Canadian wildfire smoke linked to fewer bird sightings in New York State
Despite burning hundreds of miles away, Canadian wildfires have become a familiar source of disruption in New York state.
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AI‑designed gene‑editing enzymes expand the CRISPR toolbox
Scientists have made many advances using traditional CRISPR technology, especially in medicine, but they are now seeking ways to create genuinely new gene-editing enzymes with properties that have not already evolved naturally. A new study, published in Science, describes a new
Tooth enamel reveals the origins of African slaves buried on St Helena
In the mid-19th century, the remote island of St. Helena, located about 1,200 miles (1,900 kilometers) off the southwestern coast of Africa, became a receiving point for thousands of enslaved Africans rescued from illegal slave ships by the British Royal Navy. Tragically, about
Researchers identify 'dimmer switch' for plants' immune system
As sulfur becomes increasingly scarce in soils worldwide, scientists are studying how plants decide whether to invest limited resources in growth or defense.
New study defines conditions for successful long-term biodiversity net gain
A new study identifying the ecological conditions needed for biodiversity offsetting to achieve conservation goals could provide important guidance for governments and industries as they expand biodiversity net gain (BNG) and nature restoration policies. The research is
Reptile fossil found in Brazil helps shed light on the common origins of dinosaurs and crocodiles
Long before dinosaurs ruled the continents and modern crocodiles first appeared, their ancestors were already going through a decisive phase in their evolutionary history. It was in this ancient world, shortly after the greatest mass extinction in Earth's history, that a new
What Became of the Chimps Who Revolutionized Our Understanding of Animal Behavior?
It’s a harrowing tale of deadly winters in Berlin captivity The post What Became of the Chimps Who Revolutionized Our Understanding of Animal Behavior? appeared first on Nautilus .
No, SpudCells aren’t alive. But they’re a step toward the first synthetic life
The lab-made cells open a window into what’s possible for synthetic life, researchers say.
Wildfire smoke kills tens of thousands of people a year. Here's how it attacks the body
Smoke from wildfires—which are burning more of the Northern Hemisphere as Earth warms—attacks nearly every system in the human body, killing tens of thousands of people a year, numerous medical studies show.
Thinner wires, faster electrons: Quantum material challenges copper at chip scale
Electrical interconnects may very well be the unsung heroes of modern microchips. These tiny wires—typically made of copper due to its high conductivity—string together the billions of transistors that drive our computers and electronic devices. But as the technology advances
To learn how tough a material is, engineers find its breaking point
A recent study examined a transparent material used in high-impact applications such as helicopter windshields at the molecular level to measure its toughness. Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the University of California, Irvine, followed a crack
Sun holds 55% more silver than estimated, new model reveals
Researchers at Uppsala University have calculated that the sun contains 55% more silver than previously estimated. The results are based on more realistic modeling of the sun's atmosphere and resolve a long-standing problem of missing silver in the solar system.
A source of extremely high-energy particles in the Milky Way identified
Cosmic rays are made primarily of protons with a few electrons sprinkled in, and they can reach energies even higher than what human-made accelerators can produce. Considering human-made accelerators, such as the Large Hadron Collider on the border of Switzerland and France,
Self-driving trucks will redraw US economic map
Technological advances in autonomous truck technology are poised to have significant economic ripple effects on U.S. interstate commerce, highway infrastructure and labor costs, according to new research co-written by a team of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign economists.
