Ecology is often understood as a hyperlocal thing. The ecology of a pond, for instance, is vastly complex, even if the pond is tiny. But learning solely from local ecosystems is a slow and laborious approach that may not capture widely applicable findings.
In parts of the Midwest and Great Plains, feathery yellow goldenrod and stands of big bluestem sway alongside Indiangrass and other prairie plants, stretching up to eight feet tall. Now, in the search for ways to help ecosystems withstand the weather extremes made worse by
As organizations increasingly rely on algorithms to rank candidates for jobs, university spots, and financial services, a new method, named hyperFA*IR, offers a more principled approach when picking candidates based on a limited pool of applicants, especially if minorities are
A new study published in the Biodiversity Data Journal provides a profound look at life up to nearly 10 kilometers below the ocean's surface in the Japan, Ryukyu, and Izu-Ogasawara trenches. The research catalogs at least 108 distinct organism groups (morphotaxa), including the
Do chatbots have a role in higher education? It's a question Joshua Lambert, an associate professor and biostatistician in the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing, is pondering. He's turned to a group of his students to find out their thoughts about the helpfulness and
In just a few years, generative artificial intelligence (gen AI) has brought about significant changes in many industries, from health care to education, entertainment to finance, and even law.
When created at the nanoscale, materials can resemble shapes like stars, rods or even pyramids. These particle shapes, also known as the morphologies of a solid, make for more than just interesting images under a microscope—they can determine how the material behaves, sometimes
As long as 220,000 years ago—far earlier than previously thought—people quarried rocks for their tools in places they specifically sought out. An international research team led by the University of Tübingen has demonstrated this behavior at the Jojosi site in South Africa,
Why do trees fall in the forest? The Answer is Changing. New research suggests that in just 15 years, the causes of most tree loss have flipped from human hands to a handful of natural causes.
Snapper are central to coastal life across southern Australia, supporting fisheries, local businesses, and regional tourism. New Flinders University research has found that although snapper populations across southern Australia are highly connected, they are not fully
A mitochondrial enzyme, Ak4, strengthens immune defense by promoting mitochondrial DNA synthesis and enhancing macrophage antibacterial activity. When bacteria invade the body, macrophages serve as frontline defenders, rapidly eliminating pathogens to protect tissue integrity.
As NASA’s Orion spacecraft slipped behind the farside of the moon, the astronauts captured the crescent of Earth setting over the moon’s horizon.
Plastic pollution is a global problem. It damages ecosystems, endangers animals, and in the form of nanoplastic particles, can also have consequences for human health. A global agreement to regulate plastic pollution is therefore long overdue. However, plastic particles have
Supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies are one of the most active fields of research in astronomy. In order to accumulate their enormous masses, they must merge with each other. A research team led by Silke Britzen from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
The two largest planets in our solar system, Jupiter and Saturn, also have the largest satellite systems, or the most moons. At present, Jupiter's reported moon count stands at more than 100 moons, and along with its many rings, Saturn has more than 280 reported moons. Not all
Amplifying the brain's waste disposal system seems to clear a substance that drives migraines, relieving some of the pain associated with the condition
Anaerobic digesters converting manure to biogas reduce methane emissions from livestock, but incentives for them have encouraged factory farms to get bigger
Many drivers will know the feeling: you pull ahead of the slower car you've been stuck behind and cruise the open road ahead at your own, faster speed. By the time you reach the next stop light, you're sure that you've left the slower car far behind you—but to your surprise,
Communication is central to the survival of most animals, including humans. Yet animals of different species communicate differently, and the complexity of their communication skills varies greatly. One characteristic of advanced communication systems is the ability to combine
Redesigns can cause serious harm to businesses. New research from Adelaide University explores what brands should consider when modernizing their packaging. "The study shows that successful redesign depends on increasing consumers' perceived modernity without undermining
The first images from NASA’s Artemis II mission's lunar flyby were worth the wait
Skepticism about claims regarding sustainability reduces consumers' intentions to purchase sustainable products by weakening two important drivers of green consumption: people's willingness to look for trustworthy environmental information and their anticipated guilt about
Near-infrared spectroscopy, or fNIRS, offers a way to monitor brain activity without surgery or radiation by tracking changes in blood flow and oxygenation. Light sources placed on the scalp send near-infrared light into the head, and detectors measure the light that scatters
If you've poured your heart out on social media about a political issue, it might have felt cathartic—but likely was not persuasive, Cornell research finds. Americans are skeptical of emotional comments they see in their news and social media feeds, political scientist Talbot
NASA on Tuesday released a historic photograph of Earth dipping below the lunar horizon, more than 57 years after an iconic "Earthrise" image was captured by an Apollo 8 astronaut.
