How much noise should we put up with? London and Copenhagen have different answers
Traffic, trains, nightlife—in cities everywhere, there is a near-constant background hum that most people simply get used to.
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Are autistic suspects likely to be disadvantaged in forensic interviews?
A new study led by Flinders University finds both autistic and nonautistic suspects may be judged more harshly if any idiosyncratic behaviors in interviews stray beyond what observers consider normal. The research also undermines the widely held perspective—referred to as the
Only one workout helped older adults lose fat and keep muscle
A six-month study suggests that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) may offer older adults a powerful advantage: losing body fat while keeping their muscle. Unlike moderate-intensity workouts, which led to a small loss of lean muscle, HIIT preserved it while also improving
Scientists find hidden materials that could improve batteries and solar fuels
Scientists have uncovered a hidden world of “in-between” materials that briefly form as chemical ingredients are heated, revealing structures that conventional methods can miss. Among the discoveries is a previously unknown form of bismuth vanadate, a material widely studied
Walking through flames: Orangutans rescued in Indonesia fires
The orangutan clings to the top of a mostly leafless tree in Indonesia's portion of Borneo as waves of thick smoke from the forest fires burning below waft over her.
Bacteria turn a virus’ own weapon against it
Researchers have uncovered a new way bacteria detect viral attacks: a virus-produced enzyme cuts a bacterial sensor protein, triggering a self-destructing immune response. The discovery could lead to more effective phage therapies against antibiotic-resistant bacteria and
Seals and sea lions get their hearing tested at Australia Zoo
Scientists in Australia trained sea lions and seals to respond to a hearing test for research into how the marine mammals are affected by human-made noise.
Malaysia closes schools in capital, parts of country due to haze
Malaysia closed schools in Kuala Lumpur and other parts of the country Friday as haze from fires in neighboring Indonesia again pushed local air quality to some of the world's worst levels.
Fish may look fine in urban waters but their genes tell a different story
Blue damselfish, with their striking blue hue, are easy to spot, even along Okinawa's heavily urbanized coastlines. But while abundant, their gene activity reveals a hidden cost to living in human-impacted environments.
'Molecular movie' finally reveals how penicillin is made
Researchers from the University of Oxford and international collaborators have revealed previously unseen rapid chemical stages in the formation of β-lactam antibiotics like penicillin, offering insights that can support future antibiotic development. The findings have been
3D genome 'entanglement' may explain how cephalopods evolved complex brains
Octopuses, squid and cuttlefish, collectively known as coleoid cephalopods, have evolved exceptionally large and elaborately structured nervous systems capable of complex behaviors such as problem-solving and rapid camouflage. A new study by scientists at the University of
A 9-billion-year-old signal could help explain dark energy
A Canadian radio telescope has detected the faint glow of hydrogen from billions of years ago using only its own observations, proving a long-awaited way to map the distant universe can actually work. CHIME can use this hydrogen signal to trace how matter is spread across space
Hurricane Isaias strengthens en route to US Gulf Coast
Isaias strengthened to a Category 2 hurricane on Thursday as it headed toward the U.S. Gulf Coast, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said, prompting mandatory evacuations and disrupting oil and gas production.
A quantum prediction from 1931 just came to life
Nearly a century after physicist Hans Bethe predicted them, scientists have created and directly observed unusual quantum states known as “Bethe strings” in an ultracold gas. By cooling cesium atoms to near absolute zero and trapping them in thousands of tiny one-dimensional
Four astronauts return to Earth after eight months in space
Four astronauts returned to Earth from the International Space Station on Thursday after hurrying there eight months ago to replace an ailing colleague and his crew.
NASA astronauts splash down after 100 million miles in space
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 astronauts have returned to Earth after 237 days in space, traveling more than 100 million miles and completing over 3,792 orbits while conducting research to prepare for future missions to the Moon and Mars. The mission also made history with
Scientists create new statewide surface geologic map of Nebraska
A new academic paper by Paul Hanson and Matthew Joeckel of the Conservation and Survey Division in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln's School of Natural Resources contains a brief phrase—"new linework"—that looks innocuous but carries enormous meaning.
Global analysis reveals how armed conflict erodes farmland and potential food production
Armed conflict accelerates cropland loss, and the effects can persist for years after conflict begins and vary substantially with conflict severity and social conditions, according to a new study published in Nature Food on Sept. 24.