Global soil protections deliver measurable gains for farmland health
Erosion, salinization and shrinking numbers of organisms such as worms and beneficial fungi can have a devastating effect on soil fertility, and so many parts of the world have passed laws to curb these processes. A study by the University of Bonn has now shown that these
Portable system cuts PFAS testing time to hours
For communities worried about PFAS contamination, waiting for test results can mean days of uncertainty. A University of Tasmania trial has used a mobile laboratory equipped with portable liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) technology to test soil and water on site
Martin Picard’s Mitochondrial Theory of Mind
The biologist’s bold “energetic view of life” looks to the body’s strangest organelles as the link between cells, health, and mind and the foundation of our experience of being alive. The post Martin Picard’s Mitochondrial Theory of Mind first appeared on Quanta Magazine
Giant planets could act as dark matter detectors
Researchers in the U.S. have carried out the most stringent tests to date of the idea that an ultraviolet glow in the atmospheres of giant planets could partly arise through the indirect interaction between dark matter and ordinary matter. Led by Carlos Blanco at Princeton
New method makes epigenetic aging clocks accurate and easier to interpret
Epigenetic clocks are important tools in modern aging research. Typically, they use characteristic DNA methylation patterns in the genome to precisely predict a person's age and infer conclusions about the individual's biological aging processes. However, why this works so well
How Eating Healthier Could Reshape Agriculture
A Western diet is bad for us and bad for the planet The post How Eating Healthier Could Reshape Agriculture appeared first on Nautilus .
Ticks that survive pesticides can withstand colder winters
Ticks that survive less-than-lethal doses of pesticide are able to withstand dangerous cold, which could help them spread tick-borne diseases farther north, a UC study has found. Biologists with the University of Cincinnati and the U.S. Department of Agriculture examined the
How an influx of salt may affect microbial ecosystems in rivers, estuaries and coastal waters worldwide
As sea levels rise due to climate change, encroaching seawater will likely make freshwater environments saltier. In a new study, MIT researchers have shown how that increase in salinity might affect microbial ecosystems found in environments such as rivers and estuaries.
Many universities hold seized human remains. What should they do with them?
Biological anthropologist Fatimah Jackson is leading an effort to prevent history from repeating.
New map shows which neighborhoods are at risk of climate gentrification
Extreme heat is not only making cities less livable; it is also reshaping who can afford to live where. The highest levels of vulnerability to climate gentrification are no longer found in the urban core, but in the metropolitan periphery. To help anticipate this process,
How human activities compromise coral health and resilience
Human activities are fundamentally altering the chemical makeup of coral reefs, according to a study led by the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa and published in Nature Communications. The research team discovered that 25 contaminants from agricultural, industrial and
Water-exchange openings linked to distinct marine communities inside offshore wind foundations
Research carried out three years after installation at the Hollandse Kust Zuid offshore wind farm in the North Sea has found that distinct marine communities have developed inside offshore wind turbine foundations equipped with water replenishment holes. The foundations include
A scheme to verify gates of a quantum computer without examining devices
Quantum computers, systems that process information using the principles of quantum mechanics, could solve some problems that cannot be tackled by the classical computers currently used worldwide. Despite their potential, verifying that these computers are working correctly and
Hazardous Canadian wildfire smoke choking millions in US
The Manhattan skyline was obscured by thick haze, and Chicago closed its beaches Thursday as out-of-control Canadian wildfires raged, sending smoke spewing into the United States and exposing millions of people to dangerously unhealthy air.
Aboriginal people harvested this native grass for millennia: Scientists find an odd trait in its DNA
Seen from the air, Channel Country resembles a vibrant, vast tapestry, with a network of waterways crisscrossing the land. Spread across more than 280,000 square kilometers (108,000 square miles) in outback Australia, it is one of the world's last free-flowing desert river
Australia's most diverse marsupial predators have been hiding their origins for millions of years
When you think of carnivorous marsupials, you probably picture the Tasmanian devil or perhaps a spotted-tailed quoll. But these famous predators are only the largest members of a remarkable family of marsupials called dasyurids.
India's private space industry shoots for the stars
Private companies are reshaping India's space ambitions, building rockets and satellites as the country pushes to capture a bigger share of the global space economy.
What 'Neil the Seal' can teach us about seal behavior: Marine biologist explains
Neil the Seal became a social media sensation almost overnight. Neil is a 5-year-old male southern elephant seal who weighs roughly 1 metric ton (1.1 tons). He was born on the Tasman Peninsula in October 2020 and has made an annual trip to Tasmania since. This is because many
#MeToo and the marketplace: Can social reform impact consumer spending?
