Mountain Lions Make Roads Safer
The hidden safety benefits of these kings of the mountains The post Mountain Lions Make Roads Safer appeared first on Nautilus .
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Electric field reverses phonon chirality and spin direction in ferroelectric crystal
Chiral phonons are groups of atoms that move in a circular direction when excited by an energy source, such as heat. As the phonons move through a material, they propagate that circular motion, or angular momentum, through the material. The angular momentum serves as the source
Unprecedented biomass loss in Europe's forests since 2018
Using satellite data, researchers at TUM have identified an unprecedented loss of aboveground biomass in Europe's forests since 2018. Unlike previous studies that focused solely on changes in tree cover, this study provides the first Europe–wide assessment of changes in forest
Whole-genome sequencing reveals that Japanese and Ryukyu wild boars share a common ancestor
The wild boar (Sus scrofa) is widely distributed across Eurasia and has also colonized the Japanese archipelago, where two subspecies are recognized: the Japanese wild boar (JWB, Sus scrofa leucomystax) and the Ryukyu wild boar (RWB, Sus scrofa riukiuanus). Before this study,
'Little red dots' may be pulsating monster stars that created early-universe black holes
Astronomers have speculated about the mysterious "little red dots" seen through the James Webb Space Telescope's images of the early universe: They could be galaxies, black holes, quasi-stars, starbursts ... or something else entirely.
Astronomers catch 'Hatchling' quasar breaking out of its dusty cocoon
Using observations from multiple powerful telescopes, a team of astronomers studied a red quasar nicknamed "the Hatchling" at redshift 3.7. They may have identified one of the clearest examples yet of a quasar caught in transition between a heavily obscured and fully exposed
Zoo education strengthens people's connection to nature
Zoos offer people the opportunity to experience animals and engage with the natural world. Alongside recreation, they also play important roles in species conservation and scientific research. Education is another core mission of modern zoos, with many programs designed to
Neanderthal growth hormone receptor increases muscle mass in people today, study shows
Neanderthals were generally more strongly built than most people living today. Their bones show signs of large muscles, and they had characteristic features such as prominent brow ridges and relatively short tooth roots.
Two origins of life: Free-living cells may have emerged twice as bacteria and archaea diverged
How and where did the first forms of life arise? These are the main questions driving research at the Institute of Molecular Evolution at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU). In a new publication in Science Advances, an international team led by Düsseldorf biologists
Tangled seaweed inspires one-size-fits-all cleaners for ocean microplastics
Inspired by naturally occurring mats and balls of seaweed, researchers have created highly porous, superadhesive meshes capable of capturing both large and small microplastic particles—a longstanding challenge in the field. The mesh can clean microplastics from both saltwater
How humans process the extraordinary—most report positive long-term effects
One-fourth of people who undergo an extraordinary experience report immediate discomfort, but more than half say the experience caused positive long-term effects, according to a study published Aug. 5, 2026, in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Ronald Fischer of Instituto
Distrust of mainstream media may fuel vaccine conspiracy beliefs
A research team led by Professor Hitoshi Yamamoto of Rissho University analyzed five years of longitudinal panel survey data collected between 2020 and 2024 and examined how vaccine-related conspiracy beliefs were associated with media skepticism during the COVID-19 pandemic.
What Happens When You Put an AI-Powered Banana Casino in a Monkey Reserve?
AI really is everywhere these days The post What Happens When You Put an AI-Powered Banana Casino in a Monkey Reserve? appeared first on Nautilus .
Study finds it's where you log, not just how much, that determines flood risk
Watersheds that are flatter, drier and warmer are generally more vulnerable to increases in flooding after trees are harvested. Those with greater variation in elevation spread runoff out over time, reducing flood peaks.
German cockroaches appear to be more social animals than previously thought
Newborn German cockroaches use pheromones in cockroach feces to identify members of their own colony and form a kind of social bond, a discovery that could be used to improve pest control efforts.
