How beavers can help create fire breaks as part of a drought preparation plan
Most of the countryside around the Holnicote estate in Somerset has been dry and dusty for most of the summer. But one corner remains conspicuously green.
Headlines
- All
- Africa
- Asia
- Business
- Culture
- Environment
- Europe
- Gaming
- Markets
- Middle East
- Movies & TV
- Music
- Politics
- Science
- South America
- Tech
- World News
Changing the antibiotic playbook to catch an ESKAPE artist
Nearly a century ago, a single colony of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) helped launch the antibiotic age. In 1928, Alexander Fleming returned to his London lab to find that a stray mold had wiped out the Staphylococcus growing on one of his plates. The accident gave the
Early Earth's auroral belts may have formed a natural ion-beam reactor for prebiotic chemistry
We usually think of auroras as beautiful lights in the night sky. I see them as visible traces of a connection between the sun, Earth's magnetic field and the atmosphere. This led me to an origin-of-life question: Could the planetary structure that produces auroras also have
Crime is falling—but the public doesn't feel safer, UK study finds
Crime levels are falling for most offenses across the UK—but the public doesn't necessarily feel safer. It's a human trait to focus on frightening information in the news or on social media—but it could also mean that people are more fearful about crime than they need to be.
How Indigenous Protected Areas became a vital way to protect nature in Australia
When you think of conservation in Australia, chances are you'll think of a national park.
Park rangers and residents speak up to save Togo's last national park
A few years ago, I drove with an old friend from Togo, West Africa, towards the country's last remaining large protected area, Fazao-Malfakassa National Park. Our destination was the Hotel Fazao, where his uncle had once worked as a professional chef after its opening in 1980.
AI governance model inspired by Pope Leo XIV aims to put ethics first
Researchers at the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin (KUL) and the University of Eastern Finland have developed a new model of artificial intelligence governance inspired by the teachings of Pope Leo XIV as set out in his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas. The new model
Bumpy battery surfaces can masquerade as nanoscale ion pathways, misleading material design
A signal that appears to show ions moving inside a battery may, in fact, be an illusion caused by an uneven surface. A KAIST research team has identified the origin of this type of artifact, which can lead researchers to misinterpret what is happening inside a battery, and has
War drama Pressure depicts D‑day's weather forecast—what we found when we recreated the challenge using modern systems
Meteorologist James Stagg gave what many regard as the most important weather forecast in history in June 1944. The fate of more than 150,000 Allied troops preparing to invade the Normandy beaches on D-Day and the future of the war in Europe depended on Stagg and his
Survey of young researchers raises concerns over future of science in U.S.
One-third of young scientists who had been planning careers in academic research changed their minds in the spring of 2025, according to a new survey. Fewer expected to remain in higher education or work in the U.S., or felt that pursuing a Ph.D. was the right decision.
From strays to territory bosses: Epigenetics makes cheetahs adaptable
The findings of a new study led by the Leibniz-IZW on Namibian free-ranging cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus jubatus) demonstrate that epigenetic mechanisms might play an important role in how animals develop different phenotypes despite their low genetic diversity. The work is
A child's first 5 years set them up for life. African study explores how to target education spending
The first five years of life lay an important foundation for children's future schooling, health and earnings. Yet over 77% of children in sub-Saharan Africa don't have access to early childhood care and education. This places them at risk of not reaching their development
Deep biosphere has endured mountain-building and erosion over hundreds of millions of years
A new study reveals that microbial life deep within Earth has persisted and repeatedly flourished through hundreds of millions of years of mountain-building and erosion. By analyzing minerals, fluids and gases from a 2.3-kilometer-deep (1.4-mile-deep) borehole in central
The listening gap is real—how AI might help teachers bridge it
A Grade 4 teacher showed her class a video of children who walk miles barefoot to school. A hand shot up: "Why are you showing us AI slop? No way this is real."
'The Jungle Book' offers an unconventional tool for undergraduate economics education
Research in the International Journal of Pluralism and Economics Education argues that "The Jungle Book" can serve as an unconventional teaching tool for undergraduate economics, using the original stories by Rudyard Kipling as well as Disney film adaptations to introduce
Weak hydrogen bonds dethrone copper as the most stable metal binder, opening a new path for metal selection
Copper has been knocked off the top of a stability ranking it had dominated for decades. Without altering the atoms directly bonded to the metal, a KAIST research team reversed the longstanding trend in which copper generally forms the most stable complexes by tuning only the
Port Hills research reveals 'fire trap' risk from non-native grass
New research from Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC) examining the aftermath of the February 2024 Port Hills wildfire found that some young native trees and shrubs were able to resprout after being badly damaged by fire.
