Personalized social robots can boost children's reading confidence and engagement
Social robots can be a non-threatening way for children to improve their reading skills, researchers say.
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Manufacturing the world's tiniest light-emitting diodes
Miniaturization ranks as the driving force behind the semiconductor industry. The tremendous gains in computer performance since the 1950s are largely due to the fact that ever smaller structures can be manufactured on silicon chips.
Global inequality is as urgent as climate change: The world needs a panel of experts to steer solutions
Given the escalating scale of inequality in the world, shouldn't countries be banding together to set up an international panel on the issue, along the same lines as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations body set up to assess the science
Your bank is already using AI. But what's coming next could be radically new
In June 1967, the world's first "automated teller machine" or "ATM" was unveiled at a branch of Barclays Bank in north London in a grand ceremony.
Worker honey bees can sense infections in their queen, leading to revolt
When the results of Canada's national honey bee colony loss survey were published in July 2025, they came as no surprise. According to the Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists, an estimated 36% of Canada's 830,000 honey bee colonies had perished over the winter.
The world lost the climate gamble. Now, it faces a dangerous new reality
Ten years ago the world's leaders placed a historic bet. The 2015 Paris agreement aimed to put humanity on a path to avert dangerous climate change. A decade on, with the latest climate conference ending in Belém, Brazil, without decisive action, we can definitively say
One university boosted gender diversity in advanced math by more than 30% in five years—here's how
As the artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing industries explode, trained STEM professionals are in high demand. Mathematics is foundational to these fields.
This year's climate talks saw real progress—just not on fossil fuels
It wasn't a comfortable process for the tens of thousands of delegates trying to hash out progress on climate change on the edge of the Amazon in Belém, Brazil. I experienced the challenges of the United Nations COP30 climate talks firsthand.
The key academic skill you've probably never heard of—and four ways to encourage it
When parents think about their child's education, they probably focus on basic skills and exam results, the amount a child is trying and their well-being.
Yes, the universe can expand faster than light
An expanding universe complicates this picture just a little bit, because the universe absolutely refuses to be straightforward. Objects are still emitting light, and that light takes time to travel from them over to here, but in that intervening time, the universe grows
Is the universe Infinite?
The surface of Earth is finite. We can measure it. If it was expanding, then its size would grow with time. And once again, good ol' Earth helps us understand what the universe might be doing beyond our observable horizon.
Motherhood changes how women spend, save and think about money
Mothers aren't just losing the income, promotions and career advancements that we've known about for quite some time. They're also quietly spending their own money, absorbing more day-to-day costs and making financial sacrifices that place them at a long-term disadvantage.
Older Australians living in private rentals disproportionately exposed to housing precarity
Older Australians living in private rentals are disproportionately exposed to housing precarity, with women bearing the heaviest burden, new Swinburne research launched at Parliament House today reveals.
High-rise living in Nairobi's Pipeline estate is stressful—how men and women cope
Within sight of Kenya's main international airport in Nairobi's east, Pipeline residential estate stands out like a sore thumb. Composed almost entirely of tightly packed high-rise tenement flats, the estate has been described by the media as an urban planning nightmare. They
The overview effect: Astronaut perspectives from 25 years in low Earth orbit
To see Earth from space is to be forever changed by the view. Since Alan Shepard became the first American to lay eyes on our home planet from above, countless NASA astronauts have described feeling awed by the astonishing sight and a profound shift in perspective that followed.
Researcher helps scholars promote their work's societal impact
A breakthrough discovery in marketing strategy sits behind an academic paywall. A policy solution to a pressing social issue remains buried in a scholarly journal. Innovative research that could transform business practices never reaches the executives who need it most.
Volcano erupts in northern Ethiopia, sending ash plumes toward Yemen and Oman
A long-dormant volcano erupted in northern Ethiopia over the weekend, sending ash plumes across the Red Sea toward Yemen and Oman.
