A British start-up recently pulled off a key maneuver for electric vertical flight—but certification, infrastructure and demand will decide whether air taxis fill our skies
Nacre-inspired ceramics could be the basis for the next generation of energy-efficient technology
Some innovations in physics come from entirely new technologies, others from fresh theoretical insights. Others still take shape by bringing together existing tools in new ways, working out how to combine them to outperform other solutions. The branch of particle physics that
An El Niño event is expected to develop from mid-2026, impacting global temperature and rainfall patterns, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The latest monthly Global Seasonal Climate Update from WMO signals a clear shift in the Equatorial Pacific:
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have implemented an advanced microscopy technique to visualize multiple biomolecules inside the nucleus of a cancer cell simultaneously at incredibly high resolution. The biomolecules they visualized include critical
Many important objects in the world can be divided into two categories based on their chirality or handedness, including molecules important for life such as amino acids. Such chiral objects (formally defined as objects which are not identical to their mirror images) are often
Tiny grains produce big charges The post Why Volcanoes Sometimes Shoot Out Lightning appeared first on Nautilus .
Gene editing has emerged as a powerful approach for targeting the genetic causes of disease, but getting the editing machinery into the right cells efficiently, safely, and at the scale needed for therapies remains one of the biggest set of challenges in the field.
Past research has shown that even though science is commonly viewed as essential for effective policymaking, Democrats and Republicans cite different scientific research when creating policy—even when addressing the same topic. Now, a new Northwestern study analyzing
A research team led by Professor Jin Yong Lee from the Department of Chemistry of Sungkyunkwan University, with co-first author HyoungChul Ham, and in collaboration with research teams from Korea University and the National University of Singapore, has developed a
Urea is an extremely important chemical, especially for fertilizers. But, making urea is energy intensive and relies heavily on fossil fuels. However, new findings from Griffith University and the Queensland University of Technology have highlighted new ways to produce urea
But the biological significance of their shifts is a mystery The post These Bees Change Color with the Weather appeared first on Nautilus .
Researchers have demonstrated the first "all-in-one" cocatalyst for photocatalytic overall water splitting, a breakthrough that could simplify the production of clean hydrogen fuel. The discovery marks an important step toward practical technologies that use sunlight and water
Designing molecules is one of chemistry's most complex challenges. From life-saving drugs to advanced materials, each compound requires a precise sequence of reactions. Planning these steps demands both technical knowledge and strategic insight, making it a task that often
Earth’s gravitational force, g, has been known for centuries. But the exact value of G, the universal gravitational constant, is elusive
A study led by Wageningen University & Research shows that human interventions have significantly changed tides in river estuaries over the past centuries. In many regions around the world, the difference between high and low tide has increased, and the tidal wave is moving
It’s a rare event The post This New Model May Explain Why You’re Not a Twin appeared first on Nautilus .
DNA does not float freely in the cell. Instead, it is wrapped around histone proteins to form structures called nucleosomes. These histones carry numerous chemical modifications that act as molecular signals, controlling how tightly the DNA is packaged and which genes are
A new article published in Science argues that governments should adopt three integrated energy demand goals by 2035, warning that climate policy will fall short unless it focuses not only on how energy is produced, but also on how it is used.
Researchers at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln have developed a vaccine approach that shows promise in protecting against highly pathogenic bird flu, demonstrating strong efficacy in both mice and cattle. Avian influenza (H5N1) has disrupted agricultural systems globally,
During the development of marine organisms—from fertilization through to juvenile stages—it is often observed that the eggs released into the water column are initially supplied with only a small fraction of the energy they require. The remaining reserves needed for growth must
They’re filled with a lot more fury than their millennia-long slumber would suggest The post When “Extinct” Volcanoes Reawaken appeared first on Nautilus .
Researchers have developed a powerful new tool that can track how microbes spread between people with unprecedented precision, offering new ways to prevent infections and improve treatments in the future. The research, published April 24 in Nature Microbiology, describes how
Measuring the strength of gravity is extraordinarily difficult, and different experiments have always disagreed – but a new test is paving the way to finally understanding nature’s most enigmatic force
One of the biggest challenges in cancer research is understanding why some tumor cells become especially aggressive, invasive and resistant to treatment. Scientists have increasingly linked these dangerous traits to polyploid cancer cells—cells with extra sets of
As the U.S. economy becomes more consolidated, the strategic decisions of senior leaders at leading companies carry ever-greater weight. A lot is riding on how these companies are run, yet in most cases, their day-to-day decision-making remains obscure. But the banking industry
A team of astrophysicists from Nanjing University and University of Bonn have demonstrated that, rather than being random, the mass of new stars born inside a star cluster is actually governed by a defined process of self-regulation. Their work has been published in the journal
At a Senate hearing on Wednesday, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., referred to ibogaine as the most promising treatment for PTSD and depression “that anybody’s ever seen.” Does the science hold that up?
