Plants under attack leave behind a surprising call for backup
Bacteria may build a memory of herbivore attack in the soil and coax new plants to attract wasps to rein in destructive pests.
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Lab-grown brain models gain a sense of place
The human brain is often described as one of the most complex structures in biology, and much of its power comes from how it's organized. Its outer layer, the cerebral cortex, is not one uniform sheet. As the brain develops, it divides into distinct areas that each take on
After a wildfire, Britain's moors and heaths can be green again within weeks—but the real recovery takes much longer
Wildfires that have swept across Britain's upland moors and lowland heaths in unprecedented tinder-dry conditions have left behind expanses of smoking, blackened vegetation.
‘Huge Breakthrough’ in the Math of Imbalance
For the first time in 30 years, computer scientists have found a better way to allocate objects evenly between two groups. The post ‘Huge Breakthrough’ in the Math of Imbalance first appeared on Quanta Magazine
We're building a New York‑sized city every month. That's worrying for our climate
We each need a roof over our heads, classrooms to learn in and offices or spaces to work in. To meet this unprecedented demand for new buildings, globally, we're constructing the equivalent of an entire New York City every month.
Breaking up of swan families in winter disrupts spring migration
Young Bewick's swans only survive their first spring migration if they stay with their parents long enough. If they lose their parents in winter, they leave later and are unable to keep up with the rest of the population. As a result, there is a greater chance that they will
Antarctic krill fishing is now concentrated in the exact pattern conservation rules were designed to prevent
The companies fishing for Antarctic krill have harvested so much so quickly that the season had to close in August 2026, three months before it was scheduled to end. That's the second consecutive year of an early closing.
Quantum dots keep their glow under heat after dual modification
Quantum dots are semiconductor crystals only a few nanometers in size. Their ability to produce bright, precisely tunable colors has made them promising materials for light-emitting diodes, displays, solar cells and other optoelectronic technologies. Yet heat remains a major
'Rainbow-on-a-chip' could help unlock 6G networks and precision timing for quantum technologies
Loughborough University physicists and an international team have demonstrated that a grain-of-rice-sized microchip can be used to produce a spectrum of precisely spaced frequencies of light, which is then converted into multiple high-frequency electromagnetic signals known as
Women in politics face more personal, sexualized attacks than men, a recent analysis shows
Online spaces, and social media in particular, are forums for vigorous political debate. They provide a space for members of the public to express political opinions, organize and sometimes even interact directly with politicians. While they clearly have democratizing
AI Can See Optical Illusions
And it might teach us about our own brains The post AI Can See Optical Illusions appeared first on Nautilus .
New solar system models show Earth is no fluke
Over the past three decades, computer models of planetary system formation have gone from fairly crude representations to sophisticated simulations using thousands of different starting points.
Blood-camouflaged nanoparticles defeat drug-resistant breast tumors in mouse model
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the most aggressive and treatment-resistant subtypes of breast cancer, accounting for 15% to 20% of all cases. Unlike other breast cancers, TNBC lacks targetable receptors, leaving patients dependent largely on chemotherapy, with
Q&A: How Brown University is navigating the rise of generative AI use in the classroom
In just a few short years, generative artificial intelligence tools have made a leap from novelties that produce stilted text to genuine societal disruptors that may alter the way people learn, work and even think.
What dandelions and bees can teach us about our responsibilities to the natural world
In spring, on the traditional and treaty lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit, young children, Anishinaabe storytellers and educators walk together with Aki (Land) and Nibi (Water).
Interplanetary spacecraft capture a coronal mass ejection component hidden from Earth
During a coronal mass ejection (CME), the sun hurls billions of tons of magnetized plasma into space. These eruptions are among the most powerful events in the solar system, and when they are aimed toward Earth, they can seriously threaten the satellites and power grids we
Forest service detects emerald ash borer in 5 additional counties
The Texas A&M Forest Service has confirmed emerald ash borer in Delta, Erath, Hardin, Walker and Wood counties, continuing the spread of the invasive insect into new areas of Texas. Eight new counties have been confirmed with detections this year.
