Precious drops: Spray helps crop farmers facing declining rainfall
A spray made from a biodegradable polymer capable of capturing and redirecting water to crop seeds could be the key to drought-proofing Western Australian farms.
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Designer proteins unlock near-infrared and SWIR glow for deeper tissue imaging
Researchers at the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT/UCC) in Dresden, including Oliver Bruns and Dr. Bernardo Arús, are participating in an international study that has, for the first time, developed novel proteins for near-infrared (NIR) and short-wave infrared imaging
Ancient stories inform modern understanding of volcanic eruptions
A new international study has found that Indigenous oral traditions, some thousands of years old, hold valuable and often overlooked insights into volcanic eruptions—offering important lessons for modern disaster preparedness. The research, published in the journal Volcanica,
'Fingerprints' of black hole's event horizon detected for first time
Scientists have detected the "fingerprints" of a black hole's event horizon—the boundary from which nothing can escape—for the first time, according to research published Wednesday.
'Super-puff' planets lighter than candy floss discovered by international team
An international collaboration has discovered two of the lowest-density giant planets ever detected: rare "super-puff" planets with densities lower than candy floss. The study—led by the University of Oxford, in collaboration with Université Côte d'Azur/Observatoire de la Côte
Pesticide widespread in blood of French Indies adults: Study
Eight in 10 adults in the French West Indies have a toxic pesticide in their blood decades after banana growers stopped using it, a study said Wednesday.
Did gravitational tides cause Earth's extinctions?
Life on Earth took a long evolutionary journey that eventually created us, the purportedly intelligent species that dominates the planet. But there was no grand plan or design, only happenstance, nature and luck. Life on Earth suffered multiple extinctions, but got up, dusted
Laser experiments push helium to record shock pressures
Deep inside gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn, hydrogen and helium coexist under pressures millions of times greater than Earth's atmosphere. Under those conditions, helium may separate from hydrogen and influence a planet's internal heat flow, structure and magnetic field.
How longer exciton lifetimes could ease efficiency trade-off in organic solar cells
Although the efficiency of organic solar cells has now risen to more than 20%, there are physical limits that make it difficult to further increase their performance. A research team from Linköping University in Sweden, the University of Potsdam, the Paul-Drude-Institut in
Mathematical modeling helps advance use of magnetic particles in targeted drug-delivery systems
A Florida State University computational scientist is paving the way for future medical breakthroughs by developing mathematical models and simulations to predict the behavior of a unique drug-delivery method, which aims to deploy treatments directly to targeted sites in the
Drifting tuna gear creates risks for wildlife in protected marine areas
An international study co-authored by a University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researcher has found that drifting devices used by the global tuna fishing industry are entering marine protected areas around the world, creating potential risks for wildlife and sensitive ocean habitats.
Web archive lets you easily search millions of government documents
At the end of every presidential term, the End of Term Web Archive preserves that administration's web presence as a vast trove of documents and webpages. The archive began in 2008, with George W. Bush's second term, and runs through 2024, collecting images, text, graphs,
A magnetic field that kills superconductivity can also bring it back
Magnetic fields are generally known to destroy superconductivity in a material. However, in exceptional cases, they can lead to what is known as "re-entrant superconductivity"—where superconductivity disappears as expected, but then unexpectedly returns when the magnetic field
Euclid mission view of Milky Way's heart previews upcoming survey by NASA's Roman
A new look at the heart of our Milky Way galaxy by Euclid, an ESA (European Space Agency) mission with NASA contributions, overlaps with a region scientists will observe with NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, launching later this summer. This sneak peek gives
X-ray snapshots reveal how viral shells change shape as they dry out
When viruses travel through the air in tiny droplets, they can quickly start to dry out. Yet many viruses remain infectious after rehydration—something that is still not fully understood. Now, an international team of researchers has directly observed at the European XFEL how
Free love in communes? Not quite, says researcher
The myth of the sexually liberated life of communes is persistent, even though research shows a different reality. According to postdoctoral researcher Anna Heinonen of the University of Eastern Finland, the idea that roommates would have very free sexual relationships with
What happens when environmental change outpaces life's ability to adapt?