Carbon nanotubes are one technology that many observers believe hasn't quite lived up to the extreme hype that surrounded them when they first appeared on the scene in the late 1990s. At that time, much was made of their extraordinary electrical, thermal, and mechanical
A research team has developed a high-efficiency electrochemical system that simultaneously produces hydrogen and value-added chemicals using glycerol, a low-cost, abundant byproduct of biodiesel production. The findings are published in Joule.
For observers on Earth, the sun appears as a bright, familiar disk—but what we see is only half the story. Like the moon, one half of the sun is permanently hidden from our direct view: the far side beyond the visible solar limb. Yet, activity brewing there can eventually turn
Imagine your favorite sunny beach. Anywhere will do. You look out and see the ocean stretching to the horizon. To a glaciologist, that view is not just water; it's melted ice. Our new study shows that the best case sea-level rise scenarios may now be out of reach. The work is
James Webb data reveal pristine gas irradiated by energetic light some 450 million years after the Big Bang — a sign it may house primordial stars.
Messier 104, nicknamed the Sombrero Galaxy, is a popular target for amateur observing and astronomical research. Its recognizable extended halo, as well as a faint stellar stream, are captured in exquisite detail in this image from the Department of Energy-fabricated Dark
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is seeking to accelerate the review process for three companies that are studying psilocybin and an MDMA-like drug as treatments for depression and PTSD
The Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) has detected PeV (1015 eV) gamma-ray emission from a pulsar wind nebula powered by PSR J1849-0001 in the constellation Aquila, marking the discovery of a new PeVatron and posing a challenge to the classical theory of
Measurements of this interstellar comet’s molecular makeup show an excess of heavy water molecules that is dramatically different from anything known to have ever formed around our sun
Using the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST), astronomers have observed a nearby young open cluster known as NGC 1647. Results of the new observations, presented in a paper published April 13 on the pre-print server arXiv, deliver essential
Light pollution is dangerous for birds flying over towns and cities. Here’s how you can help
A study by University of Wollongong (UOW) physicist Dr. Enbang Li has demonstrated that gravity can subtly influence the behavior of light, a breakthrough that could underpin future technologies for monitoring groundwater, tracking glacier melt, locating mineral deposits and
An international team of academics led by Professor Garrick Allen at the University of Glasgow has successfully recovered 42 lost pages from one of the world's most important early New Testament manuscripts: Codex H.
Even after fires, severe droughts, and windstorms, the vegetation in degraded Amazonian forests demonstrates a high capacity for regeneration, including tree species. However, recovery occurs under new ecological conditions, resulting in a loss of diversity and increased
New James Webb Space Telescope images could shed fresh light on how dying stars evolve over time
An international team of researchers has produced complete, gap-free genome sequences for six peanut varieties, providing a comprehensive blueprint for future peanut breeding and improvement strategies.
An analysis of ancient DNA and modern disease risk suggests some immune genes may reduce allergy risk rather than increase it.
The detection and study of isotopes, atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons, could expand the scope of physics research and enable new scientific discoveries. So far, rare isotopes have been primarily detected using a technique known as accelerator
The El Niño weather phenomenon, which pushed global temperatures to record highs the last time around, is expected to return in mid-2026, the UN said Friday.
As Earth shifts to climates not seen for several hundred thousand years, we may need to look at ancient environments for clues about what could happen next.
A study has provided new evidence of beavers' expansion into the Canadian Arctic by dating the changes they have made to the tundra landscape as they spread northward. Published in the journal Ecosphere, the research combines tree-ring analysis, or dendrochronology, with
“Neurons that fire together, wire together” is not the full story. A novel mechanism explains how the brain can learn across longer timescales. The post A New Type of Neuroplasticity Rewires the Brain After a Single Experience first appeared on Quanta Magazine
