What came before the big bang?
Physicists cannot access anything that existed before the start of time and space, but they have theories
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Dogs and cats help spread an invasive flatworm species, study reveals
A study published in the journal PeerJ, conducted by a researcher from the Institute of Systematics, Evolution and Biodiversity (ISYEB) at the French National Museum of Natural History, in collaboration with a researcher from James Cook University in Australia, reveals that
The quirky geology behind Olympic curling stones
The rocks used in the Olympic sport of curling come from one island in Scotland and one quarry in Wales. What makes them so special?
Can ESG ratings be trusted? Study examines the fight against greenwashing
A new study shows that sustainable finance relies on trust, but that trust challenges are increasingly focused on ESG rating providers, creating both a solution to greenwashing and a new regulatory risk. By comparing how the EU and the UK regulate ESG rating firms, the authors
January was fifth hottest on record despite cold snap: EU monitor
The planet experienced its fifth-hottest January on record despite a cold snap that swept across the United States and Europe, the EU's climate monitor said Tuesday.
Warming climate threatens Greenland's ancestral way of life
Standing in his boat with binoculars in hand, hunter Malik Kleist scans the horizon for seals. But this February, the sea ice in southwestern Greenland has yet to freeze, threatening traditional livelihoods like his.
Half of the world's coral reefs suffered major bleaching during the 2014–2017 global heat wave, estimates suggest
Benefits to society from coral reefs, including fisheries, tourism, coastal protection, pharmaceutical discovery and more, are estimated at about $9.8 trillion per year. For the first time, an international team led by Smithsonian researchers estimated the extent of coral
Rules of mysterious ancient Roman board game decoded by AI
A Roman stone board game has been unplayable since its discovery more than a century ago, but AI might have just worked out the rules
This common tomato nutrient may help prevent severe gum disease
A large U.S. study suggests that not getting enough lycopene—the antioxidant that gives tomatoes their red color—may seriously raise the risk of severe gum disease in older adults. Researchers found that seniors with adequate lycopene intake had about one-third the risk of
An emotional countdown to the maiden launch of the Ariane 64, Europe's most powerful rocket
In a tightly controlled manufacturing hangar west of Paris, workers put the finishing touches on an enormous silver-colored engine. In just a few days, a similar machine will help propel the most powerful version of Europe's Ariane 6 rocket yet, flying for the first time with
The US has a new center in Texas to disperse sterile screwworm flies to block a parasite it spawns
The first center for dispersing sterile screwworm flies from U.S. soil in decades opened Monday in Texas, part of a larger effort to keep the flesh-eating parasite they spawn from crossing the Mexican border and wreaking havoc on the American cattle industry.
A simple discovery is shaking the foundations of spintronics
A long-standing mystery in spintronics has just been shaken up. A strange electrical effect called unusual magnetoresistance shows up almost everywhere scientists look—even in systems where the leading explanation, spin Hall magnetoresistance, shouldn’t work at all. Now, new
A massive ADHD study reveals what actually works
A sweeping new review of ADHD treatments—drawing on more than 200 meta-analyses—cuts through years of mixed messaging and hype. To make sense of it all, researchers have launched an interactive, public website that lets people with ADHD and clinicians explore what actually
AI reads brain MRIs in seconds and flags emergencies
Researchers at the University of Michigan have created an AI system that can interpret brain MRI scans in just seconds, accurately identifying a wide range of neurological conditions and determining which cases need urgent care. Trained on hundreds of thousands of real-world
Bison hunters abandoned long-used site 1,100 years ago to adapt to changing climate, Great Plains study finds
On the Great Plains of North America, bison were hunted for thousands of years before populations collapsed to near extinction due to overexploitation in the late 1800s. But long before then, bison hunters used various strategies and different types of sites, sometimes
Who owns our digital afterlife? Helping the law keep pace with society
Alongside traditional estates, we now leave behind digital remains after we die, from social media accounts and emails to AI-generated recreations of ourselves. Our digital legacies are creating new and potentially troubling questions about autonomy and dignity after death. Dr.