Why Britain is one of the world's least 'nature-connected' nations
Britain is one of the least "nature-connected" nations in the world, and new research has explored the reasons why.
The hidden forces keeping reef fishers below living wage
A new study by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) published in Coral Reefs reveals why many coral reef fishers remain in poverty, even as fish stocks decline and some fishers leave the profession. The research shows that ecological differences, economic pressures, and
A Cell So Minimal That It Challenges Definitions of Life
The newly described microbe represents a world of parasitic, intercellular biodiversity only beginning to be revealed by genome sequencing. The post A Cell So Minimal That It Challenges Definitions of Life first appeared on Quanta Magazine
New research finds Americans deeply concerned about US democracy
A new study from the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University and Public Agenda finds that Americans are deeply concerned about the state of U.S. democracy and that growing divisions within the Republican Party deepen partisan divides over how the Constitution should
Anchorage rewrites wildfire protection plan for the first time since 2007
In the face of a changing climate, an updated planning tool will act as Anchorage's guide to preparing for and living with an increased wildfire risk.
Cooperative mammals show lower cancer rates than solitary, competitive species
Cancer is a common disease among mammals, but some species, such as the naked mole rat and elephants, have evolved resistance. According to new research published in the journal Science Advances, this may be because these animals care for one another and have interdependent
Your brain shows damage before your blood pressure even rises
Hypertension begins harming the brain surprisingly early, even before measurable blood pressure increases. Key cells related to blood vessels, signaling, and myelin maintenance begin aging prematurely and malfunctioning. These disruptions resemble early patterns seen in
1st Starship launch on Space Coast could come mid-2026, Space Force official says
While SpaceX continues to test its Starship and Super Heavy rocket in Texas, Space Force officials in Florida are preparing for a first launch as early as mid-2026.
Are aliens real? Do aliens exist? Technosignatures may hold new clues
In 1995, a pair of scientists discovered a planet outside our solar system orbiting a solar-type star. Since that finding—which won the scientists a portion of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics—researchers have discovered more than 5,000 exoplanets, including some Earth-like
Second exoplanet discovered in the TOI-1422 system
European astronomers report the discovery of a second alien world in the TOI-1422 planetary system located some 500 light years away. The newfound exoplanet, which received designation TOI-1422 c, is nearly three times larger and about 14 times more massive than Earth. The
Volcanic bubbles help foretell the fate of coral in more acidic seas
By 2100, Australian and global coral reef communities will be slow to recover, less complex, and dominated by fleshy algae, as high carbon dioxide changes ocean chemistry.
3,000 steps per day might slow Alzheimer’s disease
In people at risk for Alzheimer’s disease, researchers linked minimal to moderate physical activity to a 3-to 7-year delay in cognitive symptoms.
Immune cells use a surprising trick to heal muscle faster
A research team has found that specific immune cells can connect with muscle fibers in a lightning-fast, neuron-like way to promote healing. These cells deliver quick pulses of calcium, triggering repair within seconds. The mechanism works in both injury and disease models. The
Have we found a greener way to do deep-sea mining?
There are widespread concerns that deep-sea mining for metals will damage fragile ecosystems. But if mining ever goes ahead, hydrogen plasma could shrink the carbon footprint of smelting the metal ores
Sperm's evolutionary origins go back before multicellular animals
Analysis of the DNA and proteins of a range of animals has revealed that sperm’s molecular toolkit arose in our single-celled ancestors, perhaps more than a billion years ago
Polar ice melt offers unexpected solution to a global climate disaster
The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a system of Atlantic Ocean currents that redistributes heat and nutrients between the tropics and the North Atlantic, is one of the planet's tipping points. That means there is a critical threshold that, once crossed,
Record sargassum piles trap sea turtle hatchlings on Florida beaches
Sargassum seaweed is creating major new obstacles for sea turtle hatchlings, drastically slowing their crawl to the ocean and increasing their risk from predators and heat. Despite the physical challenge, their energy stores stay stable, suggesting the real danger lies in the
Quantum photonic chip integrates light-emitting molecules with single-mode waveguides
Photonic quantum processors, devices that can process information leveraging quantum mechanical effects and particles of light (photons), have shown promise for numerous applications, ranging from computations and communications to the simulation of complex quantum systems.
