Most modern semiconductors are fabricated of or on silicon (Si), but as devices get smaller and denser, they dissipate more power and, as a result, are reaching their physical limits. Germanium (Ge)—once used in the first transistors of the 1950s—is now making a comeback as
Nowhere in the ocean is now left untouched by a type of "forever chemicals" called "per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances," known simply as PFAS.
Students are more likely to attain their degree when they report a stronger sense of belonging in their first year of college, according to a new study by Wake Forest University psychology professor Shannon Brady.
New York City's most aggressive housing quality enforcement programs reduced hazardous housing violations in targeted buildings but did not lead to measurable changes in short-run health care utilization, according to a new study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public
Scientists have engineered a nanowire platform that mimics brain tissue to study astrocytes, the star-shaped cells critical for brain health, for the first time in their natural state.
Tiny particles of space dust could be vital for creating the complex molecules needed for life more quickly, scientists say.
A map of badger roadkill hotspots in the UK has been generated by a team from Cardiff University to help prevent wildlife-vehicle collisions in the future.
Social robots can be a non-threatening way for children to improve their reading skills, researchers say.
Miniaturization ranks as the driving force behind the semiconductor industry. The tremendous gains in computer performance since the 1950s are largely due to the fact that ever smaller structures can be manufactured on silicon chips.
The grisly infrared camera footage records a never-before-seen hunting tactic. It may have implications for bat conservation.
Given the escalating scale of inequality in the world, shouldn't countries be banding together to set up an international panel on the issue, along the same lines as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations body set up to assess the science
In June 1967, the world's first "automated teller machine" or "ATM" was unveiled at a branch of Barclays Bank in north London in a grand ceremony.
When the results of Canada's national honey bee colony loss survey were published in July 2025, they came as no surprise. According to the Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists, an estimated 36% of Canada's 830,000 honey bee colonies had perished over the winter.
Ten years ago the world's leaders placed a historic bet. The 2015 Paris agreement aimed to put humanity on a path to avert dangerous climate change. A decade on, with the latest climate conference ending in Belém, Brazil, without decisive action, we can definitively say
As the artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing industries explode, trained STEM professionals are in high demand. Mathematics is foundational to these fields.
It wasn't a comfortable process for the tens of thousands of delegates trying to hash out progress on climate change on the edge of the Amazon in Belém, Brazil. I experienced the challenges of the United Nations COP30 climate talks firsthand.
When parents think about their child's education, they probably focus on basic skills and exam results, the amount a child is trying and their well-being.
An expanding universe complicates this picture just a little bit, because the universe absolutely refuses to be straightforward. Objects are still emitting light, and that light takes time to travel from them over to here, but in that intervening time, the universe grows
The surface of Earth is finite. We can measure it. If it was expanding, then its size would grow with time. And once again, good ol' Earth helps us understand what the universe might be doing beyond our observable horizon.
Mothers aren't just losing the income, promotions and career advancements that we've known about for quite some time. They're also quietly spending their own money, absorbing more day-to-day costs and making financial sacrifices that place them at a long-term disadvantage.
Older Australians living in private rentals are disproportionately exposed to housing precarity, with women bearing the heaviest burden, new Swinburne research launched at Parliament House today reveals.
Within sight of Kenya's main international airport in Nairobi's east, Pipeline residential estate stands out like a sore thumb. Composed almost entirely of tightly packed high-rise tenement flats, the estate has been described by the media as an urban planning nightmare. They
To see Earth from space is to be forever changed by the view. Since Alan Shepard became the first American to lay eyes on our home planet from above, countless NASA astronauts have described feeling awed by the astonishing sight and a profound shift in perspective that followed.
A breakthrough discovery in marketing strategy sits behind an academic paywall. A policy solution to a pressing social issue remains buried in a scholarly journal. Innovative research that could transform business practices never reaches the executives who need it most.
A long-dormant volcano erupted in northern Ethiopia over the weekend, sending ash plumes across the Red Sea toward Yemen and Oman.
Britain is one of the least "nature-connected" nations in the world, and new research has explored the reasons why.
