An international research team led by the University of Sydney has found a way to formulate microemulsions without traditional surfactants, which are often toxic and hard to separate from end products. The findings have important implications for pharmaceutical applications and
Using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, astronomers have discovered what is triggering repeated outbursts from a giant, unstable star.
Every year, fungal infections kill around 2.5 million people worldwide, more than tuberculosis and malaria combined. Yet most people may have never heard of the fungi responsible, and few health systems track them in any organized way.
A conversation with cognitive scientist Evelina Fedorenko about where thought and language overlap The post Do We Think in Pictures, Words, or… Code? appeared first on Nautilus .
UCLA-led astronomers have discovered the first known "disappearing planet" about 1,000 light-years away. The planet, TOI-2535 b, is a "hot Jupiter," a gas giant that orbits extremely close to its host star. TOI-2535 b whips around its star in only 8.25 days—10 times faster than
During a disaster, emergency managers need quick, reliable data to make decisions, but the vast and changing stream of information that emerges during a crisis can make it difficult to distinguish facts from noise.
Discovering new molecules for specific uses is a major driver of progress in a wide variety of industries, whether it's pharmaceutical companies looking for new drugs or electronics or energy companies seeking new materials with particular properties. But it's also largely a
Freshly harvested fruit remains metabolically active, respires vigorously and is highly sensitive to ethylene. It is therefore highly susceptible to softening, browning, water loss and decay. Currently, about 25% of fruit is lost in the postharvest supply chain because of
A century after the Taung Child permanently altered our view of human origins, a new study published in npj Palaeoecosystems dates the famous fossil to between 2.96 and 3.03 million years old. Led by professor Gabriele Macho of the Archaeology, Environmental Changes and
Anthropologists seeking to understand human evolution often include primates such as chimps or apes in their studies. But a new review paper by Kyle Smith, a postdoctoral research scholar in NC State's College of Veterinary Medicine, argues that an equally informative animal is
An exceptionally well-preserved, approximately 47-million-year-old owl fossil from the UNESCO World Heritage Site Messel provides new clues as to when owls became nocturnal. The newly described species Masillastrix blattophaga was likely still diurnal—as indicated by an
Long-period, high-inclination comets of the sort that can cause extinction-level impacts here on Earth have long been thought to originate from a theoretical Oort cloud. That is, a roughly spherical cloud of icy cometary objects that number in the trillions at distances that
Symmetry is all around us, from the repeating patterns of crystals to the stitches in a knitted sweater. In materials science, these patterns are more than just visually appealing: They can influence how a material conducts heat, transports electricity and interacts with light.
Preserved in amber for about 53 million years, a beetle has been described as a new species by researchers in Spain and France. Named Cnopus twentyonepilotorum, it is the first puppet beetle (family Aderidae) to be formally described from the Oise amber of northern France. The
Chimpanzees may learn how to use some of their calls from the adults around them, in a surprising parallel with how human children learn words, finds a study from the CNRS Institute of Cognitive Sciences, University of Warwick and Taï Chimpanzee Project.
The negative impact of loneliness on health and well-being is well known, but for university students, social interaction can also be key to academic success. A new study by Constructor University professor Dr. Sonia Lippke and colleagues, published in the journal Frontiers in
The tiny atomic defects so important for future quantum technologies can be difficult to spot. Fortunately, they leave behind some clues. The defects can alter how a material responds to light, producing a distinctive optical fingerprint that scientists can measure. The
Aswin Singaram Natarajan rolls a stem of wheat in his hands. It looks perfectly healthy, but the senior experimental scientist at CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, knows his eyes can deceive him. A plant could look green and vital and still be losing—losing too much
It’s found in mayonnaise, chocolate, and lean meats The post Common Food Additive Linked to Lower Risk of Cognitive Impairment appeared first on Nautilus .
Reconstructing impact events on Earth and other planetary bodies, including the moon, is crucial for understanding how the solar system evolved and how planets develop.
About 50 million years ago, Earth experienced its warmest climate since the extinction of the dinosaurs. Global temperatures were more than 10°C higher than today, and atmospheric CO₂ concentrations reached around 1,600 parts per million. But what kept CO₂ levels so
Iran and Afghanistan have a certain iconic status as largely inhospitable areas, rich in raw materials. But where does this remarkable geology come from? Researchers from the University of Central Asia and Utrecht University have now reconstructed the history of this
Kari Schleher, an assistant professor in the University of New Mexico's Department of Anthropology and faculty curator of archaeology at UNM's Maxwell Museum, recently published research examining whether archaeologists can determine the sources of azurite, a vivid blue copper
Organic pollutants such as pesticides and industrial chemicals commonly pose risks to aquatic ecosystems, even in protected rivers and streams, according to a new study by RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau, based on the analysis of more than 180 million water measurements
Turbulent flows are ubiquitous: they are found in clouds, in the ocean and even on other planets. Yet despite their chaotic nature, they also form large-scale structures that can be calculated and predicted. For example, while long streaks of clouds may appear orderly from the
When they start to get too warm but before they're dangerously hot, most plants employ a similar playbook. They change their shape, a host of adaptations that includes growing longer stems and stalks to promote air circulation.
