One of the ocean's saltiest regions is freshening: What it means for circulation
The southern Indian Ocean off the west coast of Australia is becoming less salty at an astonishing rate, largely due to climate change, new research shows.
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Decoding China's new space philosophy
A major theme in communist governments is the idea of central planning. Every five years, the central authorities in communist countries lay out their goals for the country over the course of the next five years, which can range from limiting infant mortality to increasing
This breakthrough could finally unlock male birth control
Scientists at Michigan State University have uncovered the molecular “switch” that powers sperm for their final, high-speed dash toward an egg. By tracking how sperm use glucose as fuel, the team discovered how dormant cells suddenly flip into overdrive, burning energy in a
Teens see social media, more than school, as the place to learn about race and faith
For most young people, learning about social and political issues doesn't start with a textbook. It starts with a phone.
Brain inspired machines are better at math than expected
Neuromorphic computers modeled after the human brain can now solve the complex equations behind physics simulations — something once thought possible only with energy-hungry supercomputers. The breakthrough could lead to powerful, low-energy supercomputers while revealing new
First-of-its-kind automated root imaging platform speeds plant discoveries
The Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory has launched a novel robotic platform to rapidly analyze plant root systems as they grow, yielding AI-ready data to accelerate the development of stress-tolerant crops for new fuels, chemicals and materials.
Antarctic ice melt can change global ocean circulation, sediment cores suggest
A new study shows that during the last two deglaciations, i.e., the transition from an ice age to the warm interglacial periods, meltwater from the Antarctic ice sheet intensified stratification in the Southern Ocean. The results highlight the key role of the Antarctic ice
Scientists discover pets are helping an invasive flatworm spread
A new study shows that dogs and cats may be helping an invasive flatworm spread. Researchers analyzing over a decade of reports discovered the worm attached to pet fur. Its sticky mucus and ability to reproduce alone make it highly adaptable. Pets could be giving this
Cape Town's wildflowers are a world treasure: Six insights from a new checklist
Cape Town, in South Africa, is famous for its dramatic mountains and coastline, but its greatest treasure lies in the plants that carpet its slopes and valleys. Table Mountain National Park and its surrounds are home to 2,785 species, including subspecies and varieties.
Science made simple: Book dispels five misconceptions about carbon pricing
Gradually increasing the price of fossil fuels is considered a key element of effective climate policy—and yet it remains the subject of bitter controversy. In a new book, experts from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) explain this concept and correct
Saturday Citations: Pig-boar hybrids in Japan; neuroprotective lattes; the exercise/weight-loss conundrum
This week, researchers reported on a juvenile great white shark caught by fishermen in Spanish Mediterranean waters. China's clean air initiatives have resulted in major public health gains, but may have one unintended consequence. And satellite data revealed that boreal
Reading to young kids improves their social skills, and it doesn't matter whether parents stop to ask questions
In 2024, 51% of families read aloud to their very young children, while 37% read aloud to their kids between the ages of 6 and 8 years old.
Couples who savor happy moments together have stronger, longer-lasting relationships
Couples who intentionally slow down and soak in their happy moments together may be building a powerful shield for their relationship. Researchers at the University of Illinois found that partners who regularly savor shared experiences—whether reminiscing about a favorite
The human exposome could change everything we know about disease
Scientists are launching an ambitious global effort to map the “human exposome” — the lifelong mix of environmental and chemical exposures that drive most diseases. Backed by new partnerships with governments, UNESCO, and international science advisory bodies, the initiative is
A safer, cost-effective solution for large-scale energy storage
A research team affiliated with UNIST has achieved a major breakthrough in the development of cost-effective, large-scale energy storage systems (ESS)—specifically, iron–chromium redox flow batteries (ICRFBs). Known for their safety, affordability, and suitability for
How often do people fall passionately in love? The answer may be less than you think
A large survey of U.S. singles reveals the different ways people experience passionate romantic love
Scientists discover a hidden gut bacterium linked to good health
A global study has uncovered a mysterious group of gut bacteria that shows up again and again in healthy people. Known as CAG-170, these microbes were found at lower levels in people with a range of chronic diseases. Genetic clues suggest they help digest food and support the
Axolotls can regenerate their thymus, a complex immune system organ
Axolotls can completely rebuild their thymus, a key immune organ
How roses evolved to become the flower of Valentine’s Day
Roses are red—but their ancestors looked rather different
What we can learn from lovebirds, the rare birds that mate for life
Minutes after getting to a park in the middle of Phoenix, you can see flashes of green in the sky and hear chatter because love is in the air—or at least, the lovebirds are.