October’s night sky is full of cosmic tricks and treats
October’s skies are packed with celestial surprises, from Jupiter disappearing behind the Moon to two meteor showers lighting up the darkness. NASA highlights four must-see events, including shooting stars from Halley’s Comet and a glowing Hunter’s Moon just before Halloween.
Nearly 30,000 people tested quit-smoking methods. One stood out
Nicotine e-cigarettes appear to help more smokers quit than patches, gum, and several other common approaches, according to a major review of 80 clinical trials. Researchers say regulated vaping products are not risk-free, but may be a significantly less harmful alternative for
Research shows how AI and mixed reality can enhance police work
How can AI provide police officers with better support in complex situations? In an interdisciplinary collaboration, researchers in police research and computing science at Umeå University have explored the opportunities and risks associated with using AI-based interactive
Most trading card packs hide the odds of winning rare cards, study finds
Pokémon, sports and other physical trading and collectible cards have been around for decades but have surged in popularity since COVID. These cards are usually obtained through gambling-like packs containing random cards. Most packs do not offer any highly desirable cards, but
Introducing LGBT stories linked to more inclusive attitudes in primary schools
Can literature foster greater acceptance of LGBT people among elementary school students? This is the core question behind a study conducted by researchers Guillermo Soler, María Ribes and José Rovira-Collado from the Language and Literature Didactics area of the Department of
Scientists tested 5 natural compounds on cancer cells. One stood out
Five natural compounds, including curcumin and berberine, were tested for their effects on cancer cells and healthy muscle cells. All disrupted cancer cell energy production and pushed many of the cells into a non-dividing state, with curcumin producing the strongest overall
Study documents beef industry group's early efforts to counter climate concerns
A leading U.S. beef industry trade association knew by 1989 that cattle contributed to global warming but focused its response on protecting consumer demand through public relations, according to a new study that examined a decade of industry records.
Only 9% of major companies use biodiversity indicators, study finds
Biodiversity indicators can help companies make more sustainable decisions. But only 9% of the world's largest companies in sectors with a major impact on biodiversity use such indicators, according to a new study from Lund University. The researchers also show that different
The genetic switch behind the butterfly's enhanced visual world of color
Many insects see the world through hundreds of tiny lenses that are grouped together in a visual organ known as the compound eye. Behind each lens sits a cluster of eight light-detecting cells arranged in a pattern that scientists believe has existed for hundreds of millions of
Cows deliver healthy calves without embryonic protein long thought essential for pregnancy
For decades, scientists have believed that a protein called interferon tau (IFNT) is indispensable for pregnancy in cattle. Produced by the early embryo, it was thought to signal its presence to the mother and prevent the hormonal changes that would otherwise end the pregnancy.
Stratospheric winds can warn of extreme energy demand in Europe
A breakdown of normal polar winds in winter raises the chance of extreme cold—and a resulting spike in energy demand—in Europe, new research shows. Normally, strong and stable westerly winds circle high above the Arctic in the winter, in what is known as the "stratospheric
Chance Instagram sighting leads to discovery of rare giant water lily in Colombia
A new paper published in the journal Phytotaxa describes a new species in the genus Victoria, the Colombian giant water lily (Victoria colombiana). With only three other known species in the genus, V. colombiana joins the pantheon of nature's giants with pads measuring up to 2
Bees struggle to smell flowers when air pollutants combine
Bees, moths and other pollinating insects have a harder time smelling flowers in polluted air, according to research led by the University of Reading. Scientists analyzed 22 experimental studies on how the air pollutants ozone and nitrogen oxides (NOx) affect pollinators. Both
Netherlands report maps ecological and social aspects of large-scale carbon removal
There is a strong national and international commitment to large-scale carbon removal from the atmosphere (Carbon Dioxide Removal, CDR) to achieve climate goals. But how do you do that responsibly? A study commissioned by the Climate Research Initiative Netherlands (KIN) and
Sentinel-3C returns its first views of Earth
Just two weeks after it was launched, the Copernicus Sentinel-3C satellite returned its first images and measurements from two of its key instruments—a major milestone that confirms the satellite is working well and on track to monitor the health of Earth's oceans, land,
Informal food vendors: The invisible backbone of the world's food system
Walk through almost any city or town in a low-income or middle-income country and you'll pass them: the woman selling deep-fried fish from a cart, the mobile vendor with a bicycle full of vegetables, the kiosk operator who's the only source of a hot meal within walking
