RNA droplets may have helped start life on Earth
It's one of the origins-of-life chicken-or-egg problems: How could RNA have helped give rise to the first cells before there were cells to contain it?
Headlines
- All
- Africa
- Asia
- Business
- Culture
- Environment
- Europe
- Gaming
- Markets
- Middle East
- Movies & TV
- Music
- Politics
- Science
- South America
- Tech
- World News
Snake bones with flint cuts show Mount Carmel settlers ate reptiles 15,000 years ago
Around 15,000 years ago, the way of life of human communities in the southern Levant underwent a fundamental change. Groups of hunter-gatherers, who until then had been nomadic, reduced their mobility and established small, permanent settlements for the first time.
Changing wage benefits highlight need to align skills and jobs
Adelaide University research shows that while higher education (HE) in Australia continues to deliver a substantial wage premium, education, skills and labor-market policy need to align more closely.
Drought stress in trees: What to expect and what to do
Recurring and prolonged periods of drought are worsening worldwide, triggering a dangerous chain reaction for trees, according to a forest health expert at North Carolina State University.
The Return of a Discredited Pseudoscience
Eugenics is rearing its ugly head again in today’s crucible of politics and culture The post The Return of a Discredited Pseudoscience appeared first on Nautilus .
An unproven autism drug got a boost after a White House briefing
In fall of 2025, the Trump administration touted the drug leucovorin for autism therapy without new evidence. Dispensing of the drug to kids rose.
Dark energy and quantum gravity may be deeply intertwined
For close to a century, physicists have pursued a way to unite gravity with quantum mechanics. Known as quantum gravity, this goal has remained frustratingly out of reach so far. Similarly elusive is the force of dark energy, which is believed to be driving the universe's
First public firearm industry archive reveals ignored warning over suspicious gun sales
UC San Francisco's Industry Documents Library, in partnership with the Minnesota Attorney General's Office, has made public nearly 700 internal documents from a Midwest retailer as part of the state's lawsuit alleging the company ignored an internal warning before selling
Knee osteoarthritis isn’t inevitable — here’s what you can do
Knee osteoarthritis can seriously affect mobility and quality of life, but its progression isn’t completely out of your control. Exercise, stronger leg muscles, a healthier diet, and even modest weight loss can dramatically reduce stress on the knees and help keep pain in check.
Schizophrenia’s lost brain connections follow a surprising pattern
Specialized brain scans reveal that schizophrenia is linked to widespread loss of the synapses that connect brain cells, with the left side of the brain hit especially hard. The damage follows a surprisingly organized pattern tied to the brain’s chemistry and wiring.
New analysis reveals 'encouraging' global mangrove cover increase despite losses in key regions
Global mangrove cover—vegetation vital to tackling climate change—has increased over the past 40 years, despite significant losses in some key regions, according to a new analysis.
Communication style outweighs resume content in workplace first impressions, analysis finds
To make a good impression at work, it might be better to spend less time polishing your resume and more time honing your communication skills. That's according to a large analysis of more than 200 studies showing that the first impressions people make at work are largely based
Should you be taking testosterone?
Testosterone is a longtime favorite of the bodybuilding crowd, but now the hormone is being touted for perimenopause, “looks maxxing,” and more
Scientists say the human family tree may need a major rewrite
The human family tree may be due for a major rewrite. Researchers argue that Australopithecus and Paranthropus should be folded into the genus Homo because new fossils have blurred many of the traits once used to separate them. The proposed shake-up could provide a simpler,
The “Asian water tower” is losing 24 billion tonnes of groundwater every year
The “Asian Water Tower” is losing roughly 24.2 billion tonnes of groundwater every year, with some of the worst declines hitting densely populated farming regions. Glacier melt may temporarily soften the crisis around the 2060s, but without changes in water use, researchers
Area affected by wildfires in Europe could almost triple due to climate change
Increasingly hot, dry and windy conditions could substantially extend the area affected by wildfires across Europe, according to a new study led by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) with contributions from the Senckenberg Society for Nature Research. In a
Scientists crushed diamond beyond Neptune-like pressures—and solved a 20-year mystery
Extreme experiments have revealed how diamond behaves at crushing pressures beyond those inside Neptune and Uranus, resolving a decades-old conflict between theory and observation. The results could help scientists boost fusion energy output while revealing more about the
Australia races to shield little penguins from H5N1 bird flu
Australian wildlife workers have launched an unprecedented effort to vaccinate wild populations of little penguins against the highly contagious H5N1 avian influenza.
