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The wasps that horrified Darwin reveal evolution's one-way streets
Few insects have a more gruesome lifestyle than Darwin wasps. Rather than simply hunting other animals, these parasitic wasps lay their eggs on or inside living hosts, including caterpillars, beetles and spiders. Their larvae then feed on their hosts, gradually consuming them
Air holes turn silicon wafers into flat ultraviolet focusing mirrors for compact optics
Traditional lenses and mirrors focus light using curved surfaces. Metasurfaces can achieve similar functions with a flat layer of nanoscale structures that locally control the phase of light. Extending these flat optics into the ultraviolet could support compact systems for
Could a Fiber Supplement Help Chronic Knee Pain?
Another investigation into the mysterious microbiome The post Could a Fiber Supplement Help Chronic Knee Pain? appeared first on Nautilus .
How a metabolite protects the enzyme that consumes it
Metabolites are consumed by enzymes to produce other vital molecules as well as to control metabolite levels. But how do cells avoid consuming too much? Researchers from the MPI of Biochemistry, with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and the de Duve Institute in Brussels,
New method measures microplastics in the air using an uncrewed aerial system
Microplastics have been found in our bodies and the food we eat—and even in remote environments around the world, including seawater and ice in the Arctic. Despite their prevalence, little is known about how they move through the atmosphere. New CIRES-led research, which
Future warming events will outdo the extreme heat waves of the recent past, new study finds
The extreme heat waves we have seen over the last few years may only serve as a preview of what is to come as a result of climate change. A new study led by researcher Philipp Aglas-Leitner from Freie Universität Berlin, published in Nature Communications, finds that future
We Attribute Personalities to Chatbots, Even When We Know Better
We can spot the bot, but we treat it like a person anyway The post We Attribute Personalities to Chatbots, Even When We Know Better appeared first on Nautilus .
Light-powered method resurrects 'dead-end' compounds for drug discovery
Throughout the drug development process, which can take a decade or more, tens of thousands of chemical compounds are produced that never go on to become medicines. A Florida State University researcher is part of a team that has discovered a new way to give some of these "dead
Quantum gas microscope reveals individual atoms in first tunable three-component Hubbard system
For the first time, an international team of researchers from Germany, Thailand, India, China and the United States has created a three-component Hubbard system with tunable interactions in the laboratory. In doing so, the team used a quantum gas microscope to make the
European forests need to solve two crises—but not necessarily in one place
Forest areas can act both as carbon sinks and as vital habitats for thousands of species—but not necessarily at the same time. This has important implications for how Europe should manage its forests, says a University of Copenhagen researcher.
MTG-I2 satellite delivers remarkable first images, capturing a weather view of Europe every 2.5 minutes
Europe's meteorological satellite agency, EUMETSAT, has released the first image from the Flexible Combined Imager (FCI) on board Meteosat Third Generation Imager 2 (MTG-I2), just over two months after the satellite's launch on Aug. 27, 2026. The satellite will provide
High-precision timeline helps clarify an ancient magma surge in the North Cascades
Where oceanic crust subducts beneath continental crust, belts of volcanoes known as continental arcs can form. Located around the world, these arcs may undergo episodic magma flare-ups—dramatic surges in the flow of magma into the continental crust at rates up to 20 times
AI won't ever make a historically accurate film—but it could help archaeology create better stories
Tech billionaire Elon Musk was up in arms about the recent adaptation of Homer's "Odyssey" by director Christopher Nolan, which he heavily criticized for its diverse casting and accused of lacking historical accuracy. Claiming he wanted to show that artificial intelligence
AI points researchers toward new disease targets hidden in mitochondria
Artificial intelligence is helping Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists fast-track answers to a long-standing question in human biology: What do hundreds of mystery proteins in the mitochondria actually do?
