Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, mitochondria in our cells churn out energy from the food we eat, which keeps our bodies functioning. Much of this work happens along cristae—deep pockets in the mitochondria's inner membrane. To work properly, cristae must maintain
Alongside words, humans have a treasure trove of nonverbal tools to help express themselves. We chuckle, sigh and gasp to communicate our feelings without uttering a word. What has amazed researchers for ages is how we rarely stop to think about how we know which sound belongs
In today's digital world, everything from medical images and financial records to personal photos and secure communications depends on encryption systems that can protect sensitive information. But real-world technologies rarely operate under perfect conditions. Measurements
Anyone who has ever tried and failed to swat a fly has experienced the speed of a tiny nervous system. Now, a new review brings together evidence that its secret lies partly in microscopic movements and shape changes within sensory cells and neurons, challenging conventional
Ever felt a sudden wave of cringe toward someone you were into—all because they wore questionable shoes or chewed a bit too loudly? Congratulations, you've caught "the ick."
Many outdoor enthusiasts have spent hours in front of a computer, racing to reserve a campsite, backpacking permit or national park entrance ticket. A recent study suggests that the way these reservation systems are designed can favor higher-income visitors.
A newly released panorama captured by NASA's Curiosity rover offers the most detailed view yet of distant, wind-carved Martian cliffs, highlighting features the mission's scientists have long been waiting to see up close. The scene was snapped at 8:30 a.m. local Mars time,
Why do the gut microbiomes of people from industrialized and nonindustrialized regions differ? A study by the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI) in collaboration with the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), the University of Trento (Italy) and the
Blood pattern analysis, ballistics, and drug-sniffing dogs are getting a fresh look The post Is Criminal Forensics Bullshit? appeared first on Nautilus .
A study from the Research Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), one of the centers under the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), presents a new method to reveal hidden material disorder reflected in complex photoluminescence spectra, paving the way for
Mākaka (native broom) and kōwhai seeds might be able to survive the heat of fires, new research shows. Scientists heated native and exotic seeds in a lab oven to temperatures they may face in the soil during a fire, expecting only the exotics—which often experience fires in
A new study seeks to challenge the conventional view of a honey bee colony. Viewing colonies as superorganisms redefines the fundamental biology of the honey bee colony. These insights may have implications for modern beekeeping.
Thousands of meters below the waves off Australia's east coast, far beyond where sunlight can reach, a stunning light show takes place in the dark. The cause? Two species of long-legged creatures emitting a blue glow.
Microalgae (microscopic organisms that use light and carbon dioxide to grow) can be used to make ingredients and food for animals, pigments and potentially renewable fuels. But growing microalgae efficiently at an industrial scale is difficult.
In January 2013, Lake Michigan reached its lowest water level on record. Seven years later, in the summer of 2020, it broke the opposite record with widespread flooding, eroded shorelines and closed lakeside roads.
The world would look radically different without rulers and measuring tapes that fit into a pocket. Carpenters, fashion designers and engineers rely on these trusty tools to check the size of everything from a wooden board to a fabric swatch. But physicists who work with light
An international research team led by scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics (MPIEA) in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, conducted an in-depth study of our experiences when watching dance. The results show that our acculturation to a particular culture
When a person falls and gets a cut or a scrape, they often use hydrogen peroxide to clean the wound. This molecular compound is also produced within our cells, helping our immune system build its defenses against harmful bacteria or other pathogens. Hydrogen peroxide is
The Egyptian goose, native to Africa, is considered an invasive species of Europe-wide significance. Researchers from the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center and Goethe University Frankfurt spent four years investigating the ecological and economic impacts of
A joint research team led by professors Seunghyun Baik and Joonmyung Choi from the School of Mechanical Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) has developed a new nanocomposite material whose electrical and thermal conductivities increase as it is stretched. The team
Favorite songs can stay with us for a lifetime, but their shelf life on the music charts is fleetingly short. Tracks that shoot up the U.S. Billboard charts may flood the airwaves for a short while, but just a few weeks later, they have vanished. The outlook for albums is far
DNA can be more than just a double helix. When four strands are folded into a compact bundle, they form a G-quadruplex (G4). These bundles form in guanine-rich regions across the genome, including telomeres at the ends of chromosomes and the control regions of genes, where the
Older adults enjoy spending time in peaceful, green spaces, but not in complete isolation. For her Ph.D. research, Anne Grave investigated which characteristics are most important for the ideal living environment for people age 70 and older. Her findings show that relaxation
The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union are currently debating EU Inc., draft legislation seeking to establish a single set of rules for starting, operating and growing a business across EU member states. The proposed framework is designed to make business
El Niño and warming in the tropical Atlantic could help provide advance warning of extreme heat in the Amazon, with some signals appearing as much as seven months earlier, new research has found. Researchers from the ARC Center of Excellence for the Weather of the 21st Century
Your robot butler can’t do a Magic Eye poster… yet The post Human Vision Has Quirks That AI Can’t Match appeared first on Nautilus .