Honduras places 80% of country on El Niño drought alert
The Honduran government on Wednesday placed 80% of the country, including the capital, on drought alert as El Niño scorches harvests and causes livestock to die of thirst.
Rescue mission is called off for NASA's aging Swift space telescope
The mission to save NASA's sinking Swift Observatory was called off Wednesday, dooming the telescope to a fiery reentry later this year.
What beats seeing eclipses from space? Try the northern and southern lights
Eclipses may be wondrous, but nothing beats seeing the northern and southern lights from space.
A SpaceX rocket smashed into the Moon — NASA just revealed the crater
A discarded SpaceX Falcon 9 stage crashed into the Moon on Aug. 5, leaving behind a newly formed crater about 60 feet wide. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter captured detailed images showing bright and dark streaks of debris blasted across the surrounding surface. The impact
This total solar eclipse looked strangely golden — here’s why
Spain’s total solar eclipse delivered an unexpected sight: a corona glowing gold instead of its usual pearly white. Because the Sun was setting, its light passed through more atmosphere, while smoke from nearby wildfires filtered out even more blue light. The result was a
Honeybees struggle to gather nectar in August, direct measurements reveal
Letting late-summer weeds grow could help honeybees when they find it most challenging to gather nectar, according to new research published in the journal, Functional Ecology.
More than 1,000 genetic switches reveal why female immunity is different
More than 1,000 genetic switches behave differently in male and female immune cells, helping explain why women are much more vulnerable to autoimmune diseases such as lupus. Female immune systems appear genetically tuned for stronger inflammatory responses—a powerful defense
Warming waters draw summer 'feeding frenzies' by whales off Greenland
The effects of global warming depend on species: The losers are legion, but a lucky few are winners. Now, researchers have shown that baleen whales are taking advantage of a newly opened-up fish bonanza in the Greenland Sea, east of Greenland and reaching to the Arctic Circle
Levitating molten metal on ISS could refine ultra-strong metallic glass
The research team led by materials scientist Ralf Busch from Saarland University is preparing for its first science-in-space mission. If everything goes to plan, from 31 August the researchers will spend one week remotely studying metallic-glass alloys in experiments carried
Fine-particle pollution may undermine plants' ability to absorb carbon and conserve water
Researchers at the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) have discovered that fine particulate pollution (PM2.5) significantly impairs plants' ability to use water efficiently and absorb carbon dioxide.
Innovation enhances multiomics workflow, eliminates sample preparation
A patent-pending method developed and tested for multiple applications at Purdue University eliminates sample preparation, a bottleneck that currently dominates a laboratory scientist's time and budget, and enables spatial analysis using liquid chromatography-tandem mass
AI-designed “intrabodies” could unlock new treatments for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and MND
Researchers have developed a new way to turn ordinary antibodies into tiny disease-fighting molecules that can work inside human cells, potentially opening new paths for treating Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s disease, and motor neurone disease.
Racing to build a radio telescope on the moon
Remember the "Wow!" signal? That high-energy radio signature occurred in 1977, when Earth was much "quieter" in the radio band. If it happened today, it probably wouldn't even move the needle on the background noise of human radio chatter. Signals from satellites, radar and
Couples' coping skills help reduce depression in GI cancer survivors
Dyadic coping is a potentially modifiable protective factor in the psychological health of middle-aged and older gastrointestinal cancer survivors, according to a study recently published in the European Journal of Cancer.
MIT physicists discover electrons rebuilding like ice inside a quantum material
MIT physicists found that two electronic phases inside the same quantum material emerge through surprisingly different mechanisms—one smoothly and the other in expanding pockets resembling growing ice crystals. The discovery could help explain how exotic properties such as
Scientists discover learning and memory formation in model membranes
A decades-long collaboration between two scientists at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory is reshaping how we understand learning.