Inexpensive blue pigment enables efficient one-step conversion of carbon dioxide to methane
A common blue pigment could help turn carbon dioxide (CO₂) from an industrial waste product into a useful fuel. A joint research team led by Tohoku University's Advanced Institute for Materials Research (WPI-AIMR), in collaboration with Hokkaido University and startup AZUL
Ships, ice cores and krill surveys underpin Australia's 10-year Antarctic monitoring strategy
The important role ships play in gathering scientific data in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean has been outlined at a leading Antarctic science conference in Hobart. The biennial Australian Antarctic Research Conference was held at the University of Tasmania and attracted 400
Why 'you're smart' can backfire: Young children may cheat more after ability praise
Parents and teachers might think telling kids "they're smart" is a helpful way to build self-confidence and support positive development.
Stripped-down LSD reveals structural features linked to hallucinogenic and therapeutic effects
University of California, Davis, researchers have stripped down LSD to the base features responsible for its hallucinogenic and therapeutic effects.
How climate change may amplify the impact of earthquakes in the Arctic
Permafrost refers to permanently frozen ground. The rock is held together by ice, much like cement binds concrete. However, when the ice thaws, the ground becomes weak and unstable. During an earthquake, this can trigger a series of natural hazards. An international research
New nitride semiconductor expands material options for more powerful electronics
Polar wurtzite nitride semiconductors, such as aluminum nitride (AlN) and gallium nitride (GaN), are central to modern high-power and high-frequency electronic devices because of their wide band gaps, high breakdown electric fields, and strong spontaneous and piezoelectric
'Heel-strike' may have allowed early humans to walk farther—at the cost of high-impact forces
The average person takes thousands of steps each day, instinctively walking heel-to-toe. Although they hardly register them, those consistent heel-first strides are more distinctive to humans than previously thought and allowed early hominins to walk farther and more
Why music is a powerful tool to quiet stress in the brain
Music doesn’t just mask stress, it guides our brain back to a calm state
Slender crystal's blue-to-yellow glow could make invisible forces visible
Applying pressure to luminescent organic crystals usually brings molecules closer together and weakens their fluorescence. Materials that instead brighten and undergo a large color change are rare, and clear design principles for achieving both responses in simple, rigid
What can a pair of underpants tell you about your vegetable garden?
This summer, 115 participants in Leiden and The Hague worked with scientists from Leiden University to investigate the soil life in their community garden plots. With mangetout peas, a taste test, a buried pair of underpants and a harvest festival, they helped scientists better
Neutrophil vesicles help Candida albicans evade immune-cell engulfment
The immune system is a highly sophisticated defense network designed to protect against pathogens. A research team from the Universities of Würzburg and Jena and the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI) has shown that certain
Yes, passing 1.5 C of global warming is cause for alarm, but not despair
The news has been full of headlines about findings from a United Nations report: The world is set to exceed the 1.5°C global warming target set out in the 2015 Paris Agreement. The report has raised concerns and questions about what a 1.5°C increase could mean for our world.
Reversible electric control unlocks persistent chiral phonon states
Atoms in a material are rarely still. They jiggle back and forth in collective lattice vibrations known as phonons. Their motion can also carry a rotational element: In 2023, scientists at PSI experimentally proved the existence of chiral phonons, which exhibit handedness
New report offers lessons for preserving cultural heritage in crisis zones
The report, "Digital heritage preservation for vulnerable collections: Reflections on the Sudan Memory project history and inventory," was authored by Dr. Laura Gibson, senior lecturer in digital content management education at King's, alongside Sara El-Nager, independent
Entangled particles revive a 35-year-old test of the Standard Model
Physicists at the BESIII Collaboration have breathed new life into a decades-old test of one of the Standard Model's most important ideas, using a technique that had gone almost untouched by experimenters for 35 years.
