A research team led by Prof. Li Yunhai from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology (IGDB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has uncovered a previously hidden mechanism that regulates rice grain size—a key determinant of crop yield and quality.
A recent study has mathematically clarified how the presence of crystals and gas bubbles in magma affects the propagation of seismic P-waves. The researchers derived a new equation that characterizes the travel of these waves through magma, revealing how the relative
A study by scientists at NTU Singapore has found that implementing robust air pollution control measures could mean Southeast Asian countries prevent as many as 36,000 ozone-related premature deaths each year by 2050.
A research team has developed a unified theoretical framework to better predict the performance of single-atom catalysts (SACs) for electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction (CO₂RR). Their model incorporates both pH and interfacial electric field effects—two critical factors
In a first, researchers from NASA and Virginia Tech have used satellite data to measure the height and speed of potentially hazardous flood waves traveling down U.S. rivers. The three waves they tracked were likely caused by extreme rainfall and by a loosened ice jam.
Lake Tahoe is experiencing large-scale shifts in ultraviolet radiation (UV) as climate change intensifies wet and dry extremes in the region. That is according to a study led by the University of California, Davis's Tahoe Environmental Research Center and co-leading
Archaeologist Greer Jarrett at Lund University in Sweden has been sailing in the footsteps of Vikings for three years. He can now show that the Vikings sailed farther away from Scandinavia and took routes farther from land than was previously believed to have been possible. In
The Los Angeles region has some of the most polluted air in the United States, failing to meet standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency for the last decade. Now, Caltech researchers have quantified the levels of a component of smog called ammonium nitrate, a
Members of the space exploration community are always coming up with novel ideas to solve problems that they view as holding back humanity's expansion into the cosmos. One such problem that has become more noticeable of late, due to the failure of several powered lunar landers,
All of the world's wine-growing regions have been impacted by climate change, but with unequal impacts that vary across the growing season, reports a new study by E.M. Wolkovich of the University of British Columbia and colleagues, published in the journal PLOS Climate.
The benefits of positive expressive writing for psychological health and well-being depend on the particular approach and on individual differences, according to a systematic review published in the journal PLOS One by Lauren Hoult from Northumbria University, U.K., and
In 2022 a team discovered that high levels of OH radicals can be generated indoors, simply due to the presence of people and ozone. This means: People generate their own oxidation field and change the indoor air chemistry around them within their own personal space. Now, in a
The smallest grooves on the brain's surface, unique to humans, have largely been ignored by anatomists, but recent studies show that they're related to cognitive performance, including face recognition and reasoning ability. A new study shows that the depths of these tertiary
Researchers have discovered a new class of materials -- called intercrystals -- with unique electronic properties that could power future technologies. Intercrystals exhibit newly discovered forms of electronic properties that could pave the way for advancements in more
A serendipitous observation in a Chemical Engineering lab at Penn Engineering has led to a surprising discovery: a new class of nanostructured materials that can pull water from the air, collect it in pores and release it onto surfaces without the need for any external energy.
New research from the Sainsbury Laboratory at the University of Cambridge has shed light on how plants precisely control their growth and development, revealing that seemingly similar molecular components fulfill surprisingly different jobs.
As the number of space travelers is increasing through commercial missions, it becomes more important to understand how space affects the human body.
The global fight against infectious diseases faces two major challenges: the threat of new pandemic outbreaks and the alarming rise of antimicrobial resistance driven by the excessive use of antibiotics. As pathogens continue to evolve and spread, researchers are urgently
Infamous for their environmental persistence and potential links to health conditions, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often called forever chemicals, are being discovered in unexpected places, including beer.
Coastal communities and marine wildlife could benefit from improved monitoring of nutrient pollution in UK waters, according to new research involving scientists at the University of Plymouth.
Laser frequency combs are light sources that produce evenly spaced, sharp lines across the spectrum, resembling the teeth of a comb. They serve as precise rulers for measuring time and frequency, and have become essential tools in applications such as lidar, high-speed optical
How do insects perceive mechanical stress? This is a question of interest in many different fields, including comparative morphology, neurobiology and robotics.
The latest selfie by NASA's Perseverance rover at Mars has captured an unexpected guest: a Martian dust devil.
Gully erosion is the most severe form of soil erosion, and it can seriously impact agricultural fields, contributing to sediment loss and severe nutrient runoff into waterways. Gullies can be triggered suddenly by a single heavy rainfall event, creating deep channels that are
In nature, ecosystems are tightly linked through the flow of organisms, detritus, and nutrients across boundaries arbitrarily imagined by humans. These systems are deeply in tune with seasonal changes, fostering a harmonious ebb and flow of resources.
