Two-thirds of animal and plant populations are declining in genetic diversity, which makes it harder to adapt to environmental changes, according to research published Wednesday.
Before species go extinct, their populations often shrink and become isolated. Healthy populations tend to have a large gene pool with many genetic variants circulating. But the path to extinction erodes genetic diversity, because a species' gene pool shrinks as the population
Asteroid samples fetched by NASA hold not only the pristine building blocks for life but also the salty remains of an ancient water world, scientists reported Wednesday.
Spin Hall nano-oscillators (SHNOs) are nanoscale spintronic devices that convert direct current into high-frequency microwave signals through spin wave auto-oscillations. This is a type of nonlinear magnetization oscillations that are self-sustained without the need for a
This week, astronomers reported the discovery of a super-Earth potentially capable of sustaining life, occupying an eccentric orbit around its star that oscillates in and out of the habitable zone. The first mouse engineered with embryonic stem cells from two dads has lived
A 13th-century fresco rediscovered in Ferrara, Italy, provides unique evidence of medieval churches using Islamic tents to conceal their high altars. The 700-year-old fresco is thought to be the only surviving image of its kind, offering precious evidence of a little-known
Scientists have cast doubt on the reliability of America's most celebrated rodent forecaster—whose apparent knack of predicting how long winter will last forms a hallowed tradition in the United States.
A colossal explosion in the sky, unleashing energy hundreds of times greater than the Hiroshima bomb. A blinding flash nearly as bright as the sun. Shockwaves powerful enough to flatten everything for miles.
Some biologists speculate that animals will get smaller with global warming to reduce heat stress. While this may be true of warm-blooded animals, what about exotherms like insects? Thanks to a 65-year-old grasshopper collection, scientists have documented that some species --
Chemists have found a new way to determine 3D genome structures, using generative AI, that can predict thousands of genome structures in minutes, making it much speedier than existing methods for analyzing the structures.
Researchers compared the environmental impacts of lithium-ion battery recycling to mining for new materials and found that recycling significantly outperforms mining in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, water use, and energy use.
Prolonged illnesses like cancer and chronic infections often leave the immune system in a state of exhaustion, where its frontline defenders -- T cells -- lose their ability to function effectively. Researchers have identified a rare type of immune cells, called stem-like T
A new study of satellite imagery and high-resolution climate model data upends previous assumptions and provides insight about how the atmosphere and ocean weather patterns interact. The new research reveals the surprising ways atmospheric winds influence ocean eddies, shaping