Organic farming outperforms wildflower strips on profits while both improve farm biodiversity
What makes more sense when farming wheat—strips of wildflowers along fields or organic farming? Both options provide financial support via the European Union as environmentally friendly and sustainable farming practices. An international research team, including researchers
Climate and air quality are closely linked, report highlights
An increase in pollution from wildfires and heat waves risks undermining international efforts to improve air quality and protect human and ecosystem health, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which traces the complex interrelationships
Can atmospheric methane removal limit peak warming?
In a new report, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) concludes that global warming is expected to exceed 1.5°C within the next few years. This makes two questions increasingly important: how high will temperatures rise, and how long will the increase last?
Self-processing brain systems show both conservation and reorganization across primates
New in JNeurosci, Ning Liu, from the Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, explored whether brain structures for self-processing are conserved across primates, including humans, chimpanzees and macaques.
Excavations at Prado Vargas now span 140 square meters of a Neanderthal layer
The 2026 field season at Prado Vargas Cave, located in the village of Cornejo in the northern province of Burgos, Spain, within the Ojo Guareña karst complex, has expanded the excavation of Neanderthal sublevel 4D by 32 square meters (344 square feet), bringing the total
Could bats self-medicate? More than 50 wild bats offer clues
When humans get sick, we change our routines and try various solutions to feel better and get well, like staying in bed to rest, going to the doctor, getting medication from the pharmacy, using home remedies and more.
Dark plasma regions reveal overlooked source of reactive atomic oxygen
Scientists from Tokyo Metropolitan University have found a way to make plasma more effective for its wide-ranging uses, from antimicrobial applications to surface conditioning in the semiconductor industry. They mapped the production of atomic oxygen, a key ingredient of oxygen
Ancient charcoal reveals evidence of wildfires near the South Pole
A journey back in time to the Late Cretaceous: A swampy rainforest with conifers and tree ferns stretches as far as the eye can see, dinosaurs roam through the misty wetlands, and the climate is mild and warm. The average annual temperature is 12°C (54°F)—around two degrees
Galileo, Copernicus, Cleansky, IRIS² must work together to secure Europe's place in the space race
"Seeing the Earth from above is a powerful reminder of our interdependence," said Thomas Pesquet. The words of France's 10th astronaut to head into space are a reminder of how we are "in this together," something the world's aerospace industry players should take heed of as
Tiny polymer particles keep water jets stable for longer
Tiny, soft polymer particles—known as microgels—can help to stabilize extremely thin liquid jets. How this works is the finding of a study led by researchers at TU Darmstadt, which has been published in Nature Communications. The findings could be of interest for the
The DESI legacy imaging survey releases the largest 2D map of the universe
In 2012, the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) was commissioned to measure the effect of dark energy, the mysterious force driving the expansion of the cosmos. Since then, the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys have obtained optical images of tens of millions of galaxies and
What Archaeology Reveals About the Rise of All-Powerful Rulers
Autocracy wasn’t inevitable in early civilizations—many were more egalitarian. But when riches were there to monopolize, strongmen and inequalities emerged The post What Archaeology Reveals About the Rise of All-Powerful Rulers appeared first on Nautilus .
Pair of white dwarfs locked in 6-minute orbit might one day be observed by gravitational waves
Current gravitational-wave observatories aren't sensitive enough to capture the gravitational waves of binary stars. They can only see the gravitational chirps of black holes just as they are merging. But that will change as more sensitive instruments are developed. Recently, a
New model measures economic risks solar storms pose to US power grid
In 1967, a solar storm nearly triggered World War III by jamming early-warning radar systems in the United States, causing U.S. leaders to think the Soviet Union was responsible. Though society averted catastrophe thanks to timely information from solar forecasters, the threat
A vital native bee highway can start in your own backyard
When it comes to bees, most of us can identify the ubiquitous honey bee (Apis mellifera) and that's about it.
How 'hyperselection' is making modern life efficient, pleasant—and boring
It's difficult to imagine a song like Queen's 1975 "Bohemian Rhapsody" topping the charts today. Almost six minutes long, it moves through several radically different musical sections and famously ignores the conventional structure of a pop song. It seems almost designed to
Two-color X-ray pulses capture the same nanoparticle at two moments in time
One big dream of ultrafast science has been to watch changes in nanoparticles or biomolecules on their natural timescale. Experimentally, this can be realized by taking two snapshots of the same object only femtoseconds apart. However, no detector is fast enough to record the
We teach students how to argue. But are we teaching them how to listen?
Picture a senior English classroom.