As a strictly protected species, sand lizards are dependent on the preservation of their habitats—especially in view of declining populations in Germany. Sand lizards sometimes find ideal living conditions along railway lines—as a new study published in the journal Salamandra
Hurricane winds are a major contributor to storm-related losses for people living in the southeastern coastal states. As the global temperature continues to rise, scientists predict that hurricanes will get more destructive—packing higher winds and torrential rainfall. A new
A new study published in Science Advances by researchers from the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (GIG-CAS), along with international collaborators, reveals that deeply subducted carbonates can cause significant variations in the redox
Each year, the world loses around 5 million hectares of forest, with 95% of this deforestation occurring in tropical regions. South America is a major hotspot, with Brazil in particular facing severe forest loss—much of it driven by cattle ranching, which accounts for more than
The clean energy transition requires new means to transport energy that are less reliant on burning fossil fuels. This requires new materials to catalyze reactions to store and extract energy from chemical energy carriers without combustion.
Researchers from Shinshu University developed a low-cost nanocomposite by embedding bimetallic and trimetallic molybdates into nitrogen-, boron-, and fluorine-doped hollow carbon nanofibers. This material demonstrated excellent electrochemical performance for supercapacitors,
In conventional heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR), a laser is used to locally heat the recording medium to facilitate data writing. However, the thermal energy applied is largely dissipated within the medium and does not contribute directly to the recording efficiency.
Cells are the smallest units of life. But even within the same tissue or organ, they are not all identical. New variations arise continuously during cell proliferation. While genetic mutations alter the DNA sequence, epigenetic changes influence gene activity.
As core components for generating coherent tunable radiation sources in all-solid-state lasers, second-order nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals have demonstrated significant technical advantages in many fields. Metal chalcogenides with tetrahedral cluster (Tn) as the structural
They are literally channels for communication: Pore-forming proteins in living cells, termed ion channels, are embedded in the outer membrane of almost all cell types and play a crucial role in the body's various communication systems. Blood, immune, and liver cells communicate
Southwest Research Institute scientists have discovered how solar activity affects the velocity distribution and evolution of helium pickup ions.
A new study by researchers at the University of Galway's School of Natural Sciences has revealed why some spiders possess venom that is far more potent than others.
With the declared aim of measuring matter under extreme pressure, an international research collaboration headed by the University of Rostock and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) used the high-performance laser DIPOLE 100-X at the European XFEL for the first time
New research reveals how repeated genetic changes in Hibiscus flowers have led to the loss of visually striking bullseye patterns despite their advantage in attracting pollinators like bumblebees.
When a volcano erupts, it can spew ash high into the atmosphere—inserting aerosols right where clouds typically form. How exactly these aerosols impact cloud formation has long been a mystery to atmospheric scientists.
An international research team has successfully achieved single-molecule spectroscopic observation of hydrogen (H2) and deuterium (D2) confined within a picocavity. The picocavity was formed between a silver nanotip and a silver single-crystal substrate under cryogenic and
Clownfish have been shown to shrink in order to survive heat stress and avoid social conflict, Newcastle University research reveals.
Lightning is a phenomenon that has fascinated humanity since time immemorial, providing a stark example of the power and unpredictability of the natural world. Although the study of lightning can be challenging, scientists have, in recent years, made great strides in developing
Thunderstorms are known to generate gamma rays, the highest energy radiation on Earth. But pinning the burst to a specific bolt is new.
India's Asiatic lion population has increased by over a third to 891, according to a five-yearly census released on Wednesday, boosting efforts to conserve the vulnerable species.
A research team from the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, in collaboration with North Carolina State University, has developed a simulation capable of predicting how tens of thousands of electrons move in materials in real time, or natural time rather than
To reach the goals of the Paris Agreement, we not only have to reduce CO2 emissions, but also remove CO₂ from the atmosphere (carbon dioxide removal, CDR) on a large scale. This can involve both land- and ocean-based methods.
For generations, young people have been told the path to opportunity is clear. Study hard, get a degree, and success will follow. This promise—central to the idea of "meritocracy"—has shaped the aspirations and investments of millions (though in reality, access to university
From anti-counterfeiting inks to bioimaging agents, phosphorescent materials that glow after light exposure are critical for security and sensing applications. However, most current systems rely on inorganic phosphors or heavy metal complexes, which are expensive and
Bats are known as natural hosts for highly pathogenic viruses such as MERS- and SARS-related coronaviruses, as well as the Marburg and Nipah viruses. In contrast to the severe and often fatal disease outcomes these viruses cause in humans, bats generally do not show obvious
