Past studies have shown that cannabis use during adolescence is associated with a variety of negative impacts—including emotional distress, adverse academic outcomes, and brain development and functioning—that can persist into adulthood. Though there has been an overall
How close do we stand to other people during a social interaction? The distance we maintain between our body and that of another person—known as interpersonal distance—is a fundamental aspect of everyday life. It influences our sense of comfort, safety, intimacy and tendency to
Sending quantum information through a chain of qubits, like energy through a Newton's cradle, could be the key to faster operations and take quantum computing to the next level.
In research published in npj Climate Action, UNSW Sydney behavioral scientists, in collaboration with researchers from Griffith University, say they found no evidence for claims that climate action at the individual level distracted from support for meaningful action on climate
Prior moon rock samples, including from Apollo, seem heavily influenced by one impact. The farside samples tweak the story.
A few millennia ago, people worldwide may have spoken or signed up to 10 times as many languages as they do today.
A new study reveals that human activities have fundamentally reshaped biodiversity patterns on islands across the globe, with important implications for how scientists understand ecology, evolution and conservation.
Deep-diving insect larvae are challenging a long-held idea about why there are almost no insects in the ocean, thanks to sturdy air sacs. In Lake Malawi in East Africa, billions of lake fly larvae (Chaoborus edulis) make an unusual commute: By day, they sink more than 200
The silkworm moth, whose caterpillars have been used in silk production since antiquity, may have been brought to southern Central Asia 4,000 years ago—nearly 2,000 years earlier than previously assumed—according to new research from Washington University in St. Louis.
More than 450 people received hospital treatment for heat-related issues in a single day in Tokyo—the highest number since records began 16 years ago, emergency services said Thursday.
The moon is 384,000 kilometers (239,000 miles) away from Earth, but one of the best places to study its surface is much closer to home. Western planetary scientist Catherine Neish and PhD candidate Sashank Vanga traveled to Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park in June to investigate
The volatile compound they emit induces temporary infertility in other females The post Mole Rat Queens Stink Their Way to Power appeared first on Nautilus .
During a lost ‘golden age’ of language, humans may have spoken tens of thousands of different tongues, a new study suggests
Human sacrifice was deeply ingrained in Inca civilization. Children and young people were selected for sacrifice to appease the gods and sacred mountain spirits. Being chosen was considered a great honor for both the victims and their families. Now, research into the remains of
It's no secret that management at major firms such as Starbucks and Tesla isn't exactly a fan of unionization. But for other companies, how does an anti-union stance affect worker output and performance? It might depend on whether that stance is, in fact, a secret.
Sweden said Thursday it plans to ban so-called "forever chemicals" in consumer products such as clothing and kitchenware as early as 2028, before expected European Union regulations come into force.
The Fields Medal, known as the Nobel Prize of mathematics, was awarded Thursday to four people—two Chinese citizens, one American and one Canadian.
Viruses lack the molecular machinery required for protein synthesis. Instead, they hijack the host's protein-making machinery, specifically ribosomes and translational factors. This process is essential for viral multiplication and infection. Viruses have RNA genomes or mRNAs
A patient with a severe infection is prescribed a potent antibiotic. Hopes for improvement are high, but just after treatment is given, resistance to the drug increases thousands of times. How could this happen?
Coal-fired power generation is set to increase in 2026, driven by supply difficulties and soaring natural gas prices linked to the war in the Middle East, the International Energy Agency said Thursday.
Researchers at the University of Huddersfield have developed a new theoretical framework exploring whether social media recommendation systems may contribute to the amplification of narcissistic traits over time.
Since the first major bleaching event in 1996, Hawaiian corals have been subject to increasing heat stress and more frequent bleaching events. New research from oceanographers at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa used high-resolution modeling that includes small-scale
Scientists at the University of Lincoln have discovered a promising new way to help protect crops from one of climate change's growing threats to global food production—increasing soil salinity.
A mother's everyday speech habits have little bearing on her child's academic success, according to new research led by the University of York.
Apprentices in private, independent companies are more likely to fail their final exams, change contracts and not complete their training than apprentices who have contracts through a training agency.
Fish, shellfish, maize, manioc, rice and even chicken eggs. Molecular residues preserved in more than 180 ceramic vessels from southern Brazil have made it possible to reconstruct what different communities were cooking more than a century ago, showing that access to food
Every year, billions of migratory birds connect the world's continents, oceans and ecosystems as they undertake epic journeys between their foraging habitats and breeding grounds.