Elon Musk reveals SpaceX plans to build satellite factories on the moon
Musk outlined his vision to investors after SpaceX posted a $542 million loss from its space launch sector in its first quarter as a public company
As urban tree shade shrinks, mortality rises
As trees disappear from urban neighborhoods, lives may be lost with them. In a new study, Northwestern University scientists tracked death rates and fluctuations in tree canopy cover across an 11-year period in Chicago. They found that areas experiencing greater losses in tree
Why being born helpless may be one of humanity's greatest strengths
Babies start out life helpless and stay that way for a long time. They cannot walk, feed themselves or survive without an adult's continued care. Our dependency timeline has no clear parallel elsewhere in the animal kingdom.
Scattered Roman bones point to potential fourth-century purge at Brading Villa
Disarticulated bones found scattered across a luxurious Roman villa on England's Isle of Wight may be evidence of a massacre carried out during a brutal political purge in the fourth century, a new study in Britannia suggests.
SpaceX aims to use rockets to quickly transport cargo across the Earth and into orbit
You might think of rockets as powerful vehicles that blast astronaut crews and robotic missions into space. But what if they could be used to send cargo from one side of Earth to the other in a fraction of the time it would take a plane? The company SpaceX recently announced a
Climate change may be making us lonelier: How heat waves and extreme weather disrupt social connections
Severe storms, heat waves and wildfires can shut down the social life of a community, flooding out festivals, canceling community events and keeping people indoors.
Cell-inspired synthetic fibers reveal a reversible route to self-protecting smart materials
Researchers at the University of Bayreuth, together with colleagues from Freie Universität Berlin and the Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden, have developed a synthetic fiber system inspired by the cellular cytoskeleton that protects itself through controlled
Restoring the silenced Friedreich's ataxia gene through unconventional means
Cells can switch off genes by tightly packaging DNA around proteins called histones. However, scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have discovered that under certain conditions, this packaging acts more like molasses than a solid, allowing a specially designed
Is hemp a thirsty crop? New research measures just how much water cannabis farming can use
In South Africa, it's been legal for several years for people to grow hemp (a type of Cannabis sativa with very low levels of the psychoactive compound THC) for personal use following changes to the law. There's also been a growing interest in its medicinal and industrial
Study finds strong link between conspiracy beliefs, antisemitism and anti-Israel attitudes
New research from Rutgers University–Newark psychologist Kent Harber reveals a strong connection between conspiracy theories, antisemitic attitudes and hostility toward Israel.
New molecule class creates hardy, drought tolerant plants
As climate change causes water scarcity and temperatures to rise, crops around the world are feeling the heat. How can we prevent severe crop losses in these relentlessly sweltering conditions? An international research team led by Tohoku University has identified a new class
This Image from the Dark Energy Camera Is a Bit Van Gogh, No?
Astronomy meets 19th-century art The post This Image from the Dark Energy Camera Is a Bit Van Gogh, No? appeared first on Nautilus .
Corals Spin Tiny Vortices to Get Oxygen, but Not if It’s Too Hot
New research is helping biologists understand how an overlooked aspect of coral physiology may affect their fate under climate change. The post Corals Spin Tiny Vortices to Get Oxygen, but Not if It’s Too Hot first appeared on Quanta Magazine
Social media can shape your travel plans, according to study
New University of Georgia research suggests that social media could influence people's travel plans. The paper is published in the journal Current Issues in Tourism.
SpaceX rocket stage believed to have slammed into the moon
A piece of a SpaceX rocket weighing four tonnes (4.4 tons) was believed to have unintentionally crashed into the moon on Wednesday, a collision that posed no danger to Earth but is expected to leave behind a lunar crater.
Gene-edited beagles may offer a future option for people with dog allergies
Matt Walker couldn't pet a dog without sneezing—until he and other scientists used a gene editing technique to produce a hypoallergenic beagle named Bailey.
