New observations by a team of US astronomers have cast fresh doubt on whether the lunar surface could host abundant water ice. Publishing their results in Science Advances, a team led by Shuai Li at the University of Hawaii at Manoa has shown that relatively pure ice (making up
"Project Hail Mary," the Ryan Gosling-led adaptation of the best-selling sci-fi novel from Andy Weir, is being praised for putting the science in science fiction. Although aliens, sun-draining microorganisms and galaxy-spanning spaceflight are all a part of the story of a
A court ruling that blocks Trump administration vaccine policy is a win for science. But much work remains to rebuild trust in vaccines.
Tiny pieces of plastic, called microplastics, are showing up everywhere, even in the water in clouds, rain, and snow—and they may be affecting our weather and temperatures. A study published in Environmental Science & Technology and led by Hosein Foroutan, associate professor
They’re an evolutionary feat all of their own The post How Cacti Defy Darwin appeared first on Nautilus .
Every time we do a load of laundry, tiny fibers of polyester escape from our clothes and slip down the drain. These microfibers, so small they can be invisible to the naked eye, are among the most common forms of microplastic in the ocean. Yet, new research published in Journal
Like the males of many animal species, male Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies, a commonly studied lab animal, are aggressive toward one another and even fight when competing for resources such as food and females. Researchers in the lab of David Anderson have been studying
For millennia, sling bullets served as a hand-thrown projectile that could be used to fend off enemies. At Hippos, 70 sling bullets made of lead have been recovered over the course of fieldwork and excavation. However, while many are bare or depict scorpions and thunderbolts,
Ryan Gosling is on a mission to save the sun — and Earth — from star-killing microbes. Science News dissects the science behind the sci-fi movie.
An interview with a behavioral economist about cake, climate change, and cooperation The post Heat Probably Doesn’t Make You More Aggressive appeared first on Nautilus .
When bacteria cells replicate, they do so a little differently than human cells do. They don't undergo mitosis, a splitting that involves construction of spindles to carefully separate the DNA after replication. Instead, they use a process called binary fission, which is faster
Despite polyethylene terephthalate (PET) being one of the most widely recycled plastics, only about 20% of used PET bottles are actually recovered as high-quality raw materials. The majority are transformed into lower-grade fibers or fillers before eventually being discarded.
For her Ph.D. at VUB and KULeuven, Aarushi Caro created a kind of systematics for dendritic cells, a special group of immune cells in the fight against cancer. Until now, there was a lot of confusion about the different types of dendritic cells. "Scientists worldwide use
In a new study, scientists from the universities of Portsmouth and Manchester report that a specially engineered enzyme can significantly speed up the breakdown of PET—the plastic used in water bottles, food packaging and polyester clothing—when it is processed at high
More and more people are turning to AI chatbots as if they were close friends—venting about personal struggles, asking for advice, and even sharing their deepest secrets. These conversations can feel strikingly real, with some users saying they're indistinguishable from
University of Phoenix announces the publication of "Harnessing AI, Virtual Landscapes, and Anthropomorphic Imaginaries to Enhance Environmental Science Education at Jökulsárlón Proglacial Lagoon, Iceland" in Glacies.
A common microbe can wreak havoc once inside cells The post How Gum Disease Can Lead to Breast Cancer appeared first on Nautilus .
Computer simulations can help people gain a better understanding of the situation faced by migrants. This is shown by a new study in which 148 teenagers were assigned random migration pathways, with different start and end points. Along the way, they encountered unforeseen
Autism researchers are working to counter a federal autism advisory panel that has vaccine skeptic members and, they say, a “striking absence of scientific expertise”
For the second time this year, NASA moved its moon rocket from the hangar out toward the pad Friday in hopes of launching four astronauts on a lunar fly-around next month.
In new research published in Physical Review X, scientists have designed quantum control protocols that generate processes more consistent with time flowing backward than forward. The protocols—techniques to control quantum systems—modify a quantum system's "arrow of time," the
A record early heat wave striking the west of the United States on Friday is a one-in-500-years type event and all but certainly the result of human-caused climate change, experts say.
This spring, these six orchids will lure pollinators with mimicry, scent or other unusual strategies.
Plant immunity is largely initiated at the cellular level, with each cell capable of autonomous detection and response, while also coordinating systemic signaling across the organism—unlike the centralized, cell-based immune system of animals. One of the key mechanisms of plant
Scientists at Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Australia have described two new species of fungi, Peziza austroechinospora and Peziza meridionalis with the assistance of DNA sequencing, highlighting how modern science is revealing vast, hidden biodiversity beneath our feet.
