Oxygen is a vital and constant presence on Earth today. But that hasn't always been the case. It wasn't until around 2.3 billion years ago that oxygen became a permanent fixture in the atmosphere, during a pivotal period known as the Great Oxidation Event (GOE), which set the
A team of archaeologists from the Universitat Jaume I, the University of Barcelona, and the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA) has developed a new methodology that allows for a much more detailed, precise, and objective analysis of Late Paleolithic
A UT San Antonio-led international research team has identified chitin, the primary organic component of modern crab shells and insect exoskeletons, in trilobite fossils more than 500 million years old, marking the first confirmed detection of the molecule in this extinct group.
For decades, scientists assumed that order drives efficiency. Yet in the bustling machinery of mitochondria—the organelles that crank out adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the universal "energy currency" of cells—one of the most enigmatic components is a protein that appears
Proteins are the building blocks of life. These biomolecules comprise chains of amino acids that fold into precise shapes to perform specific jobs in nature. But these elegant structures form only under narrow pH and temperature conditions, a property dictated by billions of
Artificial light is one of the most ingrained features of modern life. For humans, light after dark offers convenience and a sense of safety. For wildlife, it's a growing environmental disturbance. "When humans introduce artificial light at night, they are fundamentally
Historian and Ph.D. research fellow Andreas Eliassen Grini at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) has delved into German soldiers' descriptions of their experiences in Northern Norway. This includes their encounter with the Sami culture. He found a number
In a new study published in Physical Review Letters, scientists have performed the first global simulations of monster shocks—some of the strongest shocks in the universe—revealing how these extreme events in magnetar magnetospheres could be responsible for producing fast radio
Researchers at Kyoto University have proposed a new physical model that explores how disturbances in the ionosphere may exert electrostatic forces within Earth's crust and potentially contribute to the initiation of large earthquakes under specific conditions. The study does
Earth's surface is covered by more than a dozen tectonic plates, and in subduction zones around the world—including the Japanese Islands—plates converge and dense oceanic plates sink into Earth's interior. These regions, especially plate boundaries, are known for frequent
"Dirty" or "extremely dirty": these are the classifications of 46% of the world's aquatic environments. This conclusion comes from a study that compiled and systematized data from 6,049 records of waste contamination in aquatic environments on all continents over the last decade.
Carbon's unique chemical properties allow it to be an essential building block for life on Earth and many other molecules we rely on for day-to-day life—but what about carbon's neighbor? Silicon is located one row below carbon in the periodic table of elements, and similarly
Time crystals, a collection of particles that "tick"—or move back and forth in repeating cycles—were first theorized and then discovered about a decade ago. While scientists have yet to create commercial or industrial applications for this intriguing form of matter, these
A single type of chemical structure that shows up again and again in modern medicine is the amide bond that links a carbonyl group (C=O) to a nitrogen atom. They're so ubiquitous that 117 of the top 200 small-molecule drugs by retail sales in 2023 feature at least one amide
A research team led by Dr. Dandan Gao from the Department of Chemistry at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) has developed a new method for the sustainable production of ammonia and formic acid. Ammonia is indispensable in modern agriculture and, like formic acid, an
Implementing novel management practices in dairy farming, one of the commonwealth's major agricultural industries, could help alleviate a large source of both nutrient pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, according to a multidisciplinary team led by researchers at Penn
What people throughout the world and across time have made of lunar eclipses The post The Many Myths of the Blood Moon appeared first on Nautilus .
Ammonia (NH3) is essential for fertilizers and emerging carbon-free energy technologies, yet its conventional production via the Haber-Bosch process is energy-intensive and CO2-emitting. Researchers from Tohoku University and collaborating institutions have now established a
Fans of DSC Arminia Bielefeld experience matchday excitement far more intensely in the stadium than in front of the television when watching football (soccer). A study from Bielefeld University demonstrates clear differences in heart rate and stress levels during the 2025 cup
Researchers have discovered a previously unknown enzyme that plays a crucial role in fat production. By blocking it, they stopped weight gain, reduced liver damage, and lowered harmful cholesterol levels in animal studies. The finding opens the door to a new kind of medication
Southern California's beaches have grown more than 500 acres over the past four decades despite being one of the most heavily urbanized and dammed coastal regions in the world, according to a new study conducted by researchers at the University of California, Irvine, the U.S.
A study led by the Center for Astrobiology (CAB), CSIC-INTA, using modeling techniques developed at the University of Oxford, has uncovered an unprecedented richness of small organic molecules in the deeply obscured nucleus of a nearby galaxy, thanks to observations made with
Inspired by the shape-shifting skin of octopuses, Penn State researchers developed a smart hydrogel that can change appearance, texture, and shape on command. The material is programmed using a special printing technique that embeds digital instructions directly into the skin.
