Europe to negotiate with NASA on lunar missions: ESA
The European Space Agency will negotiate future participation in NASA missions after the US space agency revamped its lunar program, the ESA head told AFP Wednesday.
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NASA's Artemis II mission launches on first crewed lunar flyby in 50 years
Four astronauts blasted off aboard a massive NASA rocket Wednesday on a long-anticipated journey around the moon, the first crewed lunar flyby in more than 50 years.
New miniature marsupial frog found in Peru carries eggs in a back pouch
Scientists have discovered a new species of miniature marsupial frog in the Peruvian Amazon that carries its young in a natural pouch on its back, a research institute reported Wednesday.
AI uptake across Italian firms remains patchy, study suggests, despite generative AI buzz
Research in the International Journal of Business Information Systems suggests that the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) is remarkably uneven across Italian firms. While some may have made a deliberate choice not to use AI, of the many that are planning to use it, some
How a seabird native to Hawaii has adapted to life in Honolulu's concrete jungle
Kaʻiulani Murphy is quick to spot white terns flapping their wings when she's guiding Polynesian voyaging canoes across the Pacific.
Earthquake off Indonesia topples buildings, kills 1 person and sets off small tsunami
An undersea magnitude -7.4 earthquake toppled buildings in parts of northern Indonesia, sent people fleeing from their homes, killed at least one person and generated a small tsunami Thursday.
Native Americans were making dice, gambling, exploring probability millennia before their Old World counterparts
A new study in American Antiquity presents evidence that the earliest known dice in human history were made and used by Native American hunter-gatherers on the western Great Plains more than 12,000 years ago at the end of the last Ice Age, long before the earliest known dice
The oldest known dice date back about 12,000 years in North America
A study of ancient artifacts suggests Native American dice games began thousands of years earlier than previously documented.
Humans have been gambling since the Ice Age
A new archeological finding shows that Native Americans were exploring probability through games of chance far earlier than their Old World counterparts
What’s hiding inside colon cancer could change treatment
Colorectal cancer may carry a unique microbial “fingerprint,” setting it apart from other cancers and opening a new frontier in diagnosis and treatment. By analyzing DNA from over 9,000 patients, researchers discovered that only colorectal tumors consistently host distinct
'Nothing is changing,' researcher warns British Columbia's endangered species lacking protection
Thousands of endangered species in British Columbia are not receiving the help they need to survive, according to new Simon Fraser University research. B.C. is Canada's most biodiverse province, but analysis of nearly 20 years of data indicates that very few of its threatened
Scientists discover bizarre termite that looks like a tiny sperm whale
High in a South American rainforest canopy, scientists have discovered a bizarre new termite species that looks strikingly like a miniature sperm whale. Named Cryptotermes mobydicki, this tiny insect has an elongated head and concealed mandibles that give it an uncanny
AI study reveals England's productivity divide is far more complex than North-South
Researchers at the University of Manchester have used artificial intelligence to uncover a complex picture behind England's long-running productivity puzzle, challenging the idea that the country's economic performance can be explained by a simple North-South divide. In a major
Going from serving the nation to serving a prison sentence
As Australia faces renewed strategic tension and the heightened prospect of conflict abroad, new Flinders University research warns that many veterans and their families—the very people relied upon to protect the nation—are being failed long after their service ends.
Fifty years of measuring the world's cleanest air
Australia marks 50 years of monitoring the world's cleanest air in remote northwest Tasmania at Kennaook / Cape Grim Baseline Air Pollution Station, supporting global efforts to track human-driven changes to the atmosphere.
Rethinking Europe's nature reserves
Natura 2000 is regarded as a milestone in nature conservation: this network of around 27,000 protected areas across the EU is designed to preserve wild plant and animal species and their habitats. It is the world's largest network of protected areas across countries.