A new study by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) published in Coral Reefs reveals why many coral reef fishers remain in poverty, even as fish stocks decline and some fishers leave the profession. The research shows that ecological differences, economic pressures, and
The newly described microbe represents a world of parasitic, intercellular biodiversity only beginning to be revealed by genome sequencing. The post A Cell So Minimal That It Challenges Definitions of Life first appeared on Quanta Magazine
A new study from the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University and Public Agenda finds that Americans are deeply concerned about the state of U.S. democracy and that growing divisions within the Republican Party deepen partisan divides over how the Constitution should
In the face of a changing climate, an updated planning tool will act as Anchorage's guide to preparing for and living with an increased wildfire risk.
Cancer is a common disease among mammals, but some species, such as the naked mole rat and elephants, have evolved resistance. According to new research published in the journal Science Advances, this may be because these animals care for one another and have interdependent
Hypertension begins harming the brain surprisingly early, even before measurable blood pressure increases. Key cells related to blood vessels, signaling, and myelin maintenance begin aging prematurely and malfunctioning. These disruptions resemble early patterns seen in
While SpaceX continues to test its Starship and Super Heavy rocket in Texas, Space Force officials in Florida are preparing for a first launch as early as mid-2026.
In 1995, a pair of scientists discovered a planet outside our solar system orbiting a solar-type star. Since that finding—which won the scientists a portion of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics—researchers have discovered more than 5,000 exoplanets, including some Earth-like
European astronomers report the discovery of a second alien world in the TOI-1422 planetary system located some 500 light years away. The newfound exoplanet, which received designation TOI-1422 c, is nearly three times larger and about 14 times more massive than Earth. The
By 2100, Australian and global coral reef communities will be slow to recover, less complex, and dominated by fleshy algae, as high carbon dioxide changes ocean chemistry.
In people at risk for Alzheimer’s disease, researchers linked minimal to moderate physical activity to a 3-to 7-year delay in cognitive symptoms.
A research team has found that specific immune cells can connect with muscle fibers in a lightning-fast, neuron-like way to promote healing. These cells deliver quick pulses of calcium, triggering repair within seconds. The mechanism works in both injury and disease models. The
There are widespread concerns that deep-sea mining for metals will damage fragile ecosystems. But if mining ever goes ahead, hydrogen plasma could shrink the carbon footprint of smelting the metal ores
Analysis of the DNA and proteins of a range of animals has revealed that sperm’s molecular toolkit arose in our single-celled ancestors, perhaps more than a billion years ago
The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a system of Atlantic Ocean currents that redistributes heat and nutrients between the tropics and the North Atlantic, is one of the planet's tipping points. That means there is a critical threshold that, once crossed,
Sargassum seaweed is creating major new obstacles for sea turtle hatchlings, drastically slowing their crawl to the ocean and increasing their risk from predators and heat. Despite the physical challenge, their energy stores stay stable, suggesting the real danger lies in the
Photonic quantum processors, devices that can process information leveraging quantum mechanical effects and particles of light (photons), have shown promise for numerous applications, ranging from computations and communications to the simulation of complex quantum systems.
As the impact of global warming becomes more obvious, you might expect countries to step up climate action and preparation, but we’re seeing the opposite happen
The 194 countries still taking part in UN climate negotiations reaffirmed the Paris Agreement following the US withdrawal, even if they agreed on little else
A new study finds that fluoride is safe for kids’ brain—and linked to slightly better test scores.
The Darwin Online project at the National University of Singapore (NUS) has published for the first time: Charles Darwin's personal Address Book. It offers an astonishingly personal glimpse into the life and work of the great scientist.
UC Davis researchers engineered wheat that encourages soil bacteria to convert atmospheric nitrogen into plant-usable fertilizer. By boosting a natural compound in the plant, the wheat triggers bacteria to form biofilms that enable nitrogen fixation. This breakthrough could cut
When a wild orangutan leaves its mother after spending many years by her side, it has a mental catalog of almost 250 edible plants and animals, and the knowledge of how to acquire and process them.
The same technology used in COVID-19 vaccines could help prevent muscle damage from snakebites, according to a study published in Trends in Biotechnology.
