AI can take the friction out of life, but some effort can be good
Technologies, including chatbots, promise to make life easier. But removing the friction, or effort involved in thinking, has costs.
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Why marimbas cost so much and how hickory could change music classrooms
The pleasant, earthy sound of a marimba is a key component in the modern orchestra, but their high prices, ranging from $1,000 to over $25,000, sometimes make them cost-prohibitive for schools and students.
Vocal fry stereotype unravels as men and older voices show more creak
Valleyspeak, uptalk, vocal fry: These are all examples of speech patterns generally assigned to young women and often stereotyped to imply a lack of confidence or intelligence. At least one of these assumed patterns, however, is false.
Scientists say a daily multivitamin may help slow aging
A daily multivitamin may help slow biological aging, according to researchers studying older adults in a large clinical trial. After two years, participants taking multivitamins showed slower aging in several DNA-based “epigenetic clocks,” with the effect equal to about four
Machine-learning method maps the uncertainty of biodiversity scenarios: The Bigfoot connection
To effectively protect biodiversity in an era of climate change, ecologists first have to know where animal and plant species are located and then be able to predict what habitats will be available to them in the future. To help them in these tasks, the scientists use species
Will burying dead trees after a wildfire keep their carbon locked up?
Partially burnt trees still standing after a wildfire are typically felled and burned, but a US start-up claims burying them instead will trap the carbon underground for centuries
Your Brain Can Learn Things When You’re Unconscious
It’s more awake and alive to the outside world under anesthesia than we thought The post Your Brain Can Learn Things When You’re Unconscious appeared first on Nautilus .
After 100 years, scientists finally uncover hidden rule behind cosmic rays
Scientists studying mysterious ultra-powerful cosmic rays have uncovered a surprising hidden pattern that could finally help explain where these particles come from. Using the DAMPE space telescope, researchers found that cosmic ray particles—from tiny protons to heavy iron
Giant “stealth” magma surge triggered thousands of earthquakes beneath Atlantic island
Deep beneath Portugal’s São Jorge Island, a massive surge of magma silently pushed upward from more than 20 kilometers underground in 2022, triggering thousands of earthquakes and briefly raising fears of a volcanic eruption. Scientists discovered that the molten rock climbed
'Learning recession' in US schools predates pandemic: Report
A new analysis of student test scores reveals that American schools were in a "learning recession" for seven years before the COVID-19 pandemic, with student test scores in math and reading on a steady decline since 2013. This reversal ended two decades of progress, according
The high‑tech shipbuilding methods that helped Vikings dominate the seas
Images of the sleek keels, elegant planks, and dragon-headed prows of Viking longships have been reproduced countless times on postcards, book covers, souvenirs and in television shows and movies.
Hairy new fish species discovered in the Great Barrier Reef
Swimming among the corals of the Great Barrier Reef is a fish that could be a doppelganger for the famous Sesame Street character Mr. Snuffleupagus. This bright orange-red, hairy, long-snouted ghost pipefish is a new species that has been hiding in plain sight for years, often
Privately educated CEOs seen as 'safer bets' despite no evidence they are
Investors may be mistaking privilege for competence, rewarding privately educated CEOs with lower perceived risk despite no evidence they perform or behave differently.
'PrincipalGPT' creates a new AI blueprint for legal literacy in the classroom
Moving legal studies from the textbook to the digital arena, a new AI-based model for K-12 learning is taking shape at the University of Florida. In his graduate-level school law course, Chris Thomas, J.D., Ph.D., has found a way to deepen his students' legal comprehension by
More than half of US faces worst drought in decades, says expert
More than 60% of the United States is experiencing drought conditions, with more than 20% in an extreme drought. Andrew Ellis, a climatologist at Virginia Tech said the current conditions are among the worst in decades because the combination of intensity and aerial coverage is
Paleontology rocked by discovery of organic molecules in 66-million-year-old dinosaur bones
Scientists have uncovered compelling evidence that dinosaur fossils may still contain traces of their original proteins, overturning a long-standing belief that fossilization destroys all organic material. In a remarkably well-preserved Edmontosaurus fossil from South Dakota,
Reducing fear is critical for improving trust in law enforcement, study finds
Law enforcement is a critical aspect of ensuring safety in communities. However, unjustified harm has been associated with law enforcement throughout history, resulting in tension between police and communities.