Researchers at the University of Seville have demonstrated the effectiveness of active vertical garden systems in improving indoor air quality in buildings. To do so, they worked inside a closed glass chamber installed at the Higher Technical School of Agricultural Engineering,
A midbrain bypass may have unlocked their abilities to speak The post Seal and Sea Lion Brains Help Explore the Roots of Language appeared first on Nautilus .
Fake news can be tricky to spot, but spotting fake drugs just got a little easier. Researchers have devised a low-cost way to help distinguish legitimate medications from counterfeit ones.
Chemists may soon have one less rigorous step to worry about when searching for the right molecules to accomplish their highly specific innovation needs. Scientists have now built a new machine learning model that can predict the electric dipole moments of diatomic molecules
The ALICE Collaboration takes a step further in addressing the question of whether a quark–gluon plasma can be formed in proton–proton and proton–nucleus collisions. In the first few microseconds after the Big Bang, the universe was in an extremely hot and dense state of matter
Researchers have known for decades that female mosquitoes—the ones responsible for the itchy and irritating bites that can also transmit disease—lose their desire to bite humans for several days after feeding, as they digest blood and convert it to yolk protein that they
Animals come in an extraordinary range of body shapes. A starfish looks nothing like an earthworm, a mouse, or a human. Yet even closely related species can appear radically different: corals, jellyfish, and sea anemones all belong to the same biological phylum, but their
For ants, the ability to instantly distinguish nestmates from outsiders who might hijack the colony is crucial. Now, a new study shows that the system that ants use to determine who belongs in the colony is far more flexible than once thought. The findings, published in Current
Mosquitoes stop feeding because signals from rectal cells tell them they’re full, offering a target for preventing human bites.
This science-fiction movie plays with quantum physics, space travel, astrobiology and mass-to-energy conversion
Agnes Pockels achievements in surface science have long been overshadowed by a popular and likely untrue story that she became interested in the subject while doing the dishes
Apophis will be visited by multiple spacecraft – including landers – when it skims past Earth in three years
The São Paulo Metropolitan Area (SPMA) in Brazil has approximately 22 million inhabitants and consumes an average of 61.6 cubic meters (61,600 liters) of water per second. Although nearly the entire public water supply originates from surface sources, it is estimated that about
A potentially huge underground reservoir of freshwater beneath the Great Salt Lake is coming into sharper focus with a new study that used airborne electromagnetic (AEM) surveys to X-ray geologic structures under Farmington Bay and Antelope Island off the lake's southeastern
A study conducted by researchers at the Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture at the University of São Paulo (CENA-USP) and published in the journal Environmental Sciences Europe identified residues of different classes of antibiotics in the Piracicaba River, one of the main
Off the coast of Japan, biologists netted a pea-size jellyfish with an unusual circadian clock — a chance finding that suggests there are likely more overlooked biological timekeeping mechanisms to be discovered. The post The Jellies That Evolved a Different Way To Keep Time
In recent decades, income and wealth disparities have widened significantly in many European countries. At the same time, support for populist parties has grown. Previous studies have already pointed out that rising inequality may be contributing to the growth of populist
Experimenters hope to harness the powerful effects of medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy at doses smaller than those studied most.
As interest in structured mountain adventure continues to surge across Europe and North America, a new study led by researchers at the University of Eastern Finland and Lakehead University provides the first comprehensive scoping review and research agenda dedicated
Baby corn, essentially unfertilized young ears of corn, is a specialty food gaining interest for its high nutrition and low calorie count. It also has significant economic value as a quick-turnaround cash crop with a global market. Currently, Thailand is the largest producer of
The largest review of medicinal cannabis to date found it doesn’t effectively treat anxiety, depression, or PTSD—despite millions using it for those reasons. Researchers warn it could even make mental health worse, raising risks like psychosis and addiction while delaying
A shingles vaccine might double as a powerful heart protector. In people already at high risk, it cut major cardiac events by 46% and deaths by an impressive 66% within a year. Scientists think preventing shingles may also stop clot-related complications that can lead to heart
The Smile mission is set to launch on a Vega-C rocket from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana on Thursday, April 9, at 08:29 CEST/07:29 BST/03:29 local time.
A comprehensive study has revealed substantial declines in many of South Africa's birds of prey (raptors) over the past 16 years, raising fresh concerns about the conservation status of several iconic and threatened species. Researchers assessed population trends for 18 raptor
Over the past decades, quantum scientists have introduced various technologies that operate leveraging quantum mechanical effects, including quantum sensors, computers and memory devices. Most of these technologies leverage entanglement, a quantum phenomenon via which two or
