Neurons, the uber-connected nerve cells that act as a main switchboard for the brain, are central to some incredibly complicated processes. They make it possible to think, walk, speak, and breathe. They even have built-in backup batteries to use in emergencies.
The volume of water drawn from Scotland's rivers and lochs by the agricultural sector surged by more than 500% during periods of water scarcity in recent years, new research has found. The University of Strathclyde study examined the monthly and annual water use records of more
Hydrogen gas formed by natural processes in the subsurface of mountain ranges could represent a promising source of clean energy. A new international study led by Unil and GFZ shows that erosion plays a key and complex role in the formation and accumulation of this natural
As climate change increases the risk of flooding worldwide, understanding how floods form has never been more important. However, the science behind flooding is notoriously difficult to grasp, involving interactions among atmospheric, terrestrial, and human systems. Creating
Tropical forests, often described as the lungs of the planet, may be edging closer to a dangerous threshold as droughts become more frequent and widespread across the world's humid tropics. New research suggests these ecosystems are increasingly struggling to recover from
Workers in chronic pain often choose to conceal it and continue working as though nothing were wrong, according to new research led by the University of Delaware. Drawing on a survey of 66 workers living with chronic pain, the authors explored how hidden expectations shape
NASA's Perseverance Mars rover used its Mastcam-Z camera to capture this panorama of an area nicknamed "Arbot" on April 5, 2026, the 1,882nd Martian day (sol) of the mission, during the rover's deepest push west beyond Jezero Crater.
Quantum materials, materials with properties that are influenced by the laws of quantum mechanics, have attracted considerable attention over the past few decades. Their unique properties make these materials advantageous for the development of numerous cutting-edge
Public pension debt has far-reaching consequences, yet there appear to be limited options for addressing it. State and local governments often turn to legislation to reduce plan benefits. These reforms have been challenged in state and federal courts and providing a "timely
Engineers are rethinking the soil surrounding buried pipelines in a bid to help reduce Australia's billion-dollar annual corrosion problem and extend the lifespan of critical infrastructure. The Monash research, published in Geotechnical and Geological Engineering, explores how
The move from primary to secondary school is a major transition for many children, marked by new environments, new peers and increasing expectations. But while the jump signals growing up and greater independence, it also triggers a significant decline in student well-being,
A growing body of research suggests cannabis poses risks to the developing brain
Time might be even stranger than Einstein imagined. Physicists are now exploring the possibility that a single clock could exist in a quantum superposition, ticking both faster and slower at the same time — almost like Schrödinger’s cat being both alive and dead simultaneously.
The floating ice shelf of world’s widest glacier – Thwaites glacier in Antarctica – is detaching, with worrying implications for global sea-level rise
What you should know about hantavirus, why PCOS is getting a new name, and how some fish hide in an unusual spot
Scientists in South Korea have discovered that a probiotic bacterium found in kimchi may help the body flush out tiny plastic particles before they can build up in organs. In lab tests, the kimchi-derived microbe clung tightly to nanoplastics even under conditions designed to
A scientific mission was set to kick off the search Monday for rodents that may be hantavirus carriers after an outbreak on a cruise ship departed this region at the southern tip of Argentina on April 1.
One of the last outsiders to make authorized visits to India's only "uncontacted" tribe says it may be time to reconnect with the isolated people—in order to shield them from an encroaching world.
Inside some very special black holes, there may be a boundary called a Cauchy horizon. Columnist Leah Crane explores the place beyond which physics breaks and anything is possible
In recent years, atomically thin materials—crystals only a few atoms thick—have attracted growing attention because they can exhibit physical properties that do not appear in conventional bulk materials. Among them, atomically thin magnetic materials are particularly
Researchers at the Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (WPI-ITbM), Nagoya University, together with collaborators from RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (RIKEN CSRS) and The University of Osaka, have uncovered a previously unknown mechanism by which plants
A random photo snapped in the Australian outback has led to the rediscovery of a plant thought extinct for nearly 60 years — proving that ordinary people with smartphones are quietly transforming science. After bird bander Aaron Bean uploaded pictures of a strange shrub to
Kenyan ant expert Dino Martins gushes over the red and black insects that have become the center of an international smuggling trade.
