammals that produce sounds by vibrating their vocal cords. When Alston's singing mouse (Scotinomys teguina) makes its music, it does so by puffing up
PCOS just got a new name—here’s what to know
A multiyear effort to rename polycystic ovary syndrome finally revealed the condition’s new name: polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome
Water-based nanocrystal provides a sticky solution to a pesky agricultural problem
A water-based formulation developed at the University of Waterloo using nanotechnology is both greener and more effective than conventional methods for delivering agricultural pesticides.
What Chinook salmon eat depends on where they are in the Salish Sea, study finds
A new study by University of Victoria (UVic) and Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF) scientists has uncovered what adult Chinook salmon in the Salish Sea are eating—and revealed diet can differ according to region. The study, led by UVic Ph.D. student Wesley Greentree and published
Two proteins, one goal: New findings on stem cell differentiation
Stem cells are the original cell type from which all other cells and tissues in the body develop through a very tightly regulated process. However, how stem cells differentiate in addition to gene-control systems, such as canonical REST repression, which prevents gene
Blackberries reveal single genetic switch for first-year fruiting, speeding new varieties
Lifting a veil of uncertainty in blackberry genetics, a national team of horticulture scientists have discovered evidence pointing to the single genetic region that controls primocane-fruiting, or the ability to flower and fruit on first-year canes.
Scientists reversed biological age in older adults with a 4-week diet change
A four-week diet change was enough to make some older adults appear biologically younger in a new University of Sydney study. Participants who reduced fat intake or shifted toward more plant-based protein showed improvements in key health biomarkers tied to aging. The strongest
Giving X-ray vision a sense of direction
Whether in tooth enamel or in nanomaterials made of silicon, the orientation of tiny internal structures often determines the properties of a material. A new X-ray method can even make this nano-order visible when the structures are actually too small to be imaged directly. The
Super-resolution microscopy provides real-time picture of bacteria degrading biomass with enzyme complexes
To the untrained eye, they look like blobs blotching the otherwise smooth surface of rod-like bacteria. But if you ask a microbiologist about "cellulosomes," they will likely tell you that those blobs are actually sophisticated cellulolytic machines.
Carbon credits are flawed, but they can still help save forests
Carbon credits bought by companies to offset their emissions really have reduced deforestation, but not by as much as credit developers claim, according to a rigorous analysis
Work songs can improve team coordination, study finds
Work songs, musical pieces designed to be performed or sung while working, have been widely documented across various cultures and in different historical periods. For instance, people in different nations have been known to sometimes sing together while rowing, sailing,
