Meet the astronomer digging into the Milky Way's 'fossils'
Amina Helmi's passion for the Milky Way is clear as soon as one steps into her small office at the University of Groningen, in the north of the Netherlands.
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Rain dampens France fire, as Spain reports 'almost no flames'
Firefighters in France on Thursday were hopeful a massive forest fire was no longer spreading, as Spain said there were "almost no flames" left after a similar blaze near Madrid.
From single projection to many possibilities: A new tool for climate risk assessment
Assessing how climate change will affect different regions usually requires running a complex chain of models. While this approach provides valuable insights, it is expensive and can cover only a limited set of scenarios and model runs. Together with partners, IIASA researchers
Chicken kidney sponge could be 'outstanding' at cleaning up polluted ports
Ports rank among the most disturbed marine environments. Pollutants like trash, oil and toxins from antifouling paints tend to accumulate in enclosed harbors. Invasive species arriving in ballast water may displace native wildlife, while ship propellers, sonars and dredging
Quantum in the palm of your hand: The evolution of superconducting qubits
Electrons zipping through transistors, powering the screens on our smartphones. Light zooming from distant stars to Earth, moving faster than anything else in the universe. Protons enabling MRI machines to analyze people's injuries.
Three-dimensional visualization of nanoplastic distribution in the neonatal mouse brain
Nanoplastics—plastic particles smaller than one micrometer—are generated through the degradation and abrasion of plastic products and are increasingly detected in food, drinking water, air and biological tissues. Although the presence of plastic particles in animals and humans
Machine learning LDL-C equation comparable to original Martin-Hopkins
A simplified machine learning-based low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) equation provides results that are comparable to the original Martin-Hopkins equation, according to a study published online July 15 in JAMA Cardiology.
The role of community energy in mediating the sustainable energy transition
Community energy projects, actively governed and managed by community members, play an essential role in advancing just energy transitions, for example, by providing energy in remote areas, facilitating the adoption of renewable technologies and building resilient electricity
Daily multivitamin may help older adults stay independent
Taking a daily multivitamin may help older adults preserve the strength and stamina needed for everyday activities. After three years, users reported better functional health than those taking a placebo, although the preliminary findings still require peer review.
Humanoid classroom robots show potential as teaching assistants, not teacher replacements
A New York school district made global headlines this week for plans to trial a humanoid robot named "Sally" in high school classrooms.
Strain turns non-chiral crystals left- or right-handed on demand
Mechanical strain is one of the most common tools used to tailor the properties of materials. In piezoelectric materials, stretching or compressing a crystal generates an electrical polarization. In piezomagnetic materials, it induces magnetization. Researchers at the Max
A climate resilience strategy to strengthen US seafood competitiveness
As the U.S. looks to expand domestic seafood production, a new University of Miami study argues that long-term competitiveness will depend on how well fisheries can withstand climate-driven disruptions. The study comes as NOAA advances new efforts to increase domestic seafood
Hydrothermal microbes shape seafloor minerals at newly found vents near Greek island
In August 2023, the German research vessel METEOR set sail on Expedition M192 to the Greek island of Milos with Dr. Solveig Bühring as chief scientist. The mission was to locate and investigate previously unknown hydrothermal systems. Now, three years later, a new study
Lake ice loss could accelerate after winter temperatures cross critical thresholds
For lakes across the Northern Hemisphere, winter ice is more than a frozen surface. It is a seasonal regulator that shapes underwater ecosystems and energy balance. But as the planet warms, this frozen season is disappearing faster than expected.
Expressway restoration may speed regional economic recovery after disasters
A research team has, for the first time, demonstrated the crucial role that restoring transportation networks (such as roads and railways) plays in rebuilding regional economies and helping residents recover their livelihoods after a major disaster. The study was published in
One of industry's toughest lignin byproducts could become feedstock for valuable chemicals
The pulp and paper industry, which manufactures everything from tissue paper to cardboard, also generates a significant yet often overlooked byproduct—a complex polymer called lignin. Around 100 million tons of lignin are produced each year. Despite being the largest natural
Invasive species emerge as a driver of human displacement, new research shows
Invasive alien species are driving human displacement, according to a new research paper published this month in Frontiers. In Kenya, Opuntia stricta has displaced pastoralist communities, while the invasive little fire ant has led to farm abandonment in New Caledonia, the
Keeping stem cells in check: A new mechanism by which cell junction proteins regulate tissue homeostasis
In many animal tissues, stem cells continually divide to create new cells that replace old or damaged ones. However, this capacity requires strict regulation, as uncontrolled stem cell proliferation can disrupt tissue homeostasis and contribute to tumorigenesis.