Crystals in a new light: Research team proposes rethinking crystal structure analysis
Every crystal's shape is a mirror of the internal arrangement of its molecules, but the molecules in photoswitchable crystals can expand, twist and change properties—from their color to their electronic conductivity—with a simple flash of light. This has made them highly
Physicists discover what controls the speed of quantum time
Time may feel smooth and continuous, but at the quantum level it behaves very differently. Physicists have now found a way to measure how long ultrafast quantum events actually last, without relying on any external clock. By tracking subtle changes in electrons as they absorb
Friendly encounters and nature make international exchange students happy in Finland
Smooth everyday services, a safe environment, and small, friendly encounters with locals are key factors that increase the happiness of international students in Finland. This is shown by a recent study conducted at the University of Oulu Business School, Finland, which
The workplace wasn't designed for humans, and it shows
Input. Output. Targets met. Value created. Performance delivered. Strip work down to its essentials and for many people, this is what remains: a machine-like focus on producing, performing and optimizing.
Modulated UV-C light increases the shelf life of guavas, study shows
The application of modulated UV-C light to guavas—emitted in pulses or cycles rather than continuously—combated anthracnose. This fungal disease is caused by microorganisms belonging to the Colletotrichum gloeosporioides complex and triggers dark lesions on the fruit after
Americans are asking too much of their dogs
Americans love dogs. Nearly half of U.S. households have one, and practically all owners see pets as part of the family—51% say pets belong "as much as a human member." The pet industry keeps generating more and more jobs, from vets to trainers, to influencers. Schools cannot
An international method to predict the eating quality of beef
Beyond societal concerns relating to the environment, animal welfare and human health, several consumer surveys indicate that the decline in beef consumption in France is also linked to its relatively high price, which does not always reflect its eating quality.
New research reveals humans could have as many as 33 senses
We don’t experience the world through neat, separate senses—everything blends together. Smell, touch, sound, sight, and balance constantly influence one another, shaping how food tastes, objects feel, and even how heavy our bodies seem. Scientists now believe humans may have
No animal alive today is 'primitive.' Why are so many still labeled that way?
We humans have long viewed ourselves as the pinnacle of evolution. People label other species as "primitive" or "ancient" and use terms like "higher" and "lower" animals.
When you do the math, humans still rule
Artificial intelligence has attained an impressive series of feats—solving problems from the International Math Olympiad, conducting encyclopedic surveys of academic literature, and even finding solutions to some longstanding research questions. Yet these systems largely remain
Twilight action could reduce light pollution's impact on biodiversity
Professor Darren Evans and Madeleine Fabusova from the School of Natural and Environmental Science have published new research that shows that typical levels of artificial light at night can simultaneously suppress early-night activity and disrupt navigation cues in nocturnal
Could electronic beams in the ionosphere remove space junk?
A possible alternative to active debris removal (ADR) by laser is ablative propulsion by a remotely transmitted electron beam (e-beam). The e-beam ablation has been widely used in industries, and it might provide higher overall energy efficiency of an ADR system and a higher
Engineered moths could replace mice in studies on antimicrobial resistance
A scientific breakthrough not only promises faster testing for antimicrobial resistance, but also an ethical solution to the controversial issue of using rodents in research. University of Exeter scientists have created the world's first genetically engineered wax moths—a
Record low sea levels in the Baltic Sea could reshape sea's physical conditions
Since the beginning of January, an unusually long period of easterly winds has caused the average water level in the Baltic Sea to fall to a historic low. Measurements at the Swedish Landsort-Norra gauge show values that are the lowest since records began in 1886. Researchers
Force-induced inter-protofilament gaps can pave the way for life in microtubule research
Constructed with tubulin heterodimers connected into a hollow cylinder, the microtubule, an essential component of the cytoskeleton, plays a vital role in various intracellular processes. In a recent study, a cross-disciplinary research team led by Professor Yuan Lin from the
New tool cracks microbial defense codes for faster, precise bioengineering
Scientists at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed software that reduces the time needed for a key task in the development of custom microbes from a week to just hours. The new tool cracks a key defense mechanism of microorganisms, expediting
Psychopathy test used in Canadian courts unreliable, prone to bias, study finds
A psychological assessment test often used to evaluate psychopathy in Canadian criminal cases is unreliable and prone to unconscious bias on the part of expert witnesses, according to research from the University of Toronto Mississauga.
Image: Strong solar flare
This Feb. 4, 2026, image from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) captures a strong solar flare erupting from the star. Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy that can, along with other types of solar eruptions, impact radio communications, electric power grids,
Is this carved rock an ancient Roman board game?