Leaving abusive relationships can be harder for migrant women. Here's what they need to feel safe
Like many women raised in traditional cultures and religious contexts, I was taught that a "good" woman holds the family together. In my culture, women were often glorified for quietly accepting hardship.
3 minutes of sprinting does something 90 minutes of exercise does not
A few minutes of sprinting may reshape the bloodstream far more dramatically than a much longer moderate workout. Six 30-second sprints altered nearly a quarter of the blood proteins measured and more than 200 metabolites, while 90 minutes of moderate cycling produced far
Scientists catch a hidden electronic state forming in just 30 femtoseconds
Scientists watched a light-triggered hidden state form inside a material in only 30 femtoseconds, revealing a step that had never been seen before. The material first entered a fleeting electronic state in which its bonds reorganized in a repeating pattern, followed by tiny
China is launching a moon mission to find water ice
We've known for nearly two decades that some form of water exists on the moon. What we still don't know is exactly how much accessible water ice lies inside permanently shadowed craters, how deeply it is buried or what form it takes.
Why Human Giants Defy the Laws of Physics
Without different anatomical proportions, a scaled-up body would collapse under its own weight. The post Why Human Giants Defy the Laws of Physics appeared first on Nautilus .
Shock wave therapy for erectile dysfunction is on the rise
A sound wave–based therapy commonly used to dislodge kidney stones is gaining traction as a treatment for erectile dysfunction.
Crossword: Lab Animals
Solve the crossword from our September 2026 issue, in which we celebrate some creature features.
Ph.D. student's forensic review highlights need for standardized bloodstain pattern classification
A University of Staffordshire Ph.D. student has received national recognition for research that could transform how bloodstain evidence at crime scenes is analyzed. Emma Hook has been awarded the Science & Justice Review Award by the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences for
This weight-loss hormone may protect the liver even without weight loss
A hormone already known for curbing appetite and supporting weight loss may have a surprising second job: protecting the liver from inflammation and scarring. Researchers at McMaster University found that GDF15 activates a previously unknown brain-to-liver pathway that triggers
Archaeologists uncover 11 rare marked arrowheads at Tepecik-Çiftlik whose purpose remains a mystery
For decades, archaeologists have been uncovering rare and mysterious incised obsidian arrowheads across Neolithic Central Anatolia, each one bearing a unique design etched into its glassy black surface nearly 9,000 years ago.
What comes after fire? What forests need to survive in a warming world
Jennifer Bhatnagar spent the summer of 2023 traversing barren hillsides blackened by wildfire in northern California. She walked through devastated properties, examined the hot soil beneath her feet, collected samples and asked questions.
Spinach peptide discovery leads to citrus greening treatment
A citrus greening disease treatment rooted in more than a decade of research at Texas A&M AgriLife Research has reached a milestone on the path to commercial availability. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has granted unconditional registration to the novel therapy.
AI may know how you’ll respond to a vaccine before you get it
AI may be able to predict how strongly someone will respond to a vaccine before they receive it. By analyzing antibody patterns in more than 4,000 people, researchers found signs of “immune readiness” that helped distinguish strong responders from weak ones. Surprisingly, even
‘Earth-like’ exoplanets may exist—but we don’t know of any yet
Claiming an exoplanet to be “Earth-like” is a trend that needs to bite the dust
What happened when people with anorexia tried magic mushrooms
Researchers are exploring whether magic mushrooms could offer a new treatment for anorexia
The national debt is $40 trillion. What does that mean mathematically?
An investigation into the incomprehensibly, unfathomably large amount of money the U.S. owes
2,200-year-old Roman shipwreck reveals ancient waterproofing secrets
Scientists analyzing a 2,200-year-old Roman shipwreck found that its hull was coated with pine tar and, in one area, a mixture of tar and beeswax. Pollen trapped in those ancient coatings acted like a geographic fingerprint, revealing the landscapes surrounding the ship when
What a record-breaking El Niño could mean for the world
This year's El Niño is on track to be the strongest on record, threatening to unleash extreme weather across the globe and make 2027 the hottest recorded year by far.