When an animal's environment changes faster than the animal can adapt, its chances of survival can flatline. The same is true for populations and even entire species. Now, scientists at MIT and the University of Leicester have found that this connection between evolutionary
A nanotrap for HIV: Liposomes repurposed to trigger immune response
Medical advancements over the last several decades have made great strides in the treatment of HIV. Pharmaceutical treatments are able to contain and reduce a patient's viral load to the point where it is nearly undetectable. But a cure remains frustratingly elusive due to the
Room-temperature laser hits record stability with 68-cm optical cavity
Scientists at NPL have demonstrated the best-reported laser frequency stability achieved with an optical reference cavity operating at room temperature, marking a major advance in ultrastable laser technology. The team's results have been published in Optica.
Out of darkness, blind Mexican cavefish illuminate brain evolution
Deep within the dark caves of northeastern Mexico lives a fish that has spent hundreds of thousands of years adapting to a world without light. The blind Mexican cavefish (Astyanax mexicanus) has evolved in perpetual darkness, losing its eyes and pigmentation while developing
Businesses often row back on ethics when times get tough. Here's how technology can keep them on track
Five carmakers are involved in a case at the High Court in London over claims that they cheated on emissions tests. A decade ago, the "dieselgate" scandal broke, eventually forcing Volkswagen to pay billions of euros in fines and settlements. These carmakers (Mercedes, Ford,
Organic carbon detected in Bright Angel rock formation on Mars
In September 2025, NASA announced that its Perseverance rover had discovered a potential biosignature, which is a substance or structure that might have a biological origin. A new paper, published in Science Advances, unambiguously confirms the detection of organic carbon, the
Plasma approach keeps catalysts working for longer in hydrogen production
Scientists from the University of Manchester have shown how a plasma-based approach, using nonthermal plasma—an electrically energized gas often described as the fourth state of matter—can prevent catalyst deactivation in a key hydrogen production reaction, maintaining stable
Synthetic DNA toolkit expands scientists' ability to recognize genetic targets
A new method for recognizing and targeting DNA that dramatically expands the range of genetic sequences scientists can identify has been developed by experts at the University of Portsmouth. Published this week in Nature Communications, the research opens new possibilities for
Environmental DNA reveals impact of climate and humans on global river fish biodiversity
A global analysis of fish biodiversity using environmental DNA (eDNA) reveals how human activity and climate influence biodiversity patterns in river ecosystems. An international research team led by the University of Zurich, Eawag and Yunnan University has found that in warmer
Everyone’s Been Drawing Pterosaur Wings Wrong
Theoretical reconstructions hint at versatile approaches to prehistoric flight The post Everyone’s Been Drawing Pterosaur Wings Wrong appeared first on Nautilus .
Pseudomonads boost crop growth in salty soils across multiple plants, could protect against rising sea levels
Researchers at the University of East Anglia have helped uncover a hidden ally in the fight against one of agriculture's greatest threats—salty soil. Led by Chinese collaborator Dr. Yanfen Zheng, the team's new study shows how naturally occurring soil bacteria can dramatically
Solar blast's magnetic cloud grew by one-fifth en route to Earth, spacecraft reveal
A University of Iowa-led physics team has detailed the extreme expansion of a magnetic cloud that originated from a huge, gaseous explosion on the sun. In a new study, the researchers describe the inflated magnetic cloud as recorded by spacecraft in separate, fortuitous
Electron buildup at 2D interface reveals how Janus semiconductors form at room temperature
Researchers at Tohoku University have uncovered the long-standing mystery behind the synthesis of Janus two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors, paving the way for more precise manufacturing of materials used in future electronics and clean energy technologies.
Europe swelters under record-breaking heat wave
Europe struggled to cope with a record-breaking heat wave on Wednesday, with at least 94 million people expected to experience temperatures above 35C, most of them in France and Spain.
Ultrafast X-rays allow researchers to 'watch' how molecules rearrange during a chemical reaction controlled by light
Since the 1980s, researchers have sought to use laser light to control chemical reactions relevant to photochemistry, catalysis and light-responsive materials. But this technique, known as coherent control, has a blind spot: There has been no way to directly see the molecules
CleanFinder brings browser-based genome editing analysis to labs without coding
Genome editing lets scientists rewrite DNA, the instruction manual inside every living cell, with a precision that was unthinkable a generation ago. Technologies such as CRISPR have made this almost routine, and its uses now reach far beyond medicine, from engineering hardier
Three million years after Lucy walked upright in Africa, the inside story of another landmark journey
There is a special gallery inside the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi where visitors slow down, lower their voices and often fall silent. In front of them, carefully lit and disarmingly small, lies the skeleton of Lucy, the 3.2 million-year-old hominin.