Neanderthal genes may give modern humans’ muscles a boost
Most of the world’s population carries at least a little Neanderthal DNA
Scientists discover a ‘skinny gene’ mutation that acts like Ozempic
One in 7,000 people carry this gene mutation
Human activity more than doubles Arctic fire occurrence, satellite analysis suggests
Fires in the Arctic are not solely a regional issue, as shown by the hazy skies in Switzerland last summer despite otherwise sunny weather. Smoke from major fires in northern Canada crossed the Atlantic and reached Europe. Until now, large-scale studies of Arctic tundra fires
Avalanche cracks may appear globally supersonic while remaining locally subsonic
Can a crack be supersonic? Can the fracture that triggers an avalanche propagate faster than the limiting velocity predicted by classical fracture mechanics? The question remains the subject of debate within the scientific community. While some numerical and experimental
Pumas make roads safer for drivers by changing prey behavior patterns
Living among large predatory carnivores could actually make you safer. A study published in the journal Current Biology found that pumas—wild cats also known as mountain lions, cougars or panthers—change deer behavior, leading to fewer collisions with cars on roadways. In areas
Turning one of the world's most difficult plastics into premium lubricant
Virginia Tech chemist and chemical engineer Guoliang "Greg" Liu and his lab have developed a process that converts the plastic polyvinyl chloride (PVC) into polyalphaolefin, a key component in lubricants such as engine oil. Published Aug. 5 in the journal Nature, the research
Tiny vortices discovered on the sun's surface
Researchers from the U.S. National Science Foundation National Solar Observatory (NSF NSO), the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) in Germany, and the High Altitude Observatory (HAO) in the U.S. have made a discovery in solar physics. New images of the sun's
These tiny swirls on the sun could trigger solar flares
Scientists have finally seen a long-predicted motion on the sun, and it may help explain explosive solar activity.
Spectacular images reveal never-before-seen whirlpools on the sun
Strange whirlpools of plasma seen in the sharpest images ever captured of our star help explain the deep origins of Earth-threatening space weather and more
People With This Neanderthal Hormone Receptor Have More Muscle Mass
Are you regular swole? Or neanderthal swole? The post People With This Neanderthal Hormone Receptor Have More Muscle Mass appeared first on Nautilus .
How living near mountain lions might actually make you safer
Mountain lions (also known as cougars or pumas) make roads safer by scaring deer and elk that can cause collisions with cars into more remote areas
Act now on microplastic risks, businesses urged
A new white paper released by experts at the UTS Business School highlights the risks businesses face if they ignore growing scientific evidence and consumer awareness of the dangers posed by microplastics.
Backpack lab finds wastewater contamination and drug-resistant bacteria in Galápagos waters
From routine surgeries to cancer treatment, modern medicine depends on drugs that can fight infections caused by microbes such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. But some microbes are becoming resistant to the drugs used to treat them, which has wide-reaching
Ancient armored fish that narrowly avoided meteorite strike reveals life before Earth's largest mass extinction
A rare fossil discovered near South America's largest known meteorite crater has been named a new species. Initially mistaken for a frog by locals, Leolepis matogrossensis is actually a species of ancient ray-finned fish—the group that includes 96% of all bony fishes living
Noisy bubbles hinder ultrasound-boosted chemical reactions, sonochemistry model shows
Ultrasound is a powerful way to drive chemical reactions. When high-frequency sound waves pass through a liquid, tiny bubbles form and then violently collapse in a process called acoustic cavitation. During this collapse, gas particles are forced together, creating temperatures
Soilless farming system design can determine microbial growth, impact on crops
Soilless farming—a method of growing plants in a nutrient-rich solution rather than traditional soil—accounts for a significant share of vegetable production, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), with more than half of tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce grown
Were there tiny dinosaurs? New study explores one of evolution's biggest mysteries
Dinosaurs are famous for being big, from the towering Tyrannosaurus rex to the colossal Apatosaurus. But a new study published today in the journal Evolution by scientists at the American Museum of Natural History and Princeton University suggests that one of the greatest
Here’s Why There Aren’t Any Tiny Dinosaurs
There are plenty of teensy animals—just not dinosaurs The post Here’s Why There Aren’t Any Tiny Dinosaurs appeared first on Nautilus .
A new take on interpreting chemical bond analysis in solids
Researchers from Skoltech, SberUniversity, the M.N. Mikheev Institute of Metal Physics of UB RAS and Ural Federal University have published a review of a novel approach to interpreting chemical bonding in solids. The method not only describes crystals in terms of precise