NASA Artemis II astronauts “safe” and “secure" as they journey toward the moon, officials say
NASA launched the Artemis II moon mission on Wednesday, April 1—a date that will enable the crew to observe the moon pass in front of the sun from space
Mercury scout mission concept with solar sail propulsion
The planet Mercury is the closest planet to the sun, and also the most difficult for spacecraft to visit and explore. This is because as spacecraft get closer to Mercury, the sun's enormous gravity pulls in the spacecraft, greatly increasing its speed and making it hard to slow
Researchers warn of risks posed by 'contaminants of emerging concern' found in crops, agricultural soil
A new international study offers insights into the health risks posed by crops' absorption of "contaminants of emerging concern" (CECs) and flags knowledge gaps the authors say must be addressed. CECs include pharmaceuticals, microplastics, engineered nanomaterials and PFAS
Study suggests people are losing 338 spoken words every year and have been for at least 15 years
In a society increasingly shaped by self-checkouts, GPS navigation and touchscreen ordering kiosks, new research shows face-to-face conversation may be quietly fading. A new study published in Perspectives on Psychological Science suggests that people are losing 338 spoken
Researchers present first fossilized 'emperor' butterfly
Butterfly fossils are rare, and finds that preserve fine anatomical details and wing patterns are an absolute exception. An international research team from Sweden, the U.S., and Germany, led by Dr. Hossein Rajaei, lepidopterist at the State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart,
Thirty previously unpublished verses by Empedocles discovered on a papyrus from Cairo
A 2,000-year-old papyrus fragment, discovered in the archives of the French Institute of Oriental Archaeology in Cairo, reveals 30 previously unpublished verses by Empedocles, a pre-Socratic philosopher of the fifth century BCE. This discovery offers researchers direct access
Reducing aircraft soot might not actually reduce the climate effects of contrails
Reducing aircraft soot emissions may not reduce contrail clouds, according to in-flight observations of emissions from a passenger jet with modern "lean-burn" engines, reported in Nature. Contrails from aircraft contribute to the climate-warming impacts of aviation. The
World's largest quantum circuit simulation for quantum chemistry achieved on 1,024 GPUs
A joint research team between the Center for Quantum Information and Quantum Biology (QIQB) at The University of Osaka and Fixstars Corporation has demonstrated one of the world's largest classical simulations of iterative quantum phase estimation (IQPE) circuits for quantum
Lakes forming next to Greenland's melting ice sheet are speeding up glacier flow
A growing network of meltwater lakes at the edge of the Greenland ice sheet is accelerating the flow of major glaciers, potentially increasing the pace of global sea-level rise. Warmer air and sea temperatures have led to the loss of around 264 gigatons of ice every year in
Oregano, rosemary and 'time': Long-term swine study shows natural-compound benefits
In the search to replace antibiotic growth promoters with effective alternatives in modern swine production, plant-based essential oils are showing potential to provide lasting benefits. In a rare long-term public study that compared the effects of phytochemicals from rosemary
Stretching metals can tune catalysis: A new method predicts energy shifts
Heterogeneous catalysis—in which catalysts and reactants are of different phases, e.g., solid and gas—is important to many industrial processes and often involves solid metal as the catalyst. Ammonia synthesis, catalytic converters for automobile exhaust, methanol synthesis,
Artemis II sends humans around the moon for first time since Apollo
Artemis II is underway, carrying four astronauts around the moon on a 10-day mission to test systems for later lunar flights and an eventual moon base.
NASA’s Artemis II mission launches four astronauts to the moon
A daring 10-day voyage will take four astronauts on a loop around the moon and set the stage for future forays to the lunar surface
Study finds some dark web users share traits with those involved in crime
The dark web is sometimes seen as a shadowy part of the internet, but it also has legitimate uses, including accessing censored information and sharing files securely. Its anonymity and privacy features, however, can make it appealing to those drawn to riskier or illicit online
Chaos shapes how meandering rivers change over time, research shows
Rivers are rarely the calm, orderly streams we imagine on maps. Over time, their winding paths—called meanders—shift, bend, and occasionally snap off in sudden "cutoff" events that shorten loops and reshape the landscape. While scientists have long suspected that such cutoffs
Fins, fingers and toes: A new take on repeating body parts and how they come to be
As biologists know, nature can take its sweet time explaining itself. Andrew Gillis, associate scientist at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL), has been investigating how the paired fins of fishes evolved for nearly 20 years—ever since he was a Ph.D. student with Neil
Virus-inspired DNA needle could pave the way for better medicines
Researchers at Aarhus University have developed a microscopic DNA needle that can deliver molecules directly into cells—and, crucially, help make sure they remain active once they get there. That addresses a major problem in modern medicine: much of what enters a cell is
New model shows how behavioral flexibility affects animal evolution
When the environment changes dramatically, animals from mollusks to crows can make big changes in their behavior that enable them to survive. For example, marmots and ground squirrels in California are spending more time in wet vegetation and on steep slopes to counteract
Aquaculture is shifting toward less sustainable species, study says
While aquaculture has grown rapidly to meet global seafood demand, it is increasingly relying on species that are less beneficial for food security, climate mitigation, and biodiversity, said a new study from researchers at the University of British Columbia. The study,
Precision work prior to cell division: How enzymes optimize DNA structure
Before a cell can divide, it has to precisely duplicate its entire genetic information. However, the DNA in the cell exists as part of a DNA-protein complex known as chromatin. For this purpose, the DNA is wrapped around a core of histone proteins and tightly packed into
How Sleep Cleans the Brain
A fresh look at your nightly brainwashing The post How Sleep Cleans the Brain appeared first on Nautilus .