Consumers have been quick to reject problematic sexual content since the #MeToo movement began in 2018, and new research from the University of Arizona concludes that sentiment has affected their wallets. When small changes can shift millions of dollars at the box office, is it
Tennessee canola acres increased in 2026
With high input costs and volatile crop markets affecting profitability, many Tennessee row crop producers are looking to diversify their farming operations in coming years. Canola, a cool-season crop, could serve as an alternative to winter wheat and offer access to new
Math puzzle: A sequence of odd events
Solve the math puzzle from our August 2026 issue, in which a family investigates an odd happening.
See unprecedented images of Sunda clouded leopards, the ‘ghosts of the forest’
New, never-before-seen images provide a glimpse into the secretive lives of a clouded leopard species found in the dense rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra
Federal ginseng rules poorly predict plant health
A YSE-led study published in Environmental Research Letters found that current federal rules regulating American ginseng harvest—based on plant age and leaf count—poorly predict the biological traits that matter most for conservation.
In the battle of the sexes, the pay gap persists
Conceived by famed sociologist Paula England in the mid-1990s, occupational devaluation theory helps explain why workers in occupations with more women get paid less than workers in occupations with more men.
Research finds that dropping SAT and ACT requirements may improve access, but may also hinder college admissions
Dropping standardized testing requirements may make college admission more accessible for some, but it can also make it harder for universities to identify high-potential students, according to new research published in Management Science. The research suggests the decision
What’s the longest total solar eclipse?
Duration, location, aviation: What makes the best possible view of a total solar eclipse?
At least 12,000 excess deaths in Europe's June heat wave
At least 12,000 excess deaths were recorded across nine European countries during June's heat wave, national statistics indicated, a toll that could yet rise as more data are released, according to an AFP analysis.
With climate ambitions in question, EU reforms carbon market
The European Union on Friday unveils reforms to its carbon market after fierce wrangling among countries, industry and activists over the pace of the bloc's climate push.
Permanent daylight savings is bad for Americans’ health—here’s what science says could be better
More sunlight in the evenings doesn’t always equate to better health
Wildfire smoke makes air unhealthy from the US Midwest to East Coast. Officials say stay inside
Heavy, pungent wildfire smoke darkened skies in the U.S. on Thursday from the Great Lakes to parts of the East Coast, reducing visibility and prompting warnings that breathing the air outside could be dangerous.
SpaceX Starship launch aborted on the pad at the last moment
SpaceX's mega Starship rocket came within a second or so from blasting off on a test flight Thursday, but some of the engines failed to ignite, triggering a launch abort amid billowing clouds of smoke and vapor.
Cyclospora outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce supplied to Taco Bell
U.S. officials have traced an explosive-diarrhea-causing parasite outbreak in five states to shredded lettuce served at this popular fast-food chain
Ancient Egyptian princesses were ‘powerful’ weapon users, new analysis suggests
These findings challenge a long-held belief about weapons found in female burial sites
Scientists tested 39 sweeteners and found unexpected gut effects
A large laboratory study found that many commonly used sweeteners can directly change the growth of gut bacteria. Researchers identified more than 100 cases in which sweeteners behaved differently when combined with medications, caffeine, or flavorings. The combination of
Scientists built a camera that can track invisible particles in 3D
A new particle detector called PLATON could replace millions of tiny detector components with a single block of light-producing material. Using a light-field camera, highly sensitive photon sensors, and AI, it reconstructs particle paths in fast, detailed 3D. Simulations
New Alzheimer's drug repairs DNA damage and reduces brain inflammation
A drug originally developed for spinal cord injury may offer a fresh approach to treating Alzheimer’s disease. In mouse studies, KCL-286 repaired dangerous DNA damage, reduced inflammation, and targeted multiple disease-related pathways instead of focusing on just amyloid or