Seeing the unseen: A new tool visualizes hidden structures in complex biological data
Modern biology research can now generate valuable data on an unprecedented scale. But there is one major obstacle: making sense of these complex high-dimensional datasets. A team at the University of Basel, Switzerland, has developed a new tool that can provide accurate
Pioneering cancer treatment saves python named Jodie Foster: UK zoo
A British zoo Friday hailed the successful treatment of a cancer-stricken python named after Hollywood star Jodie Foster, who became the first snake to receive an innovative treatment combining surgery and electrochemotherapy (ECT).
Schools are starting to teach AI literacy. For many, that means helping kids see chatbots' flaws
Artificial intelligence chatbots have become the bane of teachers everywhere, but to prepare for the new school year, a group of educators in Charleston, South Carolina, packed into a high school auditorium and talked about inviting AI into the classroom.
Panama Canal to reduce shipping over El Niño-fueled drought
The Panama Canal will cut the number of ships passing through it starting next month because of drought caused by the El Niño phenomenon, the operator of the strategic waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific said Thursday.
A simple at-home test could cut colorectal cancer death risk by 43%
People who participated in colorectal cancer screening had a 43% lower risk of dying from the disease, according to long-term data from more than 376,000 people in Sweden. The findings suggest that completing a simple at-home screening test could make a major difference in
A strange new quantum droplet can hold itself together
Two very different types of quantum particles may be able to form stable droplets that hold themselves together, challenging decades of conventional thinking. The prediction could soon be tested experimentally and may reveal an unexpectedly rich world of new quantum phases.
Hidden magnetism inside atoms may explain mysterious gamma rays
For decades, scientists have puzzled over why certain atomic nuclei unexpectedly produce large numbers of low-energy gamma rays. A new experiment traced the effect to magnetic changes inside the nucleus, where protons and neutrons effectively flip their tiny internal magnets.
A lost mega-cliff may explain the Grand Canyon’s missing billion years
A colossal cliff system created as the supercontinent Rodinia broke apart may have exposed the heart of the Grand Canyon nearly a billion years before the Colorado River carved it. The ancient landscape could also help explain why enormous sections of North America’s geological
Global access to food crops is affected by transport costs and economic inequality
Producing enough food is only one part of ensuring global food security. A new study shows that transport networks and economic inequality are important factors in determining global food accessibility. A research team led by the University of Oulu, together with researchers
AI-driven literature mining speeds discovery of heat-stable lead-free dielectric materials
Artificial intelligence has analyzed data scattered across hundreds of research papers to discover new lead-free dielectric materials that maintain stable performance even at high temperatures. The study presents a new approach that could transform materials discovery from a
Century-old physics idea explains why cubic fluid equations work
The Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT) has developed a new cubic equation of state (EOS) that provides a physical justification for a mathematical structure that the chemical and petroleum industries have relied on for more than half a century
“One-in-a-million” sea creature fossil preserves soft tissue for 450 million years
Scientists have identified exceptionally rare soft tissue preserved in a 450-million-year-old crinoid fossil, more than 200 million years older than the first dinosaurs. Its delicate tube feet offer a remarkable new window into how some of Earth’s earliest reef animals lived,
Tourist sign translations made more culturally fluent by AI system
A new artificial intelligence, or AI, translation model could improve the accuracy and cultural appropriateness of Chinese-English public signs at tourist attractions, according to research in the International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management. The approach
Scientists discover how gut bacteria “train” the intestine to fight inflammation
A compound made when gut bacteria break down dietary fiber may do more than briefly calm inflammation—it could leave a lasting protective “memory” in the gut. Northwestern Medicine researchers found that butyrate can reprogram intestinal lining cells so they continue
Occupational health challenges require more than individual support, new doctoral study shows
Mental health issues are now the most prevalent cause of sick leave in Finland. It is common for an employee's declining occupational well-being to result in a sick leave referral, while nothing changes at the workplace itself.
