Here’s what happens when you put politicians in charge of science
Proposed federal rules would rely on political appointees to decide how a lot of U.S. science gets done. History shows the consequences of such actions.
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Study links newspaper closures to distorted crime reporting
Local newspapers serve as a vital check on public institutions, including law enforcement, according to new research from the University at Buffalo School of Management. Published in the American Journal of Criminal Justice, the study examines the societal cost of the ongoing
New model maps solar storms across 1 million miles around Earth
A team at the Applied Physics Lab is working to understand the complex science behind predicting invisible threats that can quickly cripple electric grid infrastructure on Earth.
Virtual tutoring: What started as a pandemic phenomenon has evolved from a temporary fix to an educational fixture
When Amanda Neitzel first evaluated a live virtual reading-tutoring program called AirReading two years ago, she found what most educators would have predicted: modest results. One semester of live video tutoring nudged struggling early readers forward by roughly a month's
Could exoplanets locked in eternal day and endless night support life?
Ever so slightly bigger than Earth, the exoplanet LHS 3844b orbits its parent star, LHS 3844, a red dwarf 48.5 light-years from our solar system. Its rotational speed mirrors its orbital speed. The result? One side of LHS 3844b is perpetually bathed in scorching sunlight,
We Know Simple Fluids Can Flow. Turns Out, Some Can Fracture.
Researchers thought that what enabled complex fluids to break apart was their elasticity. But a crack in a nonelastic simple fluid has them questioning that idea. The post We Know Simple Fluids Can Flow. Turns Out, Some Can Fracture. first appeared on Quanta Magazine
What happened to Australia's snow season? A climate expert explains
There's nothing like gliding down a snow-covered slope. That is, if you ask the thousands of people who make an annual pilgrimage to our alpine resorts during the Australian winter. But this year, the start to the snow season has been far from spectacular.
See the Odd-Looking Barreleye Fish in Its Natural Habitat for the First Time
A 35-day expedition revealed hidden wonders of the deep The post See the Odd-Looking Barreleye Fish in Its Natural Habitat for the First Time appeared first on Nautilus .
Hidden health risks found in New York City's free-roaming cats
Cats may be cute and adorable, but stray and feral cats can sometimes pose a risk to human health. Veterinary researchers have discovered that more than 50% of free-roaming cats in New York City carry parasites that could potentially be transmitted to humans.
10 fathers took extended leave to care for their babies—how their family life changed
The UK government launched a major review of parental leave in July 2025, with recommendations expected in early 2027. One question sits at the heart of the review: What difference does parental leave make to family life?
Largest viral-protein library gives researchers new way to probe emerging pathogens
To prevent viruses from sickening or killing us—whether it's an individual case of hepatitis B or a COVID pandemic—it's crucial to understand how the proteins they make initiate changes in our bodies that allow them to flourish. A new tool has broadened the scale at which
Why bees are struggling to survive this summer
You may be spotting dead bumblebees lying on pavements near you during the summer months. There are several reasons for this, some related to the weather and some very much due to humans.
Lost in Curiosity reveals the messy reality of doing science
In her new book, science journalist Roberta Kwok takes readers behind the scenes to understand how researchers get nature to give up its secrets.
If so many people live with toxoplasmosis, how dangerous is this brain parasite really? Should I be worried?
About 1 in 3 people worldwide have been infected with a microscopic parasite called Toxoplasma gondii—or simply "toxo"—which can cause toxoplasmosis. After the initial infection, toxo settles into our muscles and brains, where it can remain for life.
Tiny mountain lakes pose big, overlooked flood risks, new study warns
A new international study involving scientists from the University of Aberdeen has revealed a critical blind spot in global climate risk assessments—the growing danger posed by small alpine lakes formed by glacier retreat and permafrost thaw. Published in Nature Sustainability,
New ligand engineering strategy creates more active nanocluster catalysts
A joint research group from Tohoku University, Tokyo University of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University and the Japan Fine Ceramics Center has developed a thermal catalyst that exhibits high carbon monoxide (CO) oxidation activity under low-temperature conditions.