The lines worn into an engraved limestone object from the Netherlands are consistent with the idea that it was a Roman game board, according to an AI analysis
AI helps archaeologists solve a Roman gaming mystery
Researchers used AI-driven virtual players to test more than 100 rule sets, matching gameplay to wear patterns on a Roman limestone board.
Porpoises 'buzz' less when boats are nearby, underwater microphones reveal
Harbor porpoises "buzz" less when boats and ships are nearby—suggesting a drop in feeding and socializing, new research shows. The paper, published in the journal Marine Mammal Science, is titled "Seasonal and diurnal patterns of harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) behavior and
Unveiling polymeric interactions critical for future drug nanocarriers
Polymer micelles are tiny, self-assembled particles that are revolutionizing the landscape of drug delivery and nanomedicine. They form when polymer chains containing both hydrophilic and hydrophobic segments organize into nanoscale spheres in liquid solutions; these structures
Can't tally love: Tracking favors may hurt relationship, research indicates
They say that love is a two-way street, but that may only hold true to a point. It turns out that couples who obsess over equal give-and-take may be sabotaging their relationship, suggests a study involving University of Toronto Mississauga researchers. The findings are
Seabirds ingest large quantities of pollutants—some of which have been banned for decades—liver analyses reveal
In her 1962 book, "Silent Spring," American biologist Rachel Carson revealed that DDT, a widely used pesticide at the time, was responsible for the mass death of birds, including the iconic bald eagle. One reason was that the pesticide made eggshells thinner, causing mothers to
Obesity increases risk of severe infections, study finds
A new study suggests that people with obesity have higher rates of mortality and hospitalization from a variety of infections from viruses, fungi, parasites and bacteria
Biofilm made from fish skin could be a sustainable alternative for food packaging
Using the skin of an Amazonian fish known as tambatinga as the raw material, researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) and EMBRAPA Pecuária Sudeste—a decentralized unit of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) located in São Carlos, São Paulo
How rice plants tell head from toe during early growth
Scientists from Tokyo Metropolitan University have uncovered how fertilized rice seeds begin to divide and establish their "body axis." Using a new imaging method, they discovered that while the first cell divides in an asymmetric way initially, this is followed by random
Avalanche winter 1951: Forest emerges as most-effective protection following disasters in Alps
In terms of area, forest is the most important means of avalanche protection. It is also the most cost-effective and is naturally renewable. This insight hit home after the winter of 1951, when over 1,000 avalanches caused immense damage. The SLF began researching how
Stellar remnants may solve mystery of missing mass in galaxy clusters
Under the leadership of the University of Bonn, a research team led by Prof. Dr. Pavel Kroupa from the Helmholtz Institute for Radiation and Nuclear Physics has discovered that galaxy clusters are about twice as heavy as previously assumed. The additional mass comes mainly from
US ski resorts turn to drones to make it snow amid dire drought
Despite a barren start to Colorado's ski season, Winter Park Resort opened on Halloween and served up holiday powder. The ski area's secret is a contraption a few miles upwind of the chairlifts that looks like a meat smoker strapped to the top of a ladder. When weather
Scientists advance multi-purpose photocatalyst for clean hydrogen production and agricultural pollutant degradation
Can we use nothing more than sunlight and inexpensive materials to produce clean hydrogen fuel while also removing toxic pollutants from water? That question shaped our recent work with γ-In2S3, a semiconductor that has intrigued researchers for years but still holds untapped
Pairing mangroves and coral reefs could boost carbon storage
As carbon emissions continue to be pumped into the atmosphere at record levels, it will be critical to recapture and sequester as much of these warming gases as possible. While technological approaches face many barriers before they can be scaled up, efforts to capture carbon
Newly identified protein interaction helps keep cells' recycling system in balance
Cornell researchers have discovered a new way cells regulate how they respond to stress, identifying an interaction between two proteins that helps keep a critical cellular recycling system in balance. The findings show that a protein called SHKBP1 regulates another protein,
The future of eco-friendly cooling: Enhancing efficiency and sustainability of magnetic refrigerants
Conventional air conditioners and refrigerators rely on vapor-compression cycles and chemical refrigerants that contribute significantly to global warming. Magnetic refrigeration offers a cleaner alternative using the magnetocaloric effect (MCE), a phenomenon where certain