Most complete skeleton of 30 million-year-old dog discovered
For decades, a 30 million-year-old fossil sat entombed in rock in an Oregon museum collection. When it was first found, paleontologists thought it might be an early relative of sheep, camels and pigs, whose fossilized skeletons are, in the researchers' view, abundant.
What sheep's teeth can tell us about life in a medieval Kazakhstan town
You might not often think about the molars of livestock, but everything from the grass they eat to the water they drink can tell a story about how people lived centuries ago. An international collaboration led by University of Michigan researchers examined herd management in
Carrion emerges as a key force shaping ecosystems, disease and human evolution
What happens after death? An international study led by the University of Granada (UGR), involving Ana Mateos and Jesús Rodríguez, researchers at the Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), argues that this question, long overlooked by ecology, can
Mothers and Fathers Experience Dramatically Different Health Consequences
Recent study explores the gender gap in parental health The post Mothers and Fathers Experience Dramatically Different Health Consequences appeared first on Nautilus .
Climate shapes vegetation patterns across Yellow River Basin
Climate drives vegetation patterns across the Henan section of China's Yellow River Basin, research in the International Journal of Environmental Engineering shows. However, expanding agriculture and urbanization have a detrimental effect on plant diversity in heavily developed
Ice Age artists carved thumbnail-size bird figurines from mammoth ivory 40,000 years ago
Excavations at Hohle Fels Cave in the UNESCO World Heritage area of the Swabian Jura in southwestern Germany have again yielded two spectacular 40,000-year-old depictions of birds carved from mammoth ivory. The two figurines are the smallest discovered so far and are the size
A mechanically tunable molecular switch for circularly polarized light emission
Over the past few decades, scientists have become increasingly interested in developing materials that do not simply withstand mechanical forces but instead respond to them in useful, detectable ways. For example, it is now possible to engineer materials that signal when they
Interaction between sugar beet and its pest varies depending on drought stress, researchers find
Drought creates increasing challenges for agriculture. As well as affecting crop growth, it also affects interactions with pests. A research team at the University of Göttingen investigated how different levels of drought affect sugar beet's susceptibility to damage caused by
The oceans near Australia may be the best places to fertilize for removing carbon dioxide
Deploying ocean iron fertilization—a strategy for carbon dioxide capture—in higher latitudes rather than near the equator could reduce environmental impacts while still achieving removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, according to a modeling study published in Nature.
Simple changes to fishing gear and handling can greatly improve survival of released coho salmon
Coho salmon released by recreational anglers are far more likely to survive when handled without a landing net, according to new research. In salmon fisheries where anglers may be required to release salmon that are undersized, wild or not the target species, post-release
Healthy pregnancies and newborns are possible after CAR T cell therapy
Women who received treatment for autoimmune diseases with CAR T cell therapy went on to have regular pregnancies and healthy babies.
A step closer to artificial organs: UV light shapes arteriole-scale hydrogel vessels
The creation of fully artificial organs is a sci-fi dream, and researchers in Japan may have brought it one step closer to reality by developing a new photofabrication technique (i.e., a light-controlled synthetic method) for constructing arteriole-scale tubular hydrogels.
Canada's infrastructure projects could damage Pacific salmon habitats
The Canadian government is proposing sweeping changes to accelerate industrial development and reduce environmental oversight. These proposed legislative, regulatory and policy reforms could significantly diminish the government's capacity to assess environmental impacts and
Stable DNA building blocks enable faster oligonucleotide synthesis without oxidation
The chemical synthesis of oligonucleotides (ONs) is central to modern molecular biology, diagnostics and nucleic acid therapeutics. While demand for high-quality ONs is increasing, the conventional synthetic method has long-standing efficiency challenges. Widely adopted
Where have all the wasps gone this summer?
