Researchers from the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS) and RIKEN Pioneering Research Institute (PRI) in Japan, together with collaborators from the University of Münster, Germany, have developed a new hydrogel that offers significant advantages over others
A widely cited Nature cover article from 2023 claimed that scientific innovation has significantly declined in recent decades. This finding was based on a citation analysis of large sets of metadata concerning scientific papers and patents. Researchers from Vrije Universiteit
Researchers are developing biotechnological processes that enable microbes to produce proteins and vitamins for human consumption using basic chemical ingredients, such as carbon dioxide, hydrogen and oxygen—entirely bypassing livestock farming and agriculture. Because these
Municipal regulation of short-term rentals "is low-hanging fruit" that helps improve housing affordability, a new study by McGill researchers suggests. The research shows that rents were relatively lower in Canadian municipalities that imposed restrictions on when and how
From a partial eclipse over Berlin to totality over Spain, see some of the incredible images of the August 12 total solar eclipse
For dogs with heart disease, a fraction of a centimeter can make a life-changing difference. Veterinarians often rely on chest radiographs to monitor subtle changes in heart size that help determine when treatment should begin. But those measurements can vary from one doctor to
Ancient trees—those that are remarkably old for their species—are declining worldwide, raising concerns about the loss of the ecological and evolutionary history they represent. Their exceptional longevity has long encouraged the idea that they act as genetic reservoirs,
Spectacular images of lava flowing down the slopes of erupting Mount Etna have drawn flocks of tourists to the Italian volcano—to the concern of local guides.
Scientists from Brazil and other countries have discovered a new species of frog in the flooded forests of the western Amazon. They named it Adenomera varcena. This finding significantly advances our understanding of Amazonian biodiversity and cryptic diversity, or cases in
To date, close to 30,000 satellites have been launched into Earth's orbit, leading to mounting concerns over the debris created when they collide. In a new analysis posted to the preprint server arXiv, Hugh Lewis of the University of Birmingham shows that satellite
On the surface, credit rating agencies simply score a company's financial health. They look at a business's equity and debt and diagnose how risky it is for investors. They slap on a letter grade to show how likely it is to repay its debts.
One of nature's greatest spectacles—a rare total solar eclipse—cast its shadow on Wednesday, briefly turning day into night in Russia's remote Arctic north and western Iceland before heading toward mainland Europe.
More than 70% of massive stars are born in close binary systems, where gravitational tugs and mass transfer between companions dramatically alter their evolution. Yet once the interaction ends—whether through mass transfer, merger or the supernova explosion of one partner—the
Food insecurity is a major problem in many parts of the world, particularly Africa, where more than 300 million people regularly go hungry. Now, using the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan, researchers from Morocco have developed a way to produce
A new study suggests a protective vest tested on a manikin during NASA's first Artemis moonshot could drastically cut the radiation exposure of lunar astronauts during severe solar storms.
A team of paleontologists from China University of Geosciences (Beijing) studying penguin fossils from Seymour Island off the Antarctic Peninsula have demonstrated how ancient bird bones can act as chemical archives of past climate change. The researchers used nondestructive
The first bird to inhabit Earth used its robust hind legs to make two or three powerful leaps while flapping its way to flight, according to a study by the University of Southampton published in Developmental Biology.
The study was originally published in 2024 and was criticized by other scientists at the time as being misleading
Across the United States, the number of people who do not have and do not want to have children is growing. While they are twice as likely to live in California as Louisiana, individual demographic characteristics are the strongest predictors of who is childfree, according to a
There is a question that often comes up at every public talk I do, and I have never had a good answer to it—well, not an entirely confident one. What's inside a black hole? The textbook reply is a singularity. Cross the event horizon, and everything falls inward to a point of
For thousands of years, the Anindilyakwa people have lived in deep connection with the waters surrounding Groote Eylandt, a remote island in the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Friendships are integral to human health and well being, yet researchers know very little about how people make friends. A new study investigated what people prioritize for new friendships. The post Is It Better to Have a Lot of Casual Friends or a Few Close Ones? appeared
A 26-kilogram plastic garment, flown on a model human torso on the uncrewed Artemis I mission, may one day protect astronauts from solar storms.
More than 100,000 people are awaiting an organ transplant in the United States, with a new candidate added to the list every 10 minutes. Even if the transplant is carried out successfully, recipients must take immunosuppressive medications, elevating their risk of broader
The decades-old scientific quest to create brand-new proteins has been turbocharged in the era of artificial intelligence.