Piecing the puzzle of how proteins fit together: Simpler model outperforms leading methods
How the proteins in our bodies bind together to form protein complexes plays a critical role in numerous cell functions—staving off diseases, for instance, or transporting ions across cell membranes. A better understanding of how they bind could lead to new medicines and
Talking edible robot deepens human perception of food culture and ethics
A research group led by Associate Professor Yoshihiro Nakata from the Graduate School of Informatics and Engineering at the University of Electro-Communications, Japan, in collaboration with researchers from Doshisha University and Otemon Gakuin University, has developed an
Image: Roman Telescope arrives at Kennedy Space Center
In this photo from June 21, 2026, NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope arrives at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard NASA's Pegasus barge. After offloading and transportation to the spaceport's Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, Roman will undergo
Can We Air-Condition Our Way Out of Climate Change?
No. But in the midst of intense heat waves it may be necessary to save lives. The post Can We Air-Condition Our Way Out of Climate Change? appeared first on Nautilus .
Contagious cancer likely crossed an ocean, triggering severe outbreak in Pacific Northwest clams
Researchers have identified a severe outbreak of a rare contagious cancer in soft-shell clams in Washington state's Puget Sound and found evidence that the disease was recently introduced to the Pacific Northwest from Atlantic Coast populations.
How mitochondria build their protein factories could help explain energy‑linked disease
In a study published in Nature Communications, researchers at Karolinska Institutet have mapped key steps in the assembly of the mitochondrial ribosome, offering new clues to how defects in this process can lead to disease.
When glaciers disappear, so do deities
In a recent viewpoint published in Nature Climate Change, six researchers from South America, Asia and Africa examine how glacier retreat in the Andes, Himalayas and other high-altitude regions is reshaping the cultural and spiritual life of different glacial communities.
Oysters used as living labs reveal unexpected stability in ocean virus populations
Oysters filter seawater for food. In the process, they concentrate a wide variety of microorganisms from their environment—including bacteria and viruses—into a tiny space.
Fair Workweek laws improve work schedules without cutting pay or benefits, according to research
A study examining Fair Workweek laws across five major U.S. jurisdictions finds that labor regulations have made work schedules more predictable for service-sector workers, without triggering wage cuts or benefit reductions. Published in Science Advances, the research titled
Images: Perseverance reaches 'marathon' milestone on Mars
NASA's Perseverance rover appears as a green speck on the Martian surface on June 13, 2026, a day before the robotic explorer marked a distance milestone, having traveled a full marathon (26.2 miles, or 42.195 kilometers) on the Red Planet. Perseverance reached that distance
Are algorithms unfairly screening out immigrant job applications?
Canada's new artificial intelligence strategy, AI for All, presents an ambitious vision for the country's future. Artificial intelligence, the federal government argues, can boost productivity, strengthen competitiveness and create opportunity across the economy.
Preserving wooden heritage in the Arctic as thaw, rot and tourism converge
Historic wooden structures across Svalbard are crumbling under the combined weight of climate change and human activity. Longer, warmer, and wetter seasons fuel wood-decaying fungi, while tourism adds physical wear to sites never built to last. The ArcticAlpineDecay project has
“Me, Myself, and I”: The Increasing Narcissism of Western Music
Individualistic pronouns have grown more common in pop songs over the past half century The post “Me, Myself, and I”: The Increasing Narcissism of Western Music appeared first on Nautilus .
Scientists design 'tunable' biomolecules to probe how sugars behave
Sugars are not just a source of energy—they also play a crucial role in how cells communicate, how proteins interact and how materials behave in medicine and industry. But studying these processes is challenging because sugar molecules are structurally complex and difficult to
How 'catchy' music is driven by rhythmic patterns
Puerto Rican icon Bad Bunny, a superstar rapper, has recently risen to global prominence, as demonstrated by the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show.
A new quantum computer sets a high watermark for accuracy. Are we on the verge of a big breakthrough?
In a laboratory in Broomfield, Colorado, 98 atoms are suspended in midair, held in place by electric fields and cooled to temperatures close to absolute zero.
'Collapsible scissored surfaces' complete trilogy of metamaterial design principles
Over the past decade, Professor L. Mahadevan's Soft Math Lab at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) has helped establish how the ancient Japanese paper arts of folding or cutting can be used to inversely design structures that transform
