New species of sawfly described
Yale College junior Leah Mock did fieldwork in a remote quarry in western Colorado that exposes the 50-million-year-old Green River Formation.
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How mitochondria keep protein production moving
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have discovered how a protein called TACO1 helps mitochondria produce proteins when the process encounters difficult sequences. The study, published in Nature Communications, provides new insights into a mechanism that is disrupted in some
Research seeks to clarify assisted suicide practices in Germany and inform future regulation
Assisted suicide is morally and ethically controversial. Public debate on the topic tends to arise primarily when a high-profile case comes to light—as was most recently the case with the famous twins Alice and Ellen Kessler. While assisted suicide is permitted in Germany, it
Can engineering solve the forever chemical problem?
Among the technical inquiries spanning topics like cyclodextrin polymers and mass spectrometry that were stacked in Damian Helbling's inbox was a question about four golden retrievers.
Hidden ecological risk from overlooked invasive crayfish species
A new study reveals narrow-clawed crayfish, an understudied invasive species in the U.K., to be as aggressive as the well-known signal crayfish.
Successful restoration of fish migration requires more than fish passes
The Netherlands is constructing fish passes to make rivers and streams accessible to fish again. But how effective are these structures? New Ph.D. research by Panos Panagiotopoulos of Wageningen University shows that successful fish migration requires more than making
Soccer: Opaque club ownership is more likely associated with higher financial and criminal risks
Who are the ultimate owners of Italian soccer clubs? Where does the money invested in these clubs come from? And what risks lie behind investment funds, fiduciary companies and transnational corporate structures that make it difficult to identify the individuals who ultimately
How often should you be working at the office? Here's what the research suggests
Office attendance from Monday to Friday used to be a pretty standard requirement for many jobs. But plenty of employees have now developed a taste for working from home. And in response, some of their employers have started to tighten the rules on hybrid work.
Chemicals in sewage-based fertilizer may persist in farmland soil for years
UNSW engineers have identified a number of chemicals that may merit closer scrutiny to ensure water utility companies and regulators can make informed decisions about the management of biosolids.
Astronomers deliver the sharpest and deepest view yet of the low-frequency radio sky
Using the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR), an international team led by Leiden University has produced the sharpest and most sensitive radio image of the sky ever made at low radio frequencies. The image reveals almost 63,000 radio sources, such as active galactic nuclei and
Children may be missing out on free school meals as families favor private education, study finds
Children in some of India's poorest families may be missing out on free school meals because the scheme does not match parents' aspirations for their futures, new research has revealed.
Twisted atomic layers slide spontaneously at room temperature in simulations
Researchers revealed an ultralow-barrier collective sliding mechanism mediated by domain walls, as well as defect-induced pinning of the sliding motion. They found that twisted bilayer MoS₂ moiré superlattices can undergo spontaneous long-range interlayer sliding at room
Climate shapes microbial nitrogen pump in forests, not in farmlands
Microbes build a long-lived nitrogen reservoir in soil from the remains of dead bacteria and fungi, which cling to minerals and resist decay. The microbial nitrogen pump turns nitrogen taken up by living microbes into this persistent pool, and microbial nitrogen use efficiency
Societies could lose ability to respond to climate change
Human societies could lose the ability to respond to worsening climate change, scientists have warned.
Laser-plasma accelerator could generate bright X-rays for biological imaging, simulations show
X-rays with wavelengths between approximately 2.3 and 4.4 nanometers, i.e., in the so-called water window, are particularly well suited to examining biological samples in their natural, aqueous environment. To date, however, it has been technically difficult to access this type
Land plants' closest algal relatives evolved multicellular growth repeatedly, genetic analysis suggests
What did the algae that gave rise to the first land plants look like? A research team led by the University of Göttingen and including the universities of Maastricht and Innsbruck and Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales has now taken a detailed look at one of the most
Paired DNA strands recognize shape, not just sequence, in new small-molecule sensing method
You have probably performed a sandwich assay before, even if you didn't know it. Sandwich assays are the molecular sensing technology behind lateral flow tests like the at-home COVID test. After a sample is dripped onto the test strip, it combines with detector antibodies
Underwater cameras can estimate fish weight in real time without generating full depth maps
Accurate fish-weight estimates can help aquaculture operators manage feeding, monitor growth and plan harvests. However, conventional underwater imaging methods often require substantial computing power and can struggle with reflections, bubbles and turbid water.