Redefining honesty in a crisis: Why truth alone is not enough
When a company suffers a cyberattack, leaks customer data or faces a major public scandal, telling the truth is essential. But new research suggests it is not enough on its own: organizations also need to communicate early, treat people with respect and show how they intend to
'Mega heat waves' strengthened by interaction between soil moisture, atmospheric pressure and temperature
A new study has found that a self-reinforcing interaction between temperature, soil moisture and atmospheric pressure is being triggered at high temperatures, making extreme heat waves 10% hotter than they would otherwise be. The study was published in Science Advances and led
Fruit fly study offers clues to insect survival in a hotter, drier world
Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute have identified a specialized lipid barrier in the fruit fly pupa that protects against dehydration in dry and hot environments. Their findings also expose the lipid barrier's limit, suggesting that insects in some regions of the world
“Astonishing” Find: Fossilized Dinosaur Blood in a 115-Million-Year-Old Specimen
Molecular paleontology keeps getting better The post “Astonishing” Find: Fossilized Dinosaur Blood in a 115-Million-Year-Old Specimen appeared first on Nautilus .
This brain change can make foxes act like pet dogs
Using data from a 1950s Russian experiment, researchers are getting “to the heart of brain programming” in foxes
Beyond trial and error: A framework for AI-driven solid-electrolyte discovery
A battery material can look perfect in the lab and still fail in a real battery. That is the puzzle facing researchers working on solid electrolytes, the materials seen as key to safer, longer-lasting batteries.
Smart packaging film 'lights up' under UV as meat loses freshness
Food spoilage causes chemical changes that are not always easy to detect by appearance alone. To provide a clearer indication of freshness and quality, researchers at Kyushu University have developed a smart packaging film that changes color and glows under ultraviolet (UV)
Noise pollution changes biology or behavior in 80% of animal species studied
We live in a noisy world. Whether it is the roar of traffic, the rumble of ships or the hum of heavy industry, there is often no escaping noise unless you are a hermit on a desert island.
The worse climate change gets, the harder it becomes to stop it
This year may be seen as a turning point in the climate crisis. The U.N. has accepted that global warming is going to exceed 1.5°C, while climate scientists have concluded that the rate of warming has effectively doubled over the past decade.
SynFit guides enzyme engineering by balancing several useful traits at once
Enzymes are biology's tiny chemists. They help build, break and rearrange molecules quickly and precisely. In the lab, scientists have long put enzymes to work making useful chemicals. But nature's enzymes cannot do every reaction a researcher might want. Sometimes scientists
'I heard a barnacle'—how paying attention to nature's background noise can reveal animal secrets
During four days on Washington's Olympic Peninsula, I saw an Olympic marmot, a species found nowhere else on Earth; four bumblebee species working the same lavender plant; three western hermit crab species new to me; and five orcas slicing through the dark water off Ediz Hook.
Vibrating mirrors of light create analog of a black hole event horizon
Optical cavities are pairs of light-trapping mirrors and underpin the operation of lasers, atomic clocks and many types of precision sensors. If the distance between the mirrors is changed rapidly enough, some theories predict that the waves inside them should bunch together
The John Lewis Christmas ad captures the deep need for grandmothers
Like many of us, I always enjoy the John Lewis Christmas ad and 2026 is no different. This year, I love the fact that the star of the show is a grandmother.
Atom-scale model could help improve material growth for advanced electronics
Penn State researchers have refined an atom-scale model of how silicon carbide changes from a solid into vapor during crystal growth, work that could help manufacturers produce higher-quality material for advanced electronics while reducing costly trial-and-error experiments.
States tax sports betting heavily, but gamblers may barely feel it
Sports betting has grown explosively since 2018, when a U.S. Supreme Court ruling struck down a federal ban on it. Now, Americans wager more than $165 billion on sports annually, contributing to an industry larger than state-run lotteries even excluding prediction markets such
Scientists achieve record-breaking low temperature on China's space station, paving the way for new physics experiments
Matter starts to behave differently at extremely low temperatures, creating conditions ideal for studying quantum physics and new states of matter. Now, researchers from China have achieved a new low-temperature record aboard their Tiangong space station. Their research,
Evolutionary history and genetic basis of spruce diversification revealed
The genus Picea (spruce) is widely distributed across the Northern Hemisphere and is a dominant component of boreal and montane forests. Understanding the evolutionary processes that have shaped diversification and regional differentiation across the genus requires a
A Neuropsychologist Explains the Importance of Exercise in Fighting Dementia
Adopting certain lifestyle habits, including physical exercise, could significantly reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia The post A Neuropsychologist Explains the Importance of Exercise in Fighting Dementia appeared first on Nautilus .