Foundayo, a daily pill, successfully reduced obstructive sleep apnea, according to clinical trial data
A research team led by professor Zhang Yuanming from the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography (XIEG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has revealed that the outcomes of desert plant-herbivore interactions are strongly context-dependent. The paper is published in the
Resistance to antifungal medicines in the pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus is proving more persistent than previously thought. Research by Wageningen University & Research (WUR), published in Current Biology, shows that fungicides used in agriculture, even those with a
The year 2026 continues the protracted streak of exceptional global temperatures, melting ice and rising sea levels, with a very strong El Niño event set to unleash even more heat and extreme weather well into 2027, according to a new report from the World Meteorological
How can something remain intact when it should naturally break apart? This question has been addressed by researchers at RPTU. Their work has led to the experimental observation of an unusual quantum state in which two atoms remain bound together even though they possess enough
A new study reveals a troubling consequence of climate change: Even as rainfall decreases, cities could face increasingly severe flooding. The study was led by Ph.D. student Raz Nussbaum and co-authored by Dr. Moshe Armon and supervised by professor Efrat Morin from the Hebrew
Aliens have long been a staple of science fiction. Yet the possibility of intelligent life beyond Earth is more than a matter of imagination—it is also a subject of serious scientific inquiry. Professor Woong-bae Zee of Sejong University's School of Liberal Studies has recently
Tiny levitated magnets are able to avoid contact friction, making them useful for detecting extremely weak forces and magnetic fields and acting as ultralow-noise quantum sensors and precision measurement tools. Combining levitation with extreme cold further reduces unwanted
Satellite technology can increasingly track vessels across the world's oceans and has the ability to detect industrial fishing inside marine protected areas (MPAs). But new research has suggested that regulations governing these often vulnerable parts of our planet could be
Knowing that multiple studies provide strong evidence that links racism to poor mental health, researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz wanted to know what types of racist incidents young people are experiencing in schools and if repeated events were more harmful to
Most of us like a good old chat with friends, colleagues, neighbors or acquaintances. But what can turn a really good chat into a great one? Sure, conversation topics matter, but scientists have found underlying patterns that may explain our best interactions.
Sperm whales and pygmy sperm whales are known among mammals for their unusually shaped heads. Unlike most vertebrates, which are bilaterally symmetrical, toothed whales have asymmetrical skulls that accommodate highly specialized organs used for echolocation and sound production.
Cultivating crops—such as wheat, barley and rye—alongside rows of trees is a system of agroforestry that is known as "alley-cropping." It serves many functions: in addition to enhancing ecosystems and biodiversity, it can also counteract the negative effects of growing crops in
A beaked whale, surrounded by stars The post A New Species Emerges From a 9.5 Million-Year-Old Whale Carcass appeared first on Nautilus .
Is any good deed truly selfless—and does it matter?
Northwestern Medicine scientists have uncovered a molecular mechanism that enables cells to protect organs from leaks, infection and inflammation, according to a study published in the Journal of Cell Biology. The findings of the study add to scientific understanding of how
Family traditions, misconceptions about where it comes from, and a belief that remedies sold in shops are government-approved help explain continued demand for saiga antelope horn in Singapore, according to a University of Oxford–led study published in People and Nature.
An international research team has used seismic imaging to identify two slab tears beneath the Zagros–Makran transition zone located in southeastern Iran near the Strait of Hormuz. The findings suggest that the tears formed through distinct geodynamic mechanisms and may have
Monkeys constantly observe and evaluate their social environment. It stands to reason that the social and mental abilities required to do so were favored by evolution. After all, these abilities should influence how an animal interacts with its conspecifics and, as a result,
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is common in cats but often goes undiagnosed until it's at a late stage. Thanks to a recent study published in the Journal of Proteome Research, researchers have new leads to determine how feline CKD develops. The paper reports collections of
Scientists found that semaglutide, Ozempic’s key ingredient, repaired blood vessels, dampened inflammation and improved kidney function in patients.
The climate transition, energy supply and technological development are just some examples of areas where knowledge from several disciplines needs to come together to find relevant solutions. Engineering students are therefore often given the opportunity to work on
Scientists from Tokyo Metropolitan University have discovered that charged states made of two electrons and a positively charged hole (or vice versa) on atomically thin rolls of carbon atoms have a structure-derived "handedness" in how they interact with light. While
Some believe the earliest life emerged from self-copying molecules that could mutate and even evolve. But that may not have been enough. The post Did Life Begin in an RNA World? first appeared on Quanta Magazine