In 2005, a research team led by University of Zurich economics professor Ernst Fehr published a study in the journal Nature that provided evidence for the first time that intranasally administered oxytocin can increase trusting behavior in humans. Oxytocin is a hormone and
Food and pharmaceutical manufacturers increasingly seek lipids with carefully controlled fatty-acid compositions. However, natural oils usually contain mixtures of closely related fatty acids, and conventional enzymes often cannot distinguish reliably between them.
Students who attended public school pre-K performed better academically through high school than those in family-based child care, according to new research from Florida International University.
Whether it's neurons responding to electrical signals or plants stretching toward light, nature is filled with examples of biological materials that respond to their environment. Now, researchers want to develop new responsive materials for a wide range of applications, such as
Black hole sun, now it’s come The post First Ever “Black Hole Star” Discovered at the Dawn of Time appeared first on Nautilus .
A “fever” of cownose rays revealed by striking drone footage could be a sign of warming oceans
Modern biomedicine increasingly relies on enormous amounts of image data. Although computers can do part of the analysis work, biologists often still need to look through the images themselves. This takes time.
For more than two decades, the quasar PHL 1811 has been considered the prototype of a rare class of "intrinsically X-ray weak" quasars, thought to produce unusually little X-ray radiation. But in 2024, the Einstein Probe spacecraft caught the object in a bright X-ray flare. In
Fourth-year veterinary students matched—and experienced clinicians outperformed—an AI-enabled digital stethoscope in diagnosing heart murmurs and arrhythmias in cats and dogs, according to a new study from North Carolina State University. The study emphasizes the importance of
University of Bristol–led researchers have identified a naturally occurring gut molecule that could strengthen chickens' immune response against a wide range of bacterial infections. This development, published today, Aug. 12, in The Journal of Immunology, offers a major step
Online conflict tends to advance social movements rather than undermine them, according to new research from McGill's Desautels Faculty of Management.
Signals ride on waves of one kind or another: light, sound, radio. But new carriers are needed to relay information in next-generation devices. Disturbances or waves in magnetic materials called magnons could be an efficient option—if scientists can tame them.
This study has been touted by Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont as proof of the benefits of a universal, single-payer health care system, but the research hasn’t been peer-reviewed
A new study is offering insights into a crucial period of child development The post Loner Kids May Be Happier Than You Think appeared first on Nautilus .
Place-based decarbonization schemes designed to help communities become more sustainable must involve local people earlier and consider the range of different community responses in their development if they are to be successful and gain fuller community support, researchers
Most people underestimate how much light a pair of sunglasses blocks out. A typical dark pair removes around 80% to 90% of the visible light reaching the eye.
The use of nanoparticles in drug delivery offers key advantages: they can enable targeted drug delivery, protect active ingredients from premature degradation, extend their duration of action in the body and reduce side effects. However, as soon as nanoparticles come into
Before tropical cyclones can significantly strengthen, they generally must first become vertically aligned, with their rotating centers stacked through the atmosphere. New research using nearly three decades of NOAA Hurricane Hunter observations identifies four features that
River and canal ships generate roughly a quarter of the world's shipping carbon dioxide emissions, according to new research published in Nature Climate Change. And that's despite the fact that these bodies of water make up less than 1% of Earth's total navigable waterways.
From the American West to Europe, droughts are drying up rivers, fueling destructive fires and reshaping ecosystems. They are also changing the spread of infectious diseases, leading to surges in illnesses like cholera and West Nile virus around the world.
Tropical forests store enormous amounts of carbon and harbor most of the world's terrestrial biodiversity, but scientists fear that increasingly severe droughts threaten their ability to survive and continue absorbing carbon from the atmosphere. A new study published in Nature
Little red dots have puzzled astronomers since their discovery in James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) data from the universe's deep past. Their "powering engines" might resemble a newly discovered phenomenon dubbed a "black hole star"—an early, rapidly growing black hole wrapped
Much like an indecisive single person on a dating app, female treefrogs struggle to pick the most desirable mates when they have too many options to choose from. According to a new study published Aug. 12 in the journal iScience, when female Cope's gray treefrogs gather around
In the lab, female frogs were less likely to choose preferred males as mating calls increased, potentially giving other males a better shot.
First glimpsed as “little red dots” in deep-space images from the James Webb Space Telescope, these giant, gas-shrouded black holes are full of surprises