Researchers have identified two gut bacteria that can produce serotonin, a key chemical that regulates bowel movements. In experiments with mice lacking serotonin, the microbes boosted serotonin levels, increased nerve cells in the colon, and normalized intestinal movement. The
A global database documenting the location of critical habitats for sharks, rays, and chimeras has recently expanded to include Australia, with years of extensive research by Charles Darwin University (CDU) contributing to this crucial digital record.
A newly identified Australian tree has been dubbed the “zombie” tree because it’s alive but unable to reproduce. Myrtle rust repeatedly kills its young growth, stopping the species from flowering or making seeds. Scientists are scrambling to grow disease-free seedlings in
More than 7.5 million people immerse themselves in lakes, rivers, seas and lidos every year in the UK. But getting in the water means getting in pollution too for most outdoor swimmers. Raw sewage was discharged into UK waters for 4.7 million hours during 2024. But sewage is
Tiny plastic particles may be quietly threatening brain health. New research suggests microplastics—now widely found in food, water, and even household dust—could trigger inflammation and damage in the brain through multiple biological pathways. Scientists estimate adults may
In a randomised trial, men who experience premature ejaculation benefitted from using an app to learn techniques for extending intercourse
The performance horse industry had a problem: Some of their most beloved and sought-after mares simply couldn't have foals safely. To make matters more complicated, in vitro fertilization (IVF) had not yet produced a healthy equine embryo, despite years of success in other
Scientists are exploring a surprisingly simple way to clean up diesel engines: adding tiny droplets of water to the fuel. During combustion, the water rapidly vaporizes, triggering micro-explosions that improve fuel mixing and lower combustion temperatures. Studies show this
In the middle of the old-growth forests of Congaree National Park in South Carolina, fireflies put on an otherworldly display every May. Thousands of male insects belonging to the species Photuris frontalis flash together at the same time and follow the exact same pattern—a
How some genes can rig the system The post The Genetic Secrets of Sperm Warfare appeared first on Nautilus .
Scientists have uncovered evidence that our Sun may have traveled across the Milky Way as part of a massive migration of Sun-like stars billions of years ago. The journey may have carried the solar system away from the galaxy’s crowded center into a calmer region where life
Wet wipes conveniently clean and sanitize soiled surfaces and skin. Because some labels do not clearly indicate how consumers should dispose of them, these small cloths are often flushed down the toilet and released by sewage plants into waterways. Now, researchers report in
Dragonfly integration and testing—the activities involved in assembling the mission's rotorcraft lander and testing it for the rigors of launch and extreme conditions of space—is officially underway in clean rooms and control rooms at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics
Wildlife populations that become small and isolated, often due to habitat loss, inevitably experience inbreeding which can lead to the loss of fitness and eventual extinction. One solution is to perform a genetic rescue: a management intervention where new blood is brought in
Multiferroic metals are materials that exhibit both electric polarization and magnetic order in the same crystal—a state known as multiferroicity. Because these properties coexist, they can interact through magnetoelectric (ME) coupling, allowing electric fields to influence
It takes a lot of backbone The post Why Cats Always Land on Their Feet appeared first on Nautilus .
MLIP calculations successfully identify suitable dopants for a novel photocatalytic material, report researchers from the Institute of Science Tokyo. As demonstrated in their study, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, a materials informatics approach
An international team from China and Italy has reported a possible cosmic encore to the landmark 2017 multi-messenger discovery. In November 2024, the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA observatories detected gravitational waves from a binary black hole merger, designated S241125n. Remarkably,
The customer is always right. It's the first rule of customer service, one that often means "I'm sorry" is the de facto response if mistakes are made. But a new study published in the Journal of Consumer Research indicates that the age-old maxim might not hold water. In fact,
A new LMU study shows how proteins function reliably even without a stable 3D structure—and the crucial importance not only of short sequence motifs, but also of chemical characteristics.
An interview with medieval studies scholar and apocalypse expert Matthew Gabriele The post What Doomsday Prophecies Say About Us appeared first on Nautilus .
A tropical insect has been found to change color from vivid hot pink to green within a fortnight, which scientists believe may mimic the young leaves of rainforest plants. The findings, published this week in the journal Ecology, focuses on Arota festae, a leaf-masquerading
A research team associated with the European project DEATHREVOL has published a study in the journal Scientific Reports that proposes new analytical tools to better understand how fractures of the human skull occur and how these injuries can be interpreted in order to
Scientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a biochemical technique that captures fleeting "handshakes" between newly made proteins and the cellular helpers. These short interactions are important because they can determine whether a protein turns
It's long been assumed that for an organism to learn, remember or draw conclusions, it needs a brain. But mounting evidence, including a recent Cognitive Science study, challenges that assumption, suggesting that neurons might not be necessary for complex information processing.