Rising tides, rising tensions: New research calls for rethink of coastal law
As sea levels rise and coastlines erode, Australia's legal system is struggling to keep up. Longstanding assumptions about who owns the coast—and who should pay when it disappears—are now at the center of growing disputes.
Warm Jupiter exoplanet transiting a sun-like star discovered
An international team of astronomers reports the discovery of a new exoplanet orbiting a sunlike star as part of the Next Generation Transit Survey (NGTS). The newfound alien world, designated NGTS-39 b, is a Jupiter-sized planet with an equilibrium temperature of about 519 K.
Study finds politically salient immigration issues can lead to higher industrial pollution
A joint research team led by Professor Narae Lee from the School of Business and Technology Management at KAIST, in collaboration with Professor Heli Wang from Singapore Management University (SMU), analyzed immigration-related legislation and environmental data across the
The biggest problem with solid-state batteries may finally be solved
Researchers solved the mystery of how soft lithium dendrites crack the hard ceramic inside solid-state batteries, triggering short circuits. The breakthrough could help engineers build safer, longer-lasting batteries for smartphones, electric vehicles, and other electronics.
Bacteria turn dissolved uranium into stable compound in 130 days, study finds
Researchers at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), together with Wismut GmbH and scientists from the University of Granada in Spain, have demonstrated for the first time that bacteria can convert uranium dissolved in water into a stable chemical compound when they
Peering into materials down to the nanoscale in the COCOON lab
A new Tufts University imaging facility is doing something that most microscopy centers in the world cannot: allowing scientists to examine a butterfly wing, a living tissue or a microchip and reveal its physical structure, molecular chemistry and elemental composition across
Mathematicians put AI to work on Fermat's last theorem
At an event in London, mathematicians have made unexpectedly fast progress on formalising Fermat's last theorem using AI
Assessing lab animals with AI
Rutgers Office for Research (OfR) leaders collaborated with researchers around the world to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) program that has the potential to revolutionize lab research.
Astronomers reveal how clouds shape the hidden interiors of the galaxy's most common planets
Sub-Neptunes are the most common type of planet in our galaxy. Bigger than Earth but smaller than Neptune, these worlds remain deeply mysterious because scientists still do not know what they are made of. What astronomers really want to figure out is their interior composition.
This common pesticide may be quietly wiping out future bumblebees
A next-generation pesticide designed to kill crop pests may also be interfering with the reproductive health of bumblebees. Researchers discovered that low-dose exposure to sulfoxaflor changed gene activity, especially in tissues involved in reproduction, raising concerns about
Researchers link the mass extinction of once-dominant marine groups to intolerable heat, diminished oxygen in oceans
A new Stanford-led study offers the clearest picture yet of how some ocean life survived our planet's biggest mass extinction while most animals did not. About 252 million years ago, 96% of marine species and 70% of land animals died off during the Permian–Triassic extinction
Darwin's 150‑year‑old hillside steps mystery may have a new answer from virtual grazing animals
Steep hillsides and mountainsides in many regions worldwide are often covered in characteristic step-like patterns, also known as terracettes. These repeating landforms have fascinated scientists for more than a century, yet the factors contributing to their formation had not
Europe's most active volcano may have a secret origin
Mount Etna has long puzzled geologists because it doesn't fit any of the three classic ways volcanoes are thought to form. A new study suggests it may instead be fueled by ancient pockets of magma that are pushed upward through cracks created by shifting tectonic plates. If
Study underscores barriers for male survivor support
Male survivors of intimate partner violence are less likely to seek help than female survivors, according to new research from Michigan State University's School of Social Work. As a result, these cases of intimate partner violence go unrecognized and underreported. To combat
Why the controversy over de-extinction risks missing the point
Efforts to revive the thylacine and woolly mammoth are forcing conservationists to face a long-overdue debate over what kind of natural world we want to build
Is Earth the only planet with total solar eclipses?
Other planets have moons, too. Do they get eclipses like we do?
