Even when the lights go out and nuclear reactors are turned off, the story inside the reactor core still has a great deal to tell. Radioactive, long-lived fission products continue to decay for months or even years, producing a faint flux of a specific type of particle known as
Snakes are seemingly simple in structure: a head attached to a long, unremarkable noodle. They do have some pretty cool features at the front end, with venomous fangs and the ability to stretch their mouths and swallow large prey whole, but their bodies are not just the simple
Not as scary as a great white shark, but the science is fascinating The post These Ancient Sea Worms Have “Biometal” Jaws appeared first on Nautilus .
After tropical cyclones, communities are often left in upheaval. Those that had few resources to begin with tend to be especially vulnerable to external stresses, and people often experience homelessness, health problems and other forms of insecurity as a result. But once the
A flowering plant has been confirmed as a new carnivorous lineage, according to research published in Nature Communications. The findings show that Saxifraga candelabrum can attract, trap, digest and absorb nitrogen from insects, supporting a prediction made by Charles Darwin
Deeply rooted perennial plants may help build soil carbon (C) stocks, but most research has focused on shallow soils, resulting in gaps in our understanding of how the balance between decomposition and C inputs shifts and drives soil C accumulation with depth. To address this
When academic research has explored the impact of school summer vacations, it has often focused on the costs to parents and children's learning and health.
Some mosquitoes really are picky eaters. They will not just stick their proboscis into any old human. We know this anecdotally, with some people claiming they are always bitten while others are completely ignored, though we don't really know why.
The space around Earth is becoming increasingly crowded, with thousands of satellites and pieces of debris now sharing low Earth orbit. Even above this region—at altitudes of several hundred kilometers—the extremely thin upper atmosphere can slow satellites, making accurate
Our DNA is often pictured as a simple spiral, like a piece of rope held taut. But inside cells, it folds into a complex three-dimensional structure, with 2 meters (6.6 feet) of DNA scrunched like a headphone wire in a pocket. This bundled architecture plays a crucial role in
Researchers find that soil aging of polyethylene microplastics has only a limited effect on their interactions with organic contaminants. Scientists have long worried that aging microplastics in soil could become increasingly effective at interacting with organic contaminants.
In a new study by the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI), researchers evaluated oil sorghum lines in Nebraska and Illinois over two years to quantify genotype-by-environment effects on agronomic performance and triacylglycerol accumulation. The
Researchers at the 4th Physics Institute of the University of Stuttgart and the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) in Milan have demonstrated a new mechanism for directing light in a naturally hyperbolic van der Waals material without conventional nanofabricated waveguides.
For most of the year, the Barnes Ice Cap in the Canadian Arctic lies quiet under a blanket of snow. By summer, that snow melts back, and the ice cap transforms in texture, its bare ice dotted with turquoise ponds and its surface threaded with meltwater channels. In summer 2026,
When Northeastern University industrial engineering student Sierre Ternoey started her research position in Aachen, Germany, she was challenged to fix an issue that frustrates chemical engineers worldwide.
A diamond-based quantum sensor inserted into a living cell can provide previously unseen levels of detail about how life works and how diseases form. "Think of it as an EKG for a single cell—a way to capture everything happening inside at once, in real time," said University of
A team of scientists has announced the discovery of Erhaia dijiang, a species of eyeless freshwater cave snail.
If you're in an urban area with strong winds, chances are you are breathing in more than a little dust. You could be exposed to metals from cars, construction sites or pesticides used decades ago.
Higher intensity physical activities like handball and soccer boost biomarkers for bone formation The post Rec League Sports May be Better at Building Strong Bones Than Weightlifting appeared first on Nautilus .
Ebola has killed more than 1,700 people in eastern Congo in the fastest-growing outbreak of the disease, data showed.
University of British Columbia researchers have developed an edible, seaweed-derived coating that can keep strawberries fresh for at least four days at room temperature, outperforming uncoated berries stored in the refrigerator.
Artificial light at night (ALAN) can cause plants to open their buds and sprout leaves earlier in the spring. ALAN can also cause trees to delay changing the color of their leaves in the fall. These changes can ripple through ecosystems, affecting pollinators, herbivores and
Smithsonian researchers have identified the genetic relationships among all Hawaiian honeycreeper species known to have existed—and subsequently faced major losses—since the arrival of Europeans to the islands.