New placenta-on-a-chip model allows engineers to study effects of environmental toxins
Exposure to toxic metals like cadmium has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes such as miscarriage, preterm birth and low birth weight. Because these effects are difficult and ethically challenging to study directly in pregnant women, how such exposures affect
France's shorter workweek hit lower-skilled workers harder
Doing more with less has become standard operating procedure for many in the current economic climate. And for some in the wake of France's 1998 workweek reduction, it was in response to a reform that's still being debated today.
Antibiotic pollution may be key factor in honeybee colony collapses
High losses of honeybee colonies, which play a crucial role in global food production, have caused concern around the world. Many potential factors for the population declines have been cited, but a potentially significant threat to pollinator health—environmental antibiotic
Pinning down the structure of quark-gluon plasma, the universe's first fluid
In the first fraction of a second following the Big Bang, matter existed as a trillion-degree plasma of quarks and gluons—subatomic particles that zinged around at close to the speed of light. This roiling soup lasted for just a few microseconds before the particles coalesced
What AI can lose when it makes Holocaust writings easier to read
In an Amsterdam prison during the Nazi occupation, Sal Bramson drew his cell on pieces of cotton cloth. He added handwritten explanations and sent these messages to his mother, concealed inside a shirt collar among the prison laundry. The cloth could travel because it passed as
New research explores how offshore wind development may alter marine food webs
As offshore wind development expands along the U.S. Atlantic Coast, understanding its potential effects on marine ecosystems is increasingly important.
Ancient DNA May Reveal the Surprising Roots of English and Other Germanic Languages
Iron Age people were on the move The post Ancient DNA May Reveal the Surprising Roots of English and Other Germanic Languages appeared first on Nautilus .
Leaf nutrient balance helps explain earlier fall color in US forests
For devout leaf peepers, timing is everything. A new study led by researchers from Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment shows that leaf nutrient levels affect the onset of fall color. The findings, published in Nature Communications, could improve leaf drop
New research explores what our appetite for a digital detox can tell us
How we feel about taking a break from our screens could tell us something important about the way we behave online, according to new research from the University of Bath and Goethe University Frankfurt. Researchers have developed the first validated scale specifically designed
Plastic bags and bottles become industrial-strength adhesives through new upcycling method
Around 450 million metric tons of plastics are produced worldwide each year. The major share of this sheer volume is used only once and then winds up in an incinerator or in landfills. This also applies to so-called polyolefins, which include polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene
New tests expand empathy measurement to joyful stories and embarrassing mishaps
Listening to someone recount their visit to an amusement park can feel like being on an emotional roller coaster yourself. Even if the listeners have never set foot in the park, they can still empathize with the other person's feelings: the deep disappointment when it turns out
Black characters receive similar precision ratings whether they look 'nerdy' or 'chill'
People are often asked simple questions, such as the price of the cheapest flight to a particular destination. But the answers—and how they are perceived—can reveal far more than the cost of that trip itself. For example, whether a person believes that the response "It's $200"
Connecting artificial intelligence with the tools of astrophysical research
Investigating a scientific question is often a complex process. As an astrophysicist studying some of the most energetic phenomena in the universe, I know that finding answers requires much more than reading scientific papers or understanding existing theories. Astrophysical
Switching to This Healthier Version of Salt Could Save Around 3 Million Lives a Year
You can even make it at home The post Switching to This Healthier Version of Salt Could Save Around 3 Million Lives a Year appeared first on Nautilus .
Electrical control of an unconventional quantum transport state demonstrated in a magnet for the first time
Researchers at Tohoku University and the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) have successfully controlled a unique quantum phenomenon—the quantum-geometric nonlinear Hall (QgNLH) state—using electric current for the first time. The breakthrough was achieved by revealing and
How palm orientation shapes spin characteristics in volleyball jump serves
A new biomechanical study has uncovered how elite volleyball players control ball spin during jump serves, offering fresh scientific insight into one of the sport's most decisive offensive skills.