The sneaky maths trick for solving problems without answering them
How can you have a proof without proving anything? Mathematicians found a way and, in the process, came to blows over it – but 100 years on, this trick is a common part of modern maths, says columnist Jacob Aron
‘Dark’ comets sprouting tails could help solve interstellar mysteries
A strange class of comet could explain the enigmatic behavior of ‘Oumuamua, the first known interstellar object—and even shed light on how Earth became habitable
US pushes for weaker truck pollution rules
President Donald Trump's administration on Thursday moved to loosen truck pollution regulations put in place by his predecessor, Joe Biden, in its latest environmental rollback benefiting makers of fossil fuel-burning vehicles.
H5 bird flu detected in Australian seabird for first time
Scientists have detected the highly contagious H5 bird flu in an Australian seabird for the first time, the government said Friday.
Capturing the cosmic 'drift' before a star is born
Stars like our sun are formed from the collapse of stellar objects called prestellar cores, cold and dense concentrations of gas and dust held together by gravity. While many questions remain about the exact mechanisms of star formation, advanced radio telescopes have given
Wally Funk, aviation pioneer who was the oldest woman to travel into space, dies at 87
Wally Funk, an aviation pioneer who was the oldest woman to launch into space, has died. She was 87.
The galaxy’s coldest “stars” may actually be alien megastructures
Scientists have identified new clues that could help astronomers spot one of the most famous hypothetical alien megastructures: a Dyson sphere. The study finds that red dwarfs and white dwarfs are the most promising stars to examine, since advanced civilizations could
2026 eclipse: 5 citizen science projects you can contribute to
During the August 2026 solar eclipse, scientists will be rushing to gather data on the sun, but even if you aren't a professional scientist, you can still help the research
New MRI breakthrough reveals the brain and eye like never before
Scientists have redesigned a key piece of MRI hardware using metamaterials, allowing existing scanners to produce clearer images of difficult-to-see parts of the body in less time. The breakthrough could improve diagnoses, make scans more comfortable, and open the door to new
This frog bacterium wiped out cancer tumors in mice with a single dose
A naturally occurring bacterium from amphibian intestines completely eliminated colorectal tumors in mice with a single treatment by both attacking cancer cells and activating the immune system. The findings point to a promising new type of cancer therapy that could one day
Q&A: Examining the Global South's call for environmental justice amid expanding technology
Digital technologies—from artificial intelligence to smartphones and data centers—are often described as "clean" innovations. Yet every device depends on minerals, electricity, labor and global supply chains, raising important questions about environmental justice and
Scientists found a longevity diet that helped mice eat more and lose fat
Scientists found that a modified Mediterranean-style diet with low protein and just enough methionine helped mice live healthier lives while reducing body fat and frailty. Human data also linked lower animal protein intake to lower rates of obesity and Type 2 diabetes,
The Matua people: Sounds and rituals strengthen cross-border sense of community
Professor Carola Lorea of the University of Tübingen's Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology has published a comprehensive academic study on the Matua, a community of 50 million people scattered across India, Bangladesh and 32 other nations in the wake of evictions and
Scientists just debunked a dangerous baby rattlesnake myth
A new study debunks the long-standing claim that baby rattlesnakes are more dangerous than adults. Researchers found that young rattlesnakes can control their venom just like adults, while adult snakes usually inject much more venom and cause more serious bites. The team also
From The Godfather to Middlemarch: 8 of the most faithful adaptations ever
Adapting canonical literary classics into cinema is an inherently difficult task, as it requires walking a razor's edge between remaining faithful to the text and translating it into another medium.
Morning glories reveal 96% drop in adaptation as pollinator pressure reshapes evolution
Facing both climate change and a crashing pollinator population, plants may be evolving to attract pollinators rather than adapting to a warming climate, and the trade-off has resulted in a steep decline in plants' rate of adaptation, according to a University of Michigan
A New Species of Pit Viper Emerges in the Himalayas
DNA helped differentiate the venomous serpent from its closest relative The post A New Species of Pit Viper Emerges in the Himalayas appeared first on Nautilus .
Physicists created a tiny universe where time emerged without a clock
What if time doesn't actually exist until something changes? Scientists at the University of Birmingham created a tiny "mini universe" using 24,000 ultracold atoms and showed that the flow of time can emerge naturally from changes inside a quantum system, without relying on any