Costa Rica digs up mastodon, giant sloth bones in major archaeological find
Researchers in Costa Rica have unearthed fossils from a mastodon and a giant sloth that lived as many as 40,000 years ago, officials announced Friday, calling it the biggest such find here in decades.
Antipathy toward snakes? Your parents likely talked you into that at an early age
A study of more than 100 kindergarten-age children suggests kids tend to think of snakes differently than they do other animals and that hearing negative or objectifying language about the slithery reptiles might contribute to that way of thinking.
Rocky planet discovered in outer orbit challenges planet formation theory
Astronomers have uncovered a distant planetary system that flips a long-standing rule of planet formation on its head. Around the small red dwarf star LHS 1903, scientists expected to find rocky planets close in and gas giants farther out — the same pattern seen in our own
Astronomers watch a massive star collapse into a black hole without a supernova
A massive star 2.5 million light-years away simply vanished — and astronomers now know why. Instead of exploding in a supernova, it quietly collapsed into a black hole, shedding its outer layers in a slow-motion cosmic fade-out. The leftover debris continues to glow in infrared
New research uncovers how microbes shape ecosystem resilience
Most people think of microbes in simple terms: Some make you sick, while others help keep you healthy. But microbes' influence stretches far beyond human bodies. These astonishingly complex organisms regulate the health of forests, oceans and grasslands and determine how
Some glaciers can suddenly surge forward—with dangerous consequences
It's difficult to forget standing in front of a glacier that is advancing toward you, towering ice pillars constantly cracking as they inch forward. The motion is too slow to see in real time but is obvious from one day to the next.
Scientists used brain stimulation to make people more generous
A new study suggests that generosity may be more than a moral lesson—it could be shaped by how different parts of the brain work together. By gently stimulating two brain regions and syncing their activity, researchers found that people became more willing to share money with
The city of Dallas wants to reduce the World Cup's environmental impact
As millions of visitors prepare to descend on North Texas for the FIFA World Cup, city of Dallas officials say the global spotlight also brings local environmental responsibility.
Quantum research in two ways: From proving someone's location to simulating financial markets
Quantum physics may sound abstract, but Ph.D. candidates Kirsten Kanneworff and David Dechant show that quantum research can also be very concrete. Together, they are investigating how quantum technology can change the world. While Kanneworff worked in the lab to study how
When consent meets reality: How young men navigate intimacy
A new study suggests that young men overwhelmingly support affirmative sexual consent in principle—yet often find its verbal implementation difficult in practice. The research, led by scholars at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and Melbourne University's
600 Florida green sea turtles stranded amid cold plunge
Cold air and frigid waters have caused more than 600 young green sea turtles to wash ashore on Florida's beaches this month—and more are turning up every day.
How a key receptor tells apart two nearly identical drug molecules
G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are one of the largest families of cell surface proteins in the human body that recognize hormones, neurotransmitters, and drugs. These receptors regulate a wide range of physiological processes and are the targets of more than 30% of
Polluting the environment for all eternity—and still sticking our heads in the sand
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework states that plastic pollution must be eliminated by 2030. So why haven't we enacted measures that make a real difference?