We keep thanking machines and forests for one strange reason, and it is reshaping human bonds
Whether it's artificial intelligence programs or the Amazon rainforest, people often experience gratitude or protectiveness toward non-human entities because they perceive these entities as having good intentions, according to research published in the journal Emotion.
Satellite launch pollution is rapidly accumulating in the upper atmosphere
The potent pollution from so-called megaconstellation satellite systems launched en masse into space since 2019 will account for nearly half (42%) of the total climate impact of space sector pollution by the end of the decade, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.
Female rats like a different kind of tickling than males
Female rats prefer gentler tickling, a finding that could reshape animal happiness research.
Koala milk may hold key to better care for orphaned joeys
New research into koala milk could prove crucial to future conservation of the iconic, yet endangered Australian species. The study, led by Edith Cowan University (ECU) Ph.D. candidate Manujaya W. Jayamanna Mohottige, is part of a larger project on koalas and their survival led
Giant squid discovery uncovers a hidden deep-sea world off Australia
Scientists exploring deep underwater canyons off the coast of Western Australia uncovered a hidden world packed with bizarre and elusive marine life — including signs of the legendary giant squid. By analyzing traces of DNA floating in seawater from depths exceeding 4
How AR tech augments STEM teaching
Easy-to-use adaptive immersive technologies incorporating augmented reality (AR) can motivate learning, social engagement and cognitive development in early childhood, according to new research.
3 things you need to know about quantum computers, from an expert
What use is a quantum computer? Perhaps both more and less than you think, according to quantum computing expert Shayan Majidy
What gives stevia its sweetness? Scientists uncover the genetic secret
Stevia is a widely used sweetener, but why do some stevia varieties taste cleaner and more sugar-like than others? Recent research conducted at the University of Toyama shows that stevia's sweetness is genetically linked to variations in specific glycosyltransferase genes and
The war in Iran is supercharging an ecological crisis in the Persian Gulf
Despite decades of damage, the Persian Gulf’s ecological marvels remain—for now
Deep-Earth diamonds reveal trove of never-before-seen minerals
Flecks of minerals captured in diamonds show hidden connections between Earth’s surface and its deep interior
Depression scales may not work the same for highly intelligent people
Research suggests depression assessment questionnaires can’t reliably compare people with differing intelligence
Melting of Greenland ice sheet could release large stores of methane
Seismic surveys and sediment cores suggest that dozens of deep pockmarks on the sea floor were created when Arctic methane stores were disrupted by climate change after the last glacial maximum – and scientists warn it could happen again
Rebooting stem cells builds aged muscles and assists injury recovery
Muscle stem cells, which are crucial for building new muscle, don’t work as well as we get older, but giving them an artificial boost could rejuvenate them
Study provides detailed assessment of shifts in toxin producing phytoplankton abundance
Researchers in the UK have shown how the distributions of two phytoplankton groups—known to produce natural toxins that can halt shellfish harvesting—have changed in the North East Atlantic over the last six decades.
Meltwater flushed methane from Greenland seabed during ice-sheet retreat, researchers reveal
An international team of scientists has discovered that methane hydrates beneath the northwest Greenland continental shelf became rapidly destabilized by meltwater, releasing large stores of methane during ice-sheet retreat across the continental shelf.
'Last titan': Southeast Asia's biggest dinosaur discovered
A new type of long-necked plant-eating dinosaur—the largest ever found in Southeast Asia—has been revealed in a study led by researchers at University College London (UCL), Mahasarakham University, Suranaree University of Technology and Sirindhorn Museum in Thailand.
Scientists discover hidden math secret inside Chinese money plant leaves
Scientists have uncovered a hidden mathematical secret inside the leaves of the Chinese money plant: a naturally occurring geometric pattern known as a Voronoi diagram, something typically associated with city planning, computer science, and network design. By mapping tiny
One in four 2026 World Cup games could face dangerous heat across North America: researchers
One in four 2026 World Cup games could take place in very hot conditions as climate change has increased the risk of extreme heat in North America since the US hosted the 1994 tournament, researchers warned Thursday.