Researchers establish G0 founder population carrying targeted mutations in marine mollusks
Although genome-editing-based breeding has advanced rapidly in aquaculture, progress in marine mollusks has lagged behind. The main challenge is not genome editing itself, but rather rearing the few edited larvae through metamorphosis to establish a viable G0 founder population.
Technique that spots tRNAs in action could accelerate drug development for inherited diseases
Human cells turn genetic instructions into proteins with great precision. Critical for the translation of this information are transfer RNAs, or tRNAs, small molecules that read the genetic code three letters at a time and bring the matching building blocks of proteins, the
New method for upcycling polyethylene is suitable for mass production as a raw material for nylon
It would greatly benefit the environment and climate if nylon—chemically known as polyamide—could be produced on a large scale from plastic waste in the future, rather than from petroleum, as has been the norm until now. At LIKAT in Rostock, chemists pursuing this approach have
Robot successfully builds space structure in first autonomous construction demo
A robotic truss builder that was conceived, designed and built by Caltech researchers has successfully built a structure in space—without the help of astronauts—for the first time. The truss builder, part of DARPA's Novel Orbital and Moon Manufacturing, Materials, and
New 3D microscope packs many imaging tools into one system
An international team of researchers led by UT Southwestern Medical Center has developed a versatile light-sheet microscope that captures 3D views of biological samples, from activity inside living cells to larger tissues. Designed to make detailed imaging much simpler and
World-first successful wild release of endangered broad-headed snake
The broad-headed snake (Hoplocephalus bungaroides), one of Australia's most endangered snakes, has been given a lifeline, with at least four of six captive-bred juveniles surviving the critical first few months after their release into the wild.
This may be the best evidence yet that dinosaur blood can fossilize
Imaging and chemical analysis of a 115-million-year-old dinosaur fossil points to blood cells. But some aren't convinced.
A Strange Quantum Theorem Has Killed Einstein’s Reality
Albert Einstein fought to save our everyday notion of reality from the strangeness of quantum mechanics. But those who set out to aid him keep poking holes in his argument. The post A Strange Quantum Theorem Has Killed Einstein’s Reality first appeared on Quanta Magazine
Tiny biodegradable particles poke openings in skin to boost topical drug delivery
Skin is remarkably good at keeping things out of the body. Typically, that's a positive. It becomes an issue when medicine needs to get in. Swallow a pill to treat a skin condition, and the medicine enters your stomach, moves into your bloodstream and travels throughout your
Oh boy, all girls again: Research tracks sea turtle sex ratios
Forty young sea turtles recently reached an important milestone at Florida Atlantic University: They were finally big enough to leave the university's marine science laboratory and return to the ocean. Their release was a reason to celebrate. But for FAU researchers who have
How foreign investment can strengthen African governments' control over land
African governments are using foreign investment, infrastructure projects and conservation schemes to extend their control over land and communities, according to new research spanning 14 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
Microplastic pollution could be changing the color of the Pacific Ocean
Our oceans have effectively become trash dumps where massive quantities of plastic end up. So much so, in fact, that the largest offshore plastic accumulation zone has been labeled the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
The spring mountain butterfly has been spotted for the first time beneath power lines
The Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) for the first time has detected the presence of the spring mountain butterfly (Erebia epistygne), a species under threat of extinction in Catalonia, under the electricity transmission lines of Red Eléctrica, Spain's transmission
Mineral-forming method removes more than 99% of radioactive technetium from liquid waste
Technetium-99 is a long-lived radioactive byproduct of nuclear fuel production and reprocessing. In many environments, it forms a highly mobile chemical species that can move readily through water and soil, making it a priority contaminant at legacy nuclear sites including
How an Octopus Can Squeeze into a Beer Can
Or not, depending on the species The post How an Octopus Can Squeeze into a Beer Can appeared first on Nautilus .
Beyond green claims: Understanding how consumers evaluate sustainable products
Sustainability has become an increasingly visible feature of consumer-packaged goods (CPGs), from the ingredients used in household products to the materials and design of their packaging. For companies marketing sustainable products, however, an important question remains:
Release of largest dataset to date on wildlife in Europe
Every autumn for the last five years, hundreds of volunteers have set out remotely triggered cameras in mountains, forests, farms and beaches in more than 20 countries in Europe. Their joint project is called Snapshot Europe, and it's the largest open-access survey of mammals