A joint research team led by Professor Su-Il In of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering at DGIST and Professor William A. Goddard III of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) has significantly improved the performance of a sunlight-driven photocatalyst
Data released by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) marks a landmark expansion in the study of accreting supermassive black holes (SMBHs). As part of the fifth generation of the survey (SDSS-V), the Black Hole Mapper (BHM) program is providing unprecedented insights into the
The West Eifel Volcanic Field comprises more than 100 maars—circular lakes formed by explosive eruptions. Until now, little was known about when these volcanic eruptions occurred. A research team from Heidelberg University, Curtin University in Perth, Australia, and the
Narcissism is associated with selfishness and other negative traits like a grandiose sense of self-importance, a constant need for admiration and a lack of empathy for others. So it may not be surprising that narcissists tend to have a hard time with behaviors associated with
Two proposed computer chip designs could efficiently process data on future space telescopes while they search for Earth–like exoplanets, according to a University of Michigan Engineering study that will be presented at the IEEE Space Computing Conference in August.
Sex barely made the list. Coffee and cats fared better. The post What Do People Think About? appeared first on Nautilus .
Charles Darwin predicted in 1875 that some members of the Saxifraga genus could be carnivorous—now scientists have finally proven him right
Using a combination of laser cooling techniques and strong magnetic fields, researchers at Colorado State University have for the first time created an ultracold neutral plasma with electrons cooled to temperatures measured to be within one degree Kelvin.
A multidisciplinary team of JCU scientists published research in the journal Minerals Engineering, describing the extent of Queensland's rare earth element resources and exploring more sustainable methods of rare earth element (REE) extraction.
Modern photonic chips can pack sophisticated optical functions onto devices smaller than a fingernail. They are increasingly used to generate, manipulate and measure light for applications ranging from communications to sensing. But most of these chips rely on a single material
The Asian longhorned tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis, spreads serious pathogens, including severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) virus, Rickettsia and Theileria, and its bite can cause a meat allergy in humans. Once confined to Japan, South Korea, North Korea,
How readily a cell divides and how well it survives are fundamental to life, shaping everything from organ size to the body's ability to withstand disease. That combination, known as cell fitness, isn't the same for everyone. Differences in genetics and environment can tip the
An article published in the Strategic Management Journal, "Value Creation in Innovation Ecosystems," by Ron Adner and Rahul Kapoor, offers a framework for understanding competitive advantage in today's rapidly evolving AI landscape. While debates about AI often focus on models,
The Sunda clouded leopard proves elusive even when there are camera traps aimed at finding them The post Check Out Rare Images of Borneo’s “Ghosts of the Forest” appeared first on Nautilus .
The dancing lights of fireflies and the eerie blue sparkle in crashing waves get their glow when a molecular square of carbon and oxygen atoms breaks. New research from Stanford University has shown that mechanical force can cause that break to happen in a way different from
Seagrasses are among the most important foundation species in coastal ecosystems, providing habitat for marine life, stabilizing sediments and helping improve water quality. Yet nearly 20% of the world's historic seagrass cover has been lost, and efforts to restore these vital
Fungal diseases that affect grain crops can be devastating to global agriculture and food security. Fungicides are the most common preventive measure, but as fungal diseases become more prevalent, the pathogens become increasingly resilient.
In March 2026, the Einstein Probe detected a brief flash of soft X-rays emitted from a galaxy about 500 million light-years away. The flash, dubbed EP260321a, immediately triggered a worldwide observing campaign. Within an hour, ground-based telescopes began monitoring the
This billionaire-backed fund is dedicating $200 million to preserve animals and even plants that are facing extinction around the world
Studies suggest AI can weaken learning when it replaces effort, but tools that guide rather than answer may help people keep their skills.
Fusion systems need inner walls that can withstand extreme heat. One promising solution uses liquid lithium to protect the walls, held like water in a sponge made of the exceptionally strong metal tungsten. An advanced manufacturing process can be used to make tungsten into
The nutrients found in animal excrement should never be discounted The post An Explosion of Feces May Have Triggered Earth’s Explosion of Species appeared first on Nautilus .
An international study led by Flinders University has found a fertile area of inspiration to explain an important step in evolution—and it's a whole lot of poop. The new study describes the "fecal revolution" to explain a crucial turning point in animal and environmental
Among Gen Z, 79% want a job mainly focused on helping people or making a positive difference in others' lives. But only about half of workers ages 18–29 who want such a position say they have one.
Maybe to some degree. But a new international study suggests the communities we live in matter a whole lot, too. Researchers analyzed responses from 97,220 people across 66 countries and identified five broad factors associated with happier societies.
Researchers sequenced the genomes of three medaka, or Japanese rice fish, a common model organism used in biological research, nearly 10 and 20 years ago. While sequencing the genomes was relatively straightforward, assembling them was anything but.
Scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory have demonstrated a new quantum-dot mechanism that could significantly expand the reach of light-driven chemistry. By introducing magnetic manganese dopants into semiconductor quantum dots, the team created an ultrafast spin-exchange