Summer can be lovely—until a wasp turns up. Whether they present as an irritating picnic visitor or an uninvited attic guest, common social wasps are as much a part of our summer as festivals, sunscreen and the growing despair of how to entertain children who've forgotten how
Icelandic fish 'hot tubs' reveal genetic adaptations to warming—and unexpected overeating
New research, led by the University of Glasgow reveals that adaptation to warmer waters causes fish to display a range of behavioral and biological differences, including obesity, overeating and lower metabolism.
Better recording of prisoner inequalities could help prevent deaths in custody, new study finds
A lack of data on prisoner characteristics is providing an incomplete picture of who dies in prison and why, which may be contributing to preventable deaths in custody, according to a new report.
How Celebrities Became America’s Unregulated Drug Pushers
Social media endorsements can sway consumers, and no one is watching The post How Celebrities Became America’s Unregulated Drug Pushers appeared first on Nautilus .
A faster, cheaper way to map the world's forests with AI
New research from the University of Cambridge offers an easy and readily available solution using AI and satellite data. In a paper published in the journal Science of Remote Sensing, researchers used embeddings by Tessera, a geospatial foundation model, to successfully map
An ancient civilization of millions once flourished in the Amazon
New research conducted using airborne laser scanning reveals that a multicultural civilization that flourished in southwestern Amazonia between 600 BCE and 850 CE was home to millions of people. Spanning roughly 183,000 square kilometers (71,000 square miles), the Aquiry
First electrically pumped perovskite polariton laser diode solves a decades-long challenge
Resolving a long-standing problem in semiconductor physics and optoelectronics, a team of researchers from Skoltech—a VEB.RF group institution—and their colleagues from ITMO University and HSE University have for the first time demonstrated direct electrical pumping of a
Hollywood films distort real volcanic eruptions, study finds
Towering explosions, flowing bright red lava and heroic scientists battling to save communities at risk have become the defining image of volcanoes in popular culture, from disaster films to epic blockbusters. New University of Bristol–led research has found these cinematic
Little red dots may mark temporary black hole phase
Since their discovery by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope in 2022, little red dots (LRDs) have been the subject of great interest to astronomers. Understanding the nature of these extremely distant, compact red sources has been a puzzling scientific endeavor.
Gold-MXene catalyst converts nitrate to ammonia using sunlight and 1.5 volts
Plants need nitrogen fertilizers, which are usually ammonia-based. Ammonia is therefore one of the most important chemical products. However, its production is currently extremely energy-intensive. An international team from TU Wien and Soochow University in China has developed
Does court-ordered community service work?
For decades, court-ordered community service has been used as an alternative to incarceration. The intention is to reduce costs, provide restitution to the community and support individual rehabilitation. But does it actually work? A new report from the University of Georgia
2D quantum memory device reaches single-electron limit of information storage
Most electronic memory storage devices require the ability to trap large numbers of electrons for each bit of memory. In an ideal world, however, it would take only one electron. This would reduce space requirements and power consumption for devices. Now, a team in China has
Kitchen cling film helps build centimeter-scale ultrathin electronics and optics
As materials become thinner—now reaching the thickness of single atoms—it has become increasingly difficult to create sufficiently large sheets and transfer them without cracking them into tiny flakes. Recent work by a broad Amsterdam-based team of scientists, published in the
Researchers find factors that cause respiratory impacts after flooding
Researchers at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and Florida State University's Resilient Infrastructure and Disaster Response Center have identified how hurricane flooding can affect health long after a storm. In research published in the Journal of Cleaner Production, the
Elephants can relearn how to live wild after years in captivity
Researchers documented behavioral similarities between 11 rehabilitated elephants and their wild counterparts.
Gonorrhea's own enzyme triggers therapy against multidrug-resistant strains in lab tests
Scientists at the Universities of Liverpool and Oxford have developed a promising new way to kill antibiotic-resistant strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the bacterium that causes gonorrhea, using a targeted therapy that is activated at the bacterial surface while minimizing
Warm Agulhas Current fuels Western Cape's worst flood‑producing storms
For communities across the Western Cape, cut-off low weather systems are a familiar threat. They can dump torrents of rain in a matter of hours, flooding roads, damaging homes and infrastructure, and, in the worst cases, causing loss of life. What scientists have long wanted to
What Godzilla can teach us about Donald Trump
He tramples things without intending to. He was created by us. He never permanently goes away. In recent years, metaphorical representations of Donald Trump as the Japanese kaiju Godzilla have become common. Now, a paper published in De Gruyter Brill's The Forum argues that the