Why is climate action stalling, not ramping up as Earth gets hotter?
As the impact of global warming becomes more obvious, you might expect countries to step up climate action and preparation, but we’re seeing the opposite happen
COP30 keeps climate cooperation alive but hanging by a thread
The 194 countries still taking part in UN climate negotiations reaffirmed the Paris Agreement following the US withdrawal, even if they agreed on little else
Charles Darwin's address book: A new window into his private world
The Darwin Online project at the National University of Singapore (NUS) has published for the first time: Charles Darwin's personal Address Book. It offers an astonishingly personal glimpse into the life and work of the great scientist.
CRISPR wheat that makes its own fertilizer
UC Davis researchers engineered wheat that encourages soil bacteria to convert atmospheric nitrogen into plant-usable fertilizer. By boosting a natural compound in the plant, the wheat triggers bacteria to form biofilms that enable nitrogen fixation. This breakthrough could cut
Orangutans can't master their complex diets without cultural knowledge, research reveals
When a wild orangutan leaves its mother after spending many years by her side, it has a mental catalog of almost 250 edible plants and animals, and the knowledge of how to acquire and process them.
COVID vaccine tech could limit snakebite venom damage
The same technology used in COVID-19 vaccines could help prevent muscle damage from snakebites, according to a study published in Trends in Biotechnology.
3D printing: The future of food
In a perfect world, people would have easy access to fresh fruits and vegetables at affordable prices. They would not live in food deserts and 30% to 40% of food produced in the U.S. would not be lost annually through overproduction, surplus and waste.
Expert Q&A on searching for alien life
According to popular media, the search for alien life involves advanced technology, space exploration and sometimes even government conspiracies and secret programs. But according to University of Victoria (UVic) astronomer Jon Willis, author of "The Pale Blue Data Point: An
Vertical hunting helps wild cats coexist in Guatemala's forests, study finds
A new study reveals that four wild cat species living in the same rainforest habitat in Guatemala reduce competition for food by hunting in different vertical zones, some in trees and others on the ground.
What 96,000 adults taught scientists about preventing constipation
A massive long-term study shows that Mediterranean and plant-based diets can help prevent chronic constipation in aging adults. Surprisingly, the benefits weren’t explained by fiber alone. Western and inflammatory diets raised constipation risk, while low-carb diets showed
Rhino horn sales, shark protection on wildlife talks agenda
Global wildlife talks opened Monday, with votes expected on increased shark protection, a bid to allow limited rhino horn sales and a push to restrict the trade in eels.
Global surge in ultra-processed foods sparks urgent health warning
Ultra-processed foods are rapidly becoming a global dietary staple, and new research links them to worsening health outcomes around the world. Scientists say only bold, coordinated policy action can counter corporate influence and shift food systems toward healthier options.
New obesity discovery rewrites decades of fat metabolism science
Researchers have uncovered a surprising new role for the HSL protein: beyond breaking down fat, it also works inside the nucleus of fat cells to keep them functioning properly. When HSL is missing, fat tissue doesn’t expand as expected— instead, it shrinks, leading to
Endings and beginnings: Atacama Cosmology Telescope releases its final data, shaping the future of cosmology
There's always a touch of melancholy when a chapter that has absorbed years of work comes to an end. In the case of the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT), those years amount to nearly 20—and now the telescope has completed its mission. Yet some endings are also important
Environment and health: A connection that remains unseen in the Climate Change Conferences
In a conversation with Luciana Julião, environment editor at The Conversation Brasil, during COP30 in Belém, Fiocruz researcher and environmental health specialist Sandra Hacon explained why the integration of climate, environment and health has guided her research for two