Fossil bite marks suggest first evidence of a small raptor feeding on an apex predator
A prehistoric cold case near Drumheller reveals either a small-time raptor scavenged on an apex predator, or a baby Albertosaurus engaged in a shocking act of cannibalism. These two possible explanations for what happened to an Albertosaurus after its death near Drumheller are
New framework links digital technology and mineral processing to support Africa's economic growth
Research published in the International Journal of Business Innovation and Research (IJBIR) suggests that African economies need to move beyond fragmented development strategies. This might be done by uniting digital technology, startup networks, resource processing and
New 'computational microscope' simulates DNA packaging at more than ten times previous scale
The DNA in our cells wraps around proteins called histones to form nucleosomes, which organize into chromatin. This organization helps pack genetic material into the nucleus and influences how easily genes can be read and DNA damage repaired. Understanding how chromatin changes
Chemists uncover the true active surface of nickel catalysts
Nickel is a promising, cost-effective and robust catalyst for alkaline water electrolysis—a key technology for the climate-neutral production of hydrogen. However, the actual structure of the active surface of such nickel electrodes under reaction conditions had not yet been
Bavaria's ancestral languages: Resisting linguistic genocide
My ancestral languages, Boarisch (Bavarian) and Schwäbisch (Swabian), are routinely described as German dialects. That might sound like a technical linguistic distinction. For me, a Boarisch-Schwob scholar and community member, it raises a practical question: What happens to a
Our Ancient Ancestors’ Lost Habitat Revealed by 700,000-Year-Old Elephant’s Tooth
An elephant’s tooth never forgets The post Our Ancient Ancestors’ Lost Habitat Revealed by 700,000-Year-Old Elephant’s Tooth appeared first on Nautilus .
Lensless imaging method enables long-term monitoring of living cells without staining
In a study led by Tampere University, researchers have developed a new lensless imaging method that produces precise quantitative data on living cells from a single image. The compact system can be placed inside a standard cell-culture incubator, allowing living cells to be
Atlantic weather pattern shaped southern Greenland's rain and snow for millennia, sediments reveal
In high-latitude coastal areas, Arctic amplification means that temperatures are rising faster than the global average. This combination of rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns driven by the North Atlantic Oscillation has major impacts on regions with a
Do we all see anger the same way?
Happiness, sadness, disgust, surprise, fear, contempt and anger. These are the basic emotions traditionally associated with facial expressions described as universal. As important social signals, facial expressions help us rapidly interpret the emotions and intentions of
Real-time oxygen measurements expose hidden losses in solar water splitting
A new technique developed at Imperial College London measures oxygen production in real time, revealing hidden losses in solar water splitting. The researchers found that electrical current did not always correspond to oxygen generation in hematite, one of the most widely
Nitrogen fixation 'off switch' discovery could one day help crops make their own fertilizer
Nitrogen is essential for life. It's needed to build proteins, DNA and many other components of cells. Although nitrogen gas makes up almost 80% of Earth's atmosphere, most organisms cannot use it directly. Certain microbes solve this problem through a process called nitrogen
How enzyme activity can accelerate molecular movement inside cells
A cell sitting in fluid looks like one of the most passive things in biology. Nutrients drift toward it on the aimless currents of molecular motion, and now and then one bumps into the right spot on the cell's surface and gets pulled inside. This impression of the cell as a
Health-promoting imprisonment is being deprioritized, researcher claims
For several decades, Norwegian prison research has focused on the pains of imprisonment, isolation and the harm that prison does. But what is needed for a prison to actually promote health, personal growth and hope? Research shows that what is needed is something quite
Nonchaotic model reveals how predictability can emerge from seemingly unpredictable dynamics
Predicting a system's final outcome from its initial state is the ultimate goal for many physicists. In certain complex systems, however, this goal is thwarted by chaos, where even the subtlest tweaks to the initial state can lead to completely different fates, making the
How researchers tell different quantum excitations apart in individual molecules
Molecules can be placed in a wide variety of quantum states. How can these states be distinguished in measurements when theoretical models are unreliable? Which excitation process lies behind which measurement signal?
How companies drift into unethical behavior
Unethical behavior inside organizations is often less sudden than companies assume. New research from ESMT Berlin shows how employees can collectively drift into misconduct as groups gradually reshape what they perceive as ethical or acceptable.