We generally throw away a broken camera lens, earphones or an old phone that has stopped working and is beyond repair because they seem useless when they no longer function. However, these objects contain rare earth elements (REEs) that have applications in magnets,
The shortest distance between two points is a straight line, but sometimes taking the long way home can have advantages.
The NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has unveiled numerous stars formerly hidden by clouds of dust in a stellar nursery known as NGC 7129—a cauldron of cosmic creation, 3,300 light-years from Earth. Webb captured infrared light, which pierces through the dense matter
Astronomers have observed the longest-lasting central engine activity ever recorded from a gamma-ray burst. The burst occurred at a redshift of 0.8577, and the activity lasted about 27 days in the burst's own rest frame—around 20 days longer than the previous record. The paper,
The short-legged horned toad (Boulenophrys brachykolos), listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, is the only known small frog species in Hong Kong belonging to the genus Boulenophrys of the family
The holiday season is a time for getting together to celebrate, but if that get-together involves traveling by air, ticket prices may become a major barrier to holiday cheer.
Workplace gossip is often viewed as negative, but research from The James & Gail Ellis School of Business Leadership has shown that it can play a more complex role in organizational relationships.
A better understanding of how earthquakes occur and what happens during a rupture is important for assessing seismic risk. Small earthquakes, which are more frequent than large ones, are a tempting data set, but they're hard to study, in large part because their energy is
The Draconids and Orionids both peak this month
In early 2024, laboratory-grown neurospheres (i.e. clusters of neural stem cells) were sent to the International Space Station (ISS) to be exposed to microgravity. The return trip was delayed several times due to bad weather in the landing zone. As a result, the cells were
Artificial intelligence is making it easier than ever to create convincing fake political content and harder to tell what's real. Now, a University of Missouri expert is helping voters navigate that changing information landscape ahead of this year's midterm elections.
Evidence for hypernovae, theorized to be the most powerful explosions in the universe, has been disputed in two papers by University College London (UCL) researchers.
Findings recently published in The Quarterly Journal of Economics provide, according to the study's authors, the clearest cause-and-effect evidence to date that noncompete agreements reduce worker mobility and earnings—while offering no measurable benefits in protecting
This summer broke records around the U.K. for maximum temperatures and dry weather. According to the U.K.'s Met Office, while it was rare to hit 35°C (95°F) in the 20th century, that temperature has been surpassed in six out of the past 10 years. And temperatures are only
The only known supernova remnant of its kind in the Milky Way has an unexpectedly intricate structure: chains of gas knots resembling pearls on a string, each wide enough to fit the solar system multiple times. Using the Gemini North telescope, an international team co-led by
The find highlights the importance of the plant to Incan culture The post The Incas Adorned Animal Sacrifices With Coca Leaves appeared first on Nautilus .
Few historical figures are as divisive as Christopher Columbus. For some, in both Spain and the United States, he remains a great hero, an explorer who found a "new world." He is reviled by others who see him as an arrogant conqueror: the first European to enslave Indigenous
The weather over the North Atlantic affects hundreds of millions of people. From winter storms over Europe to cold spells in eastern North America, many of these impacts are shaped by large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns that recur. Climate scientists refer to these
A team of researchers from Sivas Cumhuriyet University in Turkey is investigating a long-standing claim: that a boat-shaped geological formation in the country's east contains the remains of Noah's Ark.
Following the major Cyclospora outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce, consumers might assume that produce labeled "triple-washed" offers greater protection from foodborne illness. But industrial washing cannot necessarily eliminate pathogens already established on produce. At the
A research team led by the University of Osaka has directly observed, for the first time, an unusual heavy-fermion state forming at the boundary between a one-atom-thick material and a metal. Such states are closely linked to exotic quantum phenomena, including unconventional
Young adults following physicians on TikTok consider them more accessible, credible and altruistic than their own doctors, even when the physician-influencers are selling products. Moreover, the followers haven't actually confirmed the influencers' medical credentials. Those
Neuroscientist Susana Carmona’s book guides readers through a new mom’s changing brain.
Earth seems like a troubled place right now, but at least our cosmic surroundings appear peaceful. This is not universally true, as explosions, collisions and other dangers lurk in other places and times.