Physicist develops detector capable of counting photons for quantum computing
Detecting a single photon is a challenge in itself. But what if you also want to know exactly how many photons arrive at a particular point at the same time? Physicist Erik Baalbergen is working on light detectors that can do just that. They form a key building block for the
Citizen science program helps find exotic ticks
Climate change is affecting not only our weather but also the distribution of parasites and the diseases they can carry. One example is the growing presence of Hyalomma ticks in parts of Europe where they were previously uncommon. These ticks are of particular interest because
As Antarctic blue whales advance along the road to recovery, continued oversight is key
Antarctic blue whales appear to be creeping back from the brink of extinction after 50 years of protection. A new study estimates the total population at 4,018, up from 418 after the last reported whale catch in 1973.
How octopuses squeeze through too-small gaps
Octopuses are extraordinarily versatile. From walking across the seabed on their eight arms to jetting through the water, manipulating tools and squeezing through unimaginably tight spaces, the flexibility of octopuses almost defies belief. "Octopuses can change their body
The Evolutionary Arc From Pigeon Brains to Machine Consciousness
A conversation with comparative cognition researcher Edward Wasserman about learning and the “edge of chaos” The post The Evolutionary Arc From Pigeon Brains to Machine Consciousness appeared first on Nautilus .
How octopuses squeeze through tiny openings, step by step
In the lab, octopuses used specific moves to slip arms and a bulbous body through tiny holes. The finding could inspire new body plans for soft robots.
Born to be queen: A look inside fire ant hierarchy
A group of genes may give some fire ants an advantage, increasing their chances of growing larger and potentially becoming queens, according to a new study from the University of Georgia.
How private schools segregate students by class and strengthen social divisions
If you want to see how private schools in the U.K. can reinforce segregation between children of different social classes, the London Borough of Southwark provides a good example.
Avian influenza spread beyond a backyard coop on an Illinois farm, analysis finds
An outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus that nearly wiped out an Illinois farmer's backyard flock also spread to a domestic cat and wild rats on the farm, an analysis of the animals by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
Newly identified protein mechanism helps explain how cells respond to physical forces
A newly published study is changing our understanding of how the protein talin functions at sites where cells attach to their surroundings. The findings uncover a previously unknown mechanism by which mechanical force regulates talin, a key protein controlling cell adhesion and
Clothes on the bed, nothing feels right: The psychology behind your seasonal wardrobe meltdown
The clocks have gone back, and suddenly getting dressed feels more difficult. The coat you wore constantly last winter is still hanging in the closet, but it no longer looks quite how you remember. The boots you loved in February don't seem to go with anything, while a sweater
Hubble learns galactic history from stars
This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image provides a lesson in galactic history. The sparkling collection of stars is named Messier 30 (M30) after the French astronomer Charles Messier, who cataloged M30 and other diffuse objects that might be mistaken for comets in the early
New microscopy method reveals tiny cell structures and their molecular surroundings
How do cells respond to drugs? A new microscopy technique could provide more precise answers to this question in the future. Researchers from Bielefeld University and the University of Vienna have developed a method as part of the European CHEM-SCAN project that makes the
Linguist to record the magic songs of the Awajún people of Peru
There is magic in the traditional songs of the Awajún, an Indigenous people of northern Peruvian Amazonia. Otago linguist Dr. Simon Overall has been visiting this area for over 20 years and explains what gives these songs their powers.
Chilean rodent population collapse reveals how extreme drought can overwhelm wildlife's resilience
Research published in the journal Ecology analyzed 12 years of records from a population of degus in central Chile, revealing that these endemic rodents managed to withstand nearly a decade of megadrought but disappeared locally following the extreme drought of 2019.
Ancient Maya mercury use may have come at a severe environmental cost
Ancient Maya communities made extensive use of liquid mercury and a red, mercury-containing pigment called cinnabar to decorate buildings, pottery and burial sites. Unsurprisingly, as previous research has shown, this led to mercury contamination of soils and reservoirs at some