Scientists discover the strange way CO2 cools part of Earth’s atmosphere
Scientists have finally cracked the mystery behind one of climate change’s strangest fingerprints: while Earth’s surface heats up, the upper atmosphere is rapidly cooling. Researchers at Columbia University discovered that carbon dioxide acts very differently high above the
Deadly “red sky” solar storm from 800 years ago discovered in ancient trees
Researchers in Japan traced a hidden medieval solar storm using ancient tree rings and centuries-old sky observations. The team linked reports of eerie red auroras with spikes of carbon-14 trapped in buried wood, revealing a powerful solar radiation event around 1200 CE. The
Who are the Japanese? Huge DNA discovery rewrites history
Scientists analyzing the genomes of thousands of people across Japan discovered evidence for a previously overlooked third ancestral group, challenging the long-accepted “dual origins” theory. The newly identified ancestry appears linked to the ancient Emishi people of
Baby bugs must play 'game of roulette' to find survival partners before time runs out
Symbiosis, or the interaction of two unalike species, is common and often necessary for survival. In insects, symbiotic microbes often facilitate and promote the growth of hosts. Before the symbiotic collaboration can begin, however, hosts must acquire their symbionts.
2026 FIFA World Cup players and fans at risk of extreme heat, climate scientists warn
Heat conditions could exceed dangerous levels at a quarter of the planned 2026 World Cup soccer matches, including the final in New Jersey on July 19
Wristwatch-like device enables assessment of health risks for astronauts on mission to the moon
Just a few hours before the Orion spacecraft crossed the sky en route to the moon on April 1, mechatronics engineer Rodrigo Trevisan Okamoto received confirmation he had been waiting for since the Artemis 2 mission was announced in 2023. The email from NASA stated that the crew
Earth is flying through ancient supernova debris and scientists found the evidence in Antarctic ice
Earth is quietly collecting radioactive debris from an ancient stellar explosion as our Solar System drifts through a giant cloud of gas and dust between the stars. Scientists analyzing Antarctic ice up to 80,000 years old discovered traces of iron-60 — a rare isotope forged in
New UFO files offer no answers—but something is happening in the skies
The US Government has released a new trove of documents on cases of "unidentified anomalous phenomena" (UAPs)—many of which would have been described in the past as unidentified flying objects or UFOs—including photos, videos and reports of unexplained events sighted in the sky
Rising storm floods are washing away wader nests—artificial eggs and incubation should only be last resort
Storm-driven sea floods are becoming more frequent as the climate warms, increasingly destroying the nests of threatened wader birds along the Baltic Sea coast. Waders are currently beginning their breeding season.
Scientists discover the Southern Ocean is “sweating” more as climate change intensifies
A remote island between Australia and Antarctica is showing signs of a dramatic climate transformation. Scientists found storms over Macquarie Island now unleash much heavier rainfall than they did decades ago, soaking ecosystems and altering fragile vegetation. The discovery
These computer voices sound human enough to mislead, but one layer of speech still breaks the illusion
We are surrounded by computer-generated voices these days, from navigation systems and voice assistants to automated announcements. But how human do these voices actually sound? A recent study by the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics (MPIEA) in Frankfurt am Main,
New psychedelic-like drugs could treat depression without making you trip
UC Davis researchers created brand-new psychedelic-like compounds by shining UV light on amino acid-based molecules. These compounds activated key serotonin receptors tied to brain plasticity and mental health benefits, but surprisingly did not cause hallucination-like behavior
Why are there so many lizards in Australia? The ancient climate holds a clue
If you travel around Australia, you will find an incredible diversity of lizards. The three-toed snake-tooth skink (Saiphos reticulatus), for example, is a peculiarly long and stumpy-legged reptile that burrows in rainforest and is covered in a brilliant orange and black-banded
In quantum gravity, the cosmological constant may behave similar to the quantum Hall effect
Trying to solve quantum gravity is frustrating. We have made tremendous progress in quantum theory, but it seems that every time we find a new quantum technique, there's a reason it doesn't quite work with gravity. Take, for example, the case of quantum fluctuations and
Researchers identify stability range for piezoelectric glycine using nanoconfinement
Have you ever wondered if the simple building blocks of life could one day power our wearable electronics? Glycine, the simplest amino acid found in our bodies, has a superpower in its β-phase form: it is highly piezoelectric, meaning it can convert mechanical pressure into