Giving lemurs the chance to use technology to share control of sensory experiences with zoo visitors can help create meaningful connections between humans and animals, new research suggests.
Permanently wiping out a disease is tricky business. Polio, measles, mumps—all have effective vaccines, yet they persist in certain pockets around the world. To date, the World Health Organization considers just two viruses as successfully eradicated: smallpox and rinderpest.
Oyster reef living shorelines have been found to provide a resilient and adaptive alternative to conventional hard coastal protection, reducing wave energy while supporting oyster colonization.
Humans are masters of seeing faces in any old thing—a handbag, TV static, toasted white bread. Scientists want to know why. A few years ago, as the category 5 Hurricane Milton bore down on the Florida coast, the internet noticed something strange. Doesn't the satellite image of
Mid-circuit measurements are one of the biggest practical hurdles in quantum error correction on encoded qubits. Researchers in Innsbruck and Aachen have now proposed and experimentally demonstrated that a universal fault-tolerant quantum algorithm can be executed without such
Ligand Pro, founded by Skoltech professors and a Skoltech Ph.D. student, has presented Matcha, an AI-powered molecular docking model that performs virtual drug screening 30 times faster than the large co-folding models of the AlphaFold class developed by Nobel laureates, while
Artemis II ’s astronauts got the opportunity to recreate the iconic 1968 photograph on either side of their journey around the moon, showing Earth as beautiful—and precious—as ever
Artemis II ’s sixth day was a whirlwind of science and awe, with the mission’s astronauts glimpsing parts of the moon never before seen by any human—and talking to the U.S. president
In their current state, climate policies around the world could leave a significant chunk of the global population exposed to simultaneous extreme heat and drought over five times more often by the end of this century than during the mid-to-late 20th century.
In The Creatures’ Guide to Caring , science journalist Elizabeth Preston looks to the animal kingdom to explore what it means to be a good parent.
By analyzing the data from the Pan-Andromeda Archaeological Survey (PandAS), European astronomers have discovered a new satellite of the Andromeda galaxy. The newfound object, which received the designation Andromeda XXXVI, appears to be an ultra-faint dwarf galaxy. The finding
When a natural disaster strikes a Latin American community, the damage doesn't stop at downed power lines and flooded streets. A new study finds that disasters trigger a 69% spike in public protests in affected districts, a social fallout that emergency planners rarely account
If NASA’s ambitious lunar exploration plans succeed, scientists will cover the moon with sensors—and find answers to several long-standing questions about the inner solar system
An elegant mix of math and gravity powers the Artemis II “free return” trajectory from Earth to the moon and back
Four NASA astronauts have now travelled further from Earth than any humans before them, as they flew around the moon during the Artemis II mission on 6 April
As the four Artemis astronauts approached a high point of their lunar mission—getting slung around the far side of the moon—NASA staffers crowded into Houston's famed mission control room Monday for a team photo.
Water likely accumulated on the moon slowly over billions of years, rather than during one big event, according to a new study by an international team of scientists. The researchers, including Paul Hayne, a planetary scientist at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space
The four astronauts carrying out NASA's first lunar flyby in more than half-a-century were sending back detailed observations of the moon after traveling farther from Earth than any human before.
The Artemis II astronauts wrapped up their lunar flyby as they continue their journey back to Earth on Tuesday, bringing with them rich celestial observations including little-known lunar craters, a solar eclipse and meteor strikes that scientists hope will open doors.
Artemis astronauts at the outer edge of human space travel had an emotional moment Monday as they proposed to name a crater in honor of the deceased wife of mission commander Reid Wiseman.
The four Artemis astronauts on a lunar flyby are now unreachable by NASA scientists on Earth, an expected communications blackout anticipated to last some 40 minutes as their spacecraft passes behind the moon.
Canadian astronaut Jenni Gibbons was at the heart of NASA's control room in Houston on Monday, supporting her Artemis II crewmates remotely during their flight around the moon.
A single week of intensive meditation and mind-body practices led to measurable changes across the brain and body. Researchers observed improved brain efficiency, boosted immune signaling, and increased natural pain relief chemicals in participants’ blood. The effects even
A surprising new study reveals that what you eat could play a powerful role in fighting cholera, a deadly diarrheal disease. Researchers found that diets rich in certain proteins—especially casein from dairy and wheat gluten—can dramatically reduce the ability of cholera
A team of engineers has created a breakthrough memory device that keeps working at temperatures hotter than molten lava, shattering one of electronics’ biggest limits. Built from an unusual stack of ultra-durable materials, the tiny component can store data and perform