A new study suggests humans became overwhelmingly right-handed because of two major evolutionary shifts: walking on two legs and developing much larger brains. Researchers found that as human ancestors evolved, their right-hand preference steadily intensified — transforming a
Scientists at the University of Cambridge have achieved what was once considered impossible by electrically powering insulating nanoparticles to create a completely new kind of LED. Using tiny organic “molecular antennas,” the team found a way to funnel energy into materials
Researchers have developed a durable new catalyst that produces clean hydrogen without relying on expensive platinum metals. The breakthrough could make renewable hydrogen fuel cheaper, more efficient, and easier to scale for real-world energy use.
Electric vehicles are pushing scientists to tackle one of the biggest hidden energy drains inside electric motors: magnetic energy loss. Now, researchers in Japan have developed a powerful AI-driven physics model that can peer into the chaotic “maze-like” magnetic patterns
Scientists have achieved something that once sounded almost impossible: using ordinary sunlight to create quantum-linked photon pairs, a phenomenon normally dependent on precise laboratory lasers. By building a sun-tracking system that funnels sunlight through optical fiber
For more than 200 years, scientists have struggled to pin down the exact strength of gravity — and one physicist spent a decade chasing the answer while keeping his own results hidden from himself. Stephan Schlamminger and his team at NIST painstakingly recreated a landmark
Coffee may give your blood pressure a temporary jolt, but that doesn’t mean it’s secretly wrecking your heart. Researchers say caffeine can briefly raise blood pressure by stimulating your heart and tightening blood vessels, especially in people who don’t drink coffee
Scientists have uncovered evidence that the vanished Tethys Ocean may have sculpted Central Asia’s mountainous landscape during the dinosaur era. Using decades of geological data, researchers found that distant tectonic activity linked to the ancient ocean appears to match
Water is largely tasteless to humans. But to the microbial world, it is anything but. Bacteria that live in contaminated environments have spent millions of years evolving exquisitely sensitive molecular detectors—proteins that latch onto specific chemical threats and trigger a
Imagine a laptop that never gets hot, a phone that holds its charge for days, or a computer memory chip designed to permanently retain data, even when the power goes out. This is the possibility sitting inside a remarkable family of materials that a team of researchers from the
When it comes to space debris, what goes up is coming down more often—and not safely.
Most Americans know what a real expert's credentials look like: relevant degree, years of experience, and respect from peers. The problem, according to a study recently published in Scientific Reports, is that none of it matters as much once we find out their politics.
Astronomers have tracked a dramatic "changing-look" active galactic nucleus (AGN) whose central supermassive black hole appeared to switch off and then rapidly reignite. The galaxy, HE 1237−2252, dimmed in X-rays by a factor of 17 within just 18 months before recovering again.
Our solar system is currently passing through the Local Interstellar Cloud, a region of highly diluted gas and dust between the stars. On its path, Earth continuously accumulates iron-60, a rare radioactive isotope of iron produced in stellar explosions. This has now been
The 1974 novel "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" offered a simple but enduring idea: Working on machines should not be about just fixing them, but slowing down, paying attention, and reflecting on both the work and oneself in the pursuit of quality.
Artificial intelligence (AI) systems, particularly conversational agents such as ChatGPT or Gemini, are now used daily by a growing number of people worldwide. While many users trust the answers of AI agents to their queries, these are not always accurate and reliable.
Hundreds of companies raised a combined $70 billion by selling shares to the public in the United States last year.
A joint European-Chinese spacecraft is set to blast off Tuesday to investigate what happens when extreme winds and giant explosions of plasma shot out from the sun slam into Earth's magnetic shield.
Every four years, the men's World Cup delivers some certainties. The pitch dimensions are tightly regulated, offside is signaled with a flag, and referees end the match with a blast of a whistle. But one key piece of equipment is changed on purpose: the ball.
A new nanoscopy technique developed at The Australian National University (ANU) has uncovered hidden networks used for communication between cells, opening new ways to understand human diseases. Described in an article published in Nature Communications, the method allows