Gemini South confirms long-suspected link between the composition of exoplanets and their host stars
Astronomers have discovered that a giant planet, WASP-189b, echoes the composition of its host star, providing the first direct evidence of a foundational concept in astrobiology. This discovery was achieved through the first-ever simultaneous measurement of gaseous magnesium
A global butterfly index could advance insect conservation worldwide
About 70% of the species on Earth are insects. They are fundamental components of most ecosystems: they comprise half of the biomass on the planet, pollinate flowers, decompose dead organic matter and play multiple roles in food webs. They are quite literally everywhere,
Time lapse video shows trees give visual clues as they rehydrate each spring
With the arrival of spring a few weeks ago, new buds and colors on the trees started to appear. Along with that new growth, a UBC Okanagan researcher has determined that some trees in spring also provide simple, visual clues—raised or lowered branches—to indicate that they are
Molecular system can distinguish and neutralize cancer cells, paving the way for 'smart' drugs
How can cancer cells be targeted without damaging healthy tissue? This is one of the major challenges facing oncology today. Using synthetic DNA strands, a team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has created a "smart" system that can recognize cancer cells with exceptional
Gravitational waves suggest a 'forbidden zone' for stellar-origin black holes
An international team led by Monash University has uncovered evidence of a rare form of exploding star, helping to shed light on one of the most cataclysmic events in the universe. At the end of their lives, most massive stars collapse into black holes—objects with gravity so
New microporous aerogel uses van der Waals forces for flexible, moldable shaping
Porous materials are widely used for gas storage, separation, catalysis, and environmental purification. Their functionality arises from nanoscale pores that allow molecules to be selectively captured or transported. However, most porous materials, such as metal-organic
Why some predators thrive near people: A Kenya hyena study highlights tolerance
Human–wildlife coexistence is often far from straightforward, with predators particularly hard hit: their numbers tend to fall sharply in areas close to human settlements, fields and pastureland. This is not, however, a simple case of inevitable decline, but a question of
Q&A: What to know about NASA's first crewed moon landing since 1972
Artemis II, NASA's first crewed mission to the moon in more than 50 years, represents a shift from short visits toward sustained exploration, where understanding lunar geology and resources becomes as important as the engineering that gets astronauts there. Artemis II is
Hidden features in X-rays could radically change how we measure and understand them
Hidden features uncovered in X-ray signals are set to overturn a key scientific theory and fundamentally change how X-rays are interpreted across fields of physics, chemistry, biology and materials science, new research reveals. Researchers say the discovery can help scientists
Digital heart twins can guide a lifesaving procedure
Heart replicas helped doctors spot good targets for ablation in 10 patients. Months later, all of them are free of sustained faulty rhythms.
Queen bumblebees can breathe underwater for days. We discovered how
In most bumblebee species, the queens spend their winters buried underground in a tiny cavity the size of a grape. For six to nine months, they enter a deep sleep-like state called diapause, waiting for spring.
Atomic-level simulations reveal rotational mechanism behind a critical biomolecular motor
The way a key cellular motor works at an atomic level has been uncovered by simulations conducted by RIKEN biophysicists. This finding, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, provides important insights into how mechanical force is generated
What's driving Salt Lake City's downward emissions trends?
Emissions of two major pollutants have steadily decreased on Salt Lake City roads over the past two decades, while levels of carbon dioxide emissions, a related gas blamed for climate change, remained steady, according to a new study by University of Utah atmospheric scientists