Modern consumption patterns traced back to WWII mobilization
Research in the International Journal of Sustainable Development has examined eight nations involved in World War II, both Allied and Axis countries, and shows how that period of history helped set societies on the path to the resource-intensive modern economies of today. The
Sustainability commitments have serious consequences
Amid increasingly stiff competition for capital, one way for a business to stand out is to make strong social impact pledges. For example, companies can voluntarily commit to environmental impact goals in hopes of attracting sustainability-minded investors and lowering the cost
Researchers reveal deeper workings of brain’s information hub
The brain has a remarkably flexible system for handling uncertainty and changing situations. Researchers found that the frontoparietal cortex constantly shifts how it communicates with other brain regions depending on what information is needed to make a decision. Rather than
Climate change is rewriting England's 'green and pleasant' story
In 1804, William Blake wrote in his poem Jerusalem of England's "green and pleasant" land. This idealized vision of English pastoral has resonated through two centuries, fusing the character of the nation with its landscape—those "mountains green" and "pleasant pastures."
Perovskite-based sensor detects ammonia leaks at concentrations as low as 1 ppm
A team led by principal researcher Myungkwan Song of the Energy & Environment Materials Research Division at the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS) has developed an ultrasensitive ammonia gas sensor using an environmentally friendly, lead-free perovskite material.
A mother’s age can shape her offspring without changing their DNA
Scientists have found evidence that the effects of a mother’s age on her offspring may be driven by reversible changes in gene activity rather than permanent DNA damage. The discovery raises the fascinating possibility that biological information from mothers, grandmothers, and
Changing bacterial feedstock unlocks flexible biopolymers with stronger antibacterial effects
Changing the carbon source used during bacterial fermentation—essentially, what bacteria are fed—can significantly influence the properties of the sugar polymers they produce, known as bacterial exopolysaccharides (EPSs).
Supramolecular nanofibers paired with nanohole substrate improve exciton transport in organic solid
Self-assembling, anthracene-based supramolecular nanofibers can enable excitons to migrate hundreds of nanometers, according to a new experimental finding by researchers at Science Tokyo. Coupling these nanofibers with a plasmonic gold nanohole substrate further doubles exciton
Kyoto's gardens provide habitats for local amphibians
Where they could once hop and amble freely, urbanization is diminishing amphibians' habitats. Yet small-scale water bodies managed by people—such as those found in the gardens of Japan's temples, shrines and schools—remain within urban areas, providing oases for our moist
Foreign tariffs made U.S. whiskey cheaper... depending on where you live
A new study finds that one side effect of Trump-era trade wars has been cheaper whiskey in much of the United States. But if you live in whiskey hubs Kentucky or Tennessee, your prices actually went up.
Legacy of colonial biodiversity exploitation explains poverty in biodiversity-rich countries
Nature provides resources to society, and the diversity of species (think of pollinators, for example) is expected to underpin human economies. So why are the poorest countries also those richest in wildlife, containing a high number of different species? The reason, according
Rye reference genome uncovers diversity that could strengthen wheat breeding
Rye is not only a hardy and high-yielding crop, but also possesses a valuable gene pool for wheat breeding. An international research team led by the IPK Leibniz Institute has significantly improved the foundations for research and breeding by publishing a high-quality
Solar panels can cool crops—and workers
Photovoltaic technology, most commonly seen as bulky solar panels used on solar farms, is expected to become a dominant energy source by 2050. But these panels are often installed on land that might otherwise be used to grow crops and feed a burgeoning population.
3D-printed ceramic waveguide lasers could surpass the power of glass fiber lasers by 10 times
At the bottom of the ocean, optical fibers transmit telecommunications and internet data around the world. Waveguides make that feat possible by channeling and amplifying the light—and therefore the data within—over enormous distances.
Too much RNA can starve cells of energy, study finds
A new study from researchers at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) has uncovered a previously unknown consequence of viral infection: Too much RNA inside a cell can disrupt its ability to produce energy.
Does 'AI‑watermarking' mean the party is over for cheating students?
Concerns about students cheating with AI are rife in schools and universities.