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common form of head and neck cancer, and the number of new cases is predicted to rise by 30% in the next decade. Despite decades of cancer research, treating OSCC remains a challenge. The five-year survival rate is approximately
Actor Tom Hiddleston reflects on the first time he visited Pompeii as a teenager and explains why the ancient city’s preserved tragedy continues to shape his understanding of history and humanity
Generations of parents have a new piece of scientific evidence to combat couchpotatoism The post Does Watching TV Really Rot Your Brain? appeared first on Nautilus .
A heat wave lasting four months, followed by water shortages and crop failures. This is England in the 13th century, not the 21st. What is often called the Medieval Warm Period saw elevated temperatures in many parts of the world between the 10th and 13th centuries.
Millions of people across the UK marveled at the spectacular northern lights that lit up the night sky in May 2024. But while the display captivated skywatchers, the geomagnetic storm behind it also served as the biggest test in a generation of the UK's preparedness for severe
Moonshot AI’s Kimi K3 shows how opening a model to outsiders can turn other companies’ computing power into a competitive advantage
Five minutes. That was the amount of time that Oso Grande strawberries remained in contact with the Ctx(Ile21)-Ha peptide—a molecule isolated from a frog native to the Brazilian Cerrado—in experiments conducted in Brazil by scientists at the Tupã campus of São Paulo State
Subseasonal forecasting, or the ability to predict weather trends two weeks to two months in advance, is a capability highly sought after in various economic sectors, including energy, water management and agriculture. Reliable forecasts on this scale have thus far been largely
Most people would not prefer to take ethical advice from a computer, but a new Wharton study shows how attitudes change when users see how good AI guidance can be.
New research from the University of St Andrews has shed light on baboons, moonlight and their link to an ancient Egyptian deity.
One of the most contested issues in astrophysics is our understanding of the Universe’s expansion. Adam Riess discusses why there is disagreement and what might resolve it. The post How Fast Is the Universe Really Expanding? first appeared on Quanta Magazine
Manchester's quantum researchers are building on the Ferranti Mark I legacy, using ultra-pure silicon and single atoms to move quantum computing closer to real-world impact.
Dating has entered a new era in which finding a potential soulmate is increasingly shaped by the digital world and, often, by algorithms. On dating apps, the way people present themselves through their profiles can significantly influence how approachable, trustworthy and
American adults with college degrees now outlive those without degrees by more than eight years, in part because graduates appear to be more proactive about protecting their health. For example, they smoke cigarettes at far lower rates and follow cancer screening advice more
Physicists have discovered a surprisingly simple way to reproduce one of the most fascinating models in modern physics—linked to black holes, quantum chaos and exotic electronic materials—using ultracold atoms trapped in light.
Shayan Oveis Gharan has won the Abacus Medal for using tools from across mathematics to boost the power of algorithms. The post A Master of the Traveling Salesperson Problem Finds His Own Path first appeared on Quanta Magazine
Heavy polar molecules are some of the most sensitive tools physicists have for probing what lies beyond the Standard Model, the theory that describes the particles and forces we know about. But turning that sensitivity into precise, trustworthy measurements has long been held
In recent summers, wildfire smoke has been inescapable across Wisconsin, drifting south from Canada and leading to long stretches of poor air quality. Whether that smoke clears or lingers is often influenced in part by the atmospheric boundary layer—the lowest part of the
Our tales of AI developing the will to survive, commandeer resources, and manipulate people say more about us than they do about language models. The post Why Do We Tell Ourselves Scary Stories About AI? appeared first on Nautilus .
The 2026 Fields Medals recognize breakthroughs in the math of messy fluids, tangled knots, spinning pencils, and more
Focus, commitment, and insight resulted in a “once in a century” proof. Hong Wang is now just the third woman to win a Fields Medal. The post Living Fully in the Math World Means Threading the Needle first appeared on Quanta Magazine
Determination and effort propelled Jacob Tsimerman to the top of the math world. But now that he’s won a Fields Medal, he worries that the field is in jeopardy. The post Sometimes Being First Means Seeing the End Before Anyone Else first appeared on Quanta Magazine
Every four years, the math world’s preeminent awards are given to the finest minds of a generation. The young winners — all under 40 on the first day of the year — have reshaped mathematics and theoretical computer science. Here are their stories. The post Fields and Abacus