8 romance novels for readers who love science, too
Scientific American ’s staff recommends eight books that are as full of science as they are of love
Wildflower season starts early: Big displays emerge a month before mid-March
Though superbloom is not a scientific term, that doesn't stop legions from hoping for a giant display of wildflowers come springtime. UC Riverside plant ecologist Loralee Larios weighs in here on the outlook for such a show this year, where one might see it, and how flower
Sophie Adenot, the second French woman to fly to space
When she was growing up, Sophie Adenot plastered her childhood bedroom with posters of rockets launching from Cape Canaveral.
The IceCube experiment is ready to uncover more secrets of the universe
The name "IceCube" not only serves as the title of the experiment, but also describes its appearance. Embedded in the transparent ice of the South Pole, a three-dimensional grid of more than 5,000 extremely sensitive light sensors forms a giant cube with a volume of one cubic
Using books as discussion prompts can help children with language delay
Since the pandemic, more children have been starting school without being "school-ready." In 2022–23, 33% of all children starting reception in England did not have the skills needed for success in school, rising to 45% of children receiving free school meals.
Let these nine romantic animals inspire you on Valentine’s Day
These amorous creatures could put Casanova to shame—from beguiling dancing seahorses to peacocking spiders
The Cosmic Collision That Formed Saturn’s Rings
Computer simulations offer new insights into the oddities of the ringed planet’s moons The post The Cosmic Collision That Formed Saturn’s Rings appeared first on Nautilus .
Northern Britain's oldest human remains are of a young female child, DNA analysis reveals
The oldest human remains ever found in Northern Britain have been identified as a young female three years after being discovered in a Cumbrian cave. Excavated at Heaning Wood Bone Cave in Cumbria's Great Urswick by local archaeologist Martin Stables, the 11,000-year-old bones
Putting economic theory to the test: Cutting local taxes cuts household income
Voters might think less taxes would equate to more money in their pockets, but a new study shows that at the local level, the opposite may actually be true. Economists and politicians have weighed the benefits of different theoretical models for years, but a lack of direct,
AI framework fuses data and literature to speed high-entropy alloy discovery
High-entropy alloys are promising advanced materials for demanding applications, but discovering useful compositions is difficult and expensive due to the vast number of possible element combinations. Now, researchers have developed a novel AI-driven framework that integrates
Recycling strategies of fungi can affect how forests store carbon
Some fungi are wasteful, while others recycle—and this can determine how much carbon is stored in a forest. Researchers at Lund University have now revealed how fungi manage their mycelium, the network that builds the structure of fungus. Using microfluidic chips—units that
A microfluidic chip for one-step detection of PFAS and other pollutants
Environmental pollutant analysis typically requires complex sample pretreatment steps such as filtration, separation, and preconcentration. When solid materials such as sand, soil, or food residues are present in water samples, analytical accuracy often decreases, and
NASA moon mission spacesuit nears milestone
The next-generation spacesuit for NASA's Artemis III mission continues to advance by passing a contractor-led technical review, as the agency prepares to send humans to the moon's South Pole for the first time. Testing is also underway for the new suits, built by Axiom Space,
How did humans develop sharp vision? Lab-grown retinas show likely answer
Humans develop sharp vision during early fetal development thanks to an interplay between a vitamin A derivative and thyroid hormones in the retina, Johns Hopkins University scientists have found. The findings could upend decades of conventional understanding of how the eye
Syntax discovered in the warbling duets of wild parrots
With a few minutes of searching, anyone can find videos online of chatty birds: macaws talk to their keepers, cockatoos sing to the camera, corvids mimic the jarring sounds of construction sites. Research has shown that some birds can understand and use words in context—so,
Helping lobster hatcheries safeguard genetic diversity
Some lobster mothers produce offspring that are far more likely to survive—in findings that could help safeguard lobster diversity. University of Exeter researchers, working in partnership with the National Lobster Hatchery (NLH) in Cornwall, studied European lobsters that
These 5 diets could add years to your life even if you have bad genes
Five dietary patterns that involve eating lots of plants have been linked with living up to three years longer, even among people who are genetically predisposed to have a shorter life