Colorectal cancer has long baffled scientists because, unlike most tumors, patients often do better when their cancers are packed with immune-suppressing regulatory T cells. New research finally explains why. Scientists discovered that these T cells aren’t all the same: one
When we exercise more, our bodies may compensate by using less energy for other things – especially if we eat less too
EPFL physicists have found a way to measure the time involved in quantum events and found it depends on the symmetry of the material. "The concept of time has troubled philosophers and physicists for thousands of years, and the advent of quantum mechanics has not simplified the
Around 14 hours before a partial solar eclipse passed over the Dolomites in Northern Italy, a group of spruce trees showed a sudden, synchronized increase in electrical activity. Previous research by Alessandro Chiolerio and others claimed that the trees were anticipating and
Representation and rigorous science compete with the Trump administration’s false claims about autism.
Orchestras and festival organizers continually develop and experiment with new concert formats for classical music. But do these formats actually have an impact on audiences? A research team led by the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics (MPIEA) in Frankfurt am Main
A new study shows that, despite fires, floods and record heat, most Australians do not change their behavior or beliefs in response to climate change—except in a narrow window following a disaster. Lead author Dr. Omid Ghasemi from the UNSW Institute for Climate Risk & Response
Body size pushes these river monsters to become apex predators The post The Monstrous Appetite of Japanese Giant Salamanders appeared first on Nautilus .
Rising day and night temperatures are threatening rice, wheat, and maize production by disrupting plant growth, grain filling, and grain quality, putting global food security at risk. Precision breeding and genome editing offer ways to reprogram plant clocks, optimize flowering
California doesn't have a water scarcity problem. It has a distribution problem, according to Nícola Ulibarrí, whose new research is reshaping how policymakers think about one of the state's most pressing challenges.
A new book by a Cambridge engineer and an Oxford theologian argues that our faith in technology to solve the climate crisis is distracting us from the uncomfortable truth: that saving the planet is neither a task for future technologies nor for world leaders alone. It is
Rove beetles have evolved a neat trick to survive. They cloak themselves in ant pheromones, allowing them to enter and remain undetected within ant colonies. But it comes with a catch. Once a rove beetle lineage evolves this kind of obligate symbiotic relationship, it can never
Quantum computers struggle because their qubits are incredibly easy to disrupt, especially during calculations. A new experiment shows how to perform quantum operations while continuously fixing errors, rather than pausing protection to compute. The team used a method called
The famed collider at Brookhaven National Laboratory has ended operations, but if all goes to plan, a new collider will rise from its ashes.
Rivals or allies—how do bacteria and fungi interact in our bodies? Until now, bacteria on our mucous membranes were primarily considered to be antagonists of fungi, as they can inhibit their growth. However, an international research team led by the Leibniz Institute for
Five volcanoes on Jupiter’s moon Io erupted simultaneously, spewing a mind-boggling amount of lava onto the surface and giving us clues to what may lie underneath
In a study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology on January 29, researchers from the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences identified a rare natural compound derived from the Teak tree (Tectona grandis) which works in two
A large-scale population metagenomic study has shed new light on the spatial heterogeneity of viral communities across the gastrointestinal tracts of ruminants, which are closely linked to human history. The team, led by Prof. Tan Zhiliang from the Institute of Subtropical
A new study led by Prof. Xiao Wenjiao from the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences sheds light on the ore-forming process and key mechanisms of the gold deposit in the South Tianshan of northwest China. The research was published in
Study showcases how modern-day foragers stick together when seeking food. Such social forces could help explain the emergence of complex thinking.
Kanzi, the bonobo, once again topples barriers between humans and great apes by demonstrating imagination, a cognitive capacity thought unique to humans The post The Ape Who Could Play Make-Believe appeared first on Nautilus .
Firms flush with resources tend to develop talent internally while younger firms, facing unpredictable workloads, will hire from the outside to fill their talent gap, according to a new USF study.
Scientists have identified the molecular interactions that give spider silk its exceptional strength and flexibility, opening the door to new bio-inspired materials for aircraft, protective clothing and medical applications, and even advancing our understanding of neurological
Scientists at Keck Medicine of USC are testing an experimental stem cell therapy that aims to restore the brain’s ability to produce dopamine, the chemical whose loss drives Parkinson’s disease. The early-stage clinical trial involves implanting lab-grown dopamine-producing
You might think galaxies can’t ever find each other in our runaway cosmos, but it turns out gravity can sometimes overcome even the stretching of space itself
A new study suggests king cobras may be accidentally boarding trains across India
Why psychiatry’s diagnostic system may undergo major changes, and what the scientific debates over how mental illnesses should be defined are