It’s a lot more kinetically impressive than slithering The post Here’s How Snakes Defy Gravity to Stand Up appeared first on Nautilus .
Two locations have been identified as the most likely entry points into Australia for a disease that poses a huge risk to the beef and dairy industries. A University of Queensland-led team has built the first geospatial model to map where insects carrying lumpy skin disease
An international team of researchers has achieved a breakthrough in the production of doxorubicin, a vital chemotherapy agent. The study identifies and resolves molecular "bottlenecks" that have limited the natural production of this drug for over 50 years. The research is
There is a near-infinite number of material candidates out there—and simply not enough time to hunker down in the lab and test them all. Thankfully, researchers have a variety of tools (such as AI) at their disposal to streamline what would otherwise be a time-consuming process
Engineers at Duke University have demonstrated a technique that uses microbubbles and ultrasound to help relatively large cancer drugs enter tumor cells and cause them to self-destruct. Dubbed "Sonoporation-assisted Precise Intracellular Nanodelivery"—or SonoPIN for short—the
There’s a new psychedelic mushroom in town The post Newly Discovered Species Changes the Origin Story of Magic Mushrooms appeared first on Nautilus .
Urban parks are a vital component of urban ecosystems and provide distinctive habitats for soil microorganisms. Yet scientists have questioned whether—and how—the functional diversity and evolutionary potential of microbial communities are being reshaped by rapid urbanization.
In reptiles, a simple temperature change can determine whether an egg develops into a male or female. This process is formally known as temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD), in which the sex of an embryo is determined by the temperature it experiences during a specific
… and their travails as they encountered early humans The post The Travels of Straight-Tusked Elephants in Europe, Written in Their Teeth appeared first on Nautilus .
In the journal Science Advances, scientists in Sweden and the U.S. report the first-ever direct observation of a type of short-lived molecule that has shaped decades of thinking in atmospheric chemistry, combustion research and biomedical science.
Astronomers have found an exoplanet that could serve as a benchmark in future studies. It's a rocky planet orbiting an M-type star, and though these planets are plentiful, this one could serve as a benchmark for understanding other M-dwarf exoplanets and their atmospheres.
The human body was not designed for life in space, and a new study helps reveal why
The tiny Amazon molly (Poecilia formosa) has always fascinated researchers because, according to the rules of evolution, it shouldn't have survived as a species, let alone thrive as a species for over 100,000 years. Using advanced genetic mapping and comparison techniques to
Fleeting electron-hole pairs are giving scientists a new window into optimizing light-emitting devices (LEDs). Using quantum magnetic resonance, Osaka Metropolitan University researchers have discovered how shifting internal electric fields dictate whether these devices shine
A genetic mutation tied to keeping the brain healthy at high altitudes may point to a way to repair nerve damage, experiments in mice show.
To survive in areas where it is difficult to photosynthesize, some organisms adopt unique strategies. Osaka Metropolitan University researchers have found that a freshwater alga captures far-red light as an additional energy source by arranging ordinary chlorophyll in an
The Miocene, beginning approximately 23 million years ago, represents a canonical "warm-Earth" interval characterized by elevated atmospheric CO2 and a warmer global climate. The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), as a leading mode of interannual climate variability, exerts
An off-Broadway drama shows what happens when billionaires take center stage in science The post Money Can’t Buy You Youth appeared first on Nautilus .
The episode of extreme rainfall that affected the east of the Iberian Peninsula at the end of October 2024 left a devastating mark on the province of Valencia. In some areas, such as Turís, more than 700 liters per square meter were recorded in 24 hours; in other words, in just
If you were a bee, how would you choose a flower to land on? You might go to the most beautiful one, as pollination biologists have long suggested that flowers with striking colors attract pollinators more easily. Or perhaps, as other studies indicate, you might go where other
Although the potential applications of quantum computing are widespread, a new feasibility study suggests quantum computers still face major hurdles in solving quantum chemistry problems. The study, published in Physical Review B, evaluates what criteria are needed for a
Researchers at the Center for Computational Sciences, University of Tsukuba, have developed an accessible platform to overcome the limitations of conventional static docking simulations, offering new avenues for education, training, and reproducible research in molecular
Simulations of Australopithecus hominins’ anatomy suggest that when they gave birth, they may have exerted tremendous pressure on their pelvic floors, putting them at risk of tearing
The oceans of the Cretaceous of North America teemed with life. Gigantic fish and enormous marine reptiles hunted the Western Interior Sea. A unique new fossil demonstrates rare evidence of direct conflict between these apex predators.
How do scientists actually study beavers? How do beavers build dams? And what is “beaver butt juice”?