Researchers from the Molecular Physics and Physical Chemistry departments of the Fritz Haber Institute have shown how two highly synchronized infrared (IR) laser beams can control molecules as they switch between different structural conformations. Their study provides a new
The human brain evolved for a world of familiar faces, immediate threats and small social groups. But the world around us is changing far faster than human biology can keep pace. That mismatch may help explain some of the stress, loneliness and constant comparison people
Researchers at National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), in collaboration with researchers from The University of Electro-Communications (UEC) and Akita Prefectural University, have discovered a new insect pathogen that invades the gut symbiotic
Tamped-down viral action keeps the mosquito vectors alive until they infect humans The post Here’s How Mosquitoes Survive the Deadly Viruses They Transmit appeared first on Nautilus .
In the study of bacteria, a longstanding dogma has held that two molecular machines—RNA polymerase, which leads the way in transcribing DNA into RNA, and ribosomes, which bring up the rear translating RNA into proteins—worked so closely in tandem that they were effectively
Due to increasing heat and drought, forests are turning brown more often before autumn, when leaf senescence normally occurs. It is often unclear whether the trees are actively shedding foliage to avoid a breakdown in water transport or whether browning leaves are a consequence
Team members' initiative can help teams succeed, but only when it is paired with strong coordination, according to new research from Washington State University.
Relationships are all about compromise. From deciding on where to eat dinner with a friend to negotiating chore lists at home, we often experience situations that require some flexibility. But what happens when we must work with others—especially people we don't know—to make a
Hidden beneath the water's surface is a botanical world that is among nature's most innovative and ecologically important.
The transmission of optical information through random scattering media is a major challenge in optics, biomedical imaging, telecommunications and remote sensing. When light passes through a turbid or diffusive medium, such as biological tissue or a randomly structured optical
Researchers claim a major breakthrough with the first human-made cell. But is it “alive?” The post Synthetic Cells to Sell Synthetic Biology appeared first on Nautilus .
Researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) are the first to directly utilize orbital currents without the need for conversion of the orbital current into a spin current.
Getting it over the finish line was a labor of love—and now, more than five years after her death, the lab of former Sloan Kettering Institute Developmental Biology Chair Kathryn Anderson, Ph.D., is publishing its final study.
Marine scientists at the University of Chester have discovered that environmental conditions experienced by jellyfish before winter can have lasting effects on the size and intensity of jellyfish blooms many months later. The study focused on the moon jellyfish, Aurelia aurita,
This year's surveys of gray seals in the Wadden Sea and on Helgoland once again show an upward trend. During the 2025–2026 survey year, 3,385 pups and 12,497 gray seals were recorded during the molting period. The results have been published in the report "Grey Seal Numbers of
Imagine opening a difficult book in a quiet room. The first page is dense. You read one paragraph, then reread it. Nothing "clicks" yet. Your brain is doing what learning often requires: spending effort before the reward arrives. Then your phone lights up. One thumb movement,
According to a new study by the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB), most European citizens consider economic growth a necessary condition, rather than an obstacle, for advancing toward a sustainable future. The
Prescribed fires are vital for reducing wildfire risk and sustaining forest biodiversity. But they also contribute significantly to air pollution and smoke exposure, according to new research from the University of Georgia. The issue is especially pertinent to the southeastern
The scenes are biblical. Tens of thousands of rodents scattering across canola fields, behind sheds, into machinery. River fish with bellies full of mice. Carcasses littering the street, the sidewalk, outside your home. In supermarkets, the inescapable stench of dead and dying
Researchers at the University of Bayreuth and Forschungszentrum Jülich have demonstrated that specific light-sensitive enzymes—so-called sensor histidine kinases (SHKs)—transmit their signal through a light-controlled change in asymmetry. With their new study, the researchers
The discovery was made by a citizen scientist The post Cosmic Shockwave Reshaped a Newly Discovered “Bow and Arrow” Galaxy appeared first on Nautilus .
One seismometer is often not enough to reliably detect earthquakes or human activity such as underground nuclear tests. Rather, researchers combine readings from seismometers distributed across a small geographic area to gain confidence in their analysis. Artificial
Many fungi lead triple lives—acting as deadly insect pathogens, decomposers in the soil, and helpful partners living inside and transferring insect-derived nitrogen to plant roots. Scientists have long wondered what allows a single species to pull off these very different roles.
Quantum materials, materials exhibiting physical behavior governed by the laws of quantum mechanics, have proved promising for the development of numerous advanced technologies, including quantum technologies, memory devices and solar panels. In some of these materials,
Two-dimensional (2D) perovskites are increasingly recognized as promising candidate materials for the next generation of optoelectronic devices. These materials combine key characteristics of both 2D semiconductors and three-dimensional (3D) perovskites.
Is it possible to study the history of viruses that emerged several hundred million years ago? An international team of INRAE and CIRAD researchers answered this question by exploring plant genomes to find the molecular fossils of viruses. The work is published in the journal
An Ehime University research team directed by H. Shimomoto and E. Ihara has developed a new molecular design strategy that imparts degradability to carbon–carbon (C–C) backbone polymers. The study, published in Macromolecules, demonstrates that incorporating
Vision shapes how many animals find food, avoid danger and navigate their world. In animals with two eyes, eye placement is often linked to lifestyle: predators such as lions tend to have forward-facing eyes that help them judge distance, while prey animals such as deer
The space agency has put out a call for its Moon & Mars Exploration Analog, which recreates the challenges of a long-duration space mission
Math is great when it's simple, but then our brain gets involved and complicates everything. Imagine you are on the leadership team for a Big 4 and choosing between two employees for a director-level promotion. One is ranked third out of 12 on her team. The other is ranked
Female fertility depends on the successful growth and maturation of eggs (oocytes) within ovarian follicles. Within these follicles, the oocyte is surrounded by granulosa cells that supply nutrients, signaling molecules and structural support essential for egg development.
Cross-coupling reactions have revolutionized the synthesis of complex pharmaceuticals and polymers from simpler, commercially available products. An important first step in these reactions is oxidative addition, which is often facilitated using transition metals such as
Quantum properties of light are extremely delicate. When researchers attempt to measure them, even small losses on the way to a detector can make them invisible, limiting their use outside carefully controlled environments. A collaborative team of researchers involving
Metallic effects on plastic surfaces have become standard in many industries, from automotive interiors and exteriors to toys and household appliances. However, injection-molded parts with metallic effects suffer from a well-known drawback: visible flow lines that appear as
Embedded in the boundary between the inside and outside of each cell are membrane proteins. They act as first responders by sensing signals, regulating which molecules enter and leave the cell, and enabling cells to quickly adapt to changes in their environment.
The giant trees of tropical forests are important allies in the fight against climate change because of their ability to store carbon, yet they are still poorly understood by science. However, a study published in the journal Science reveals a crucial survival mechanism: These
Scientists have uncovered why Antarctica became engulfed by ice millions of years before the Arctic. The international research, published in Science, helps solve one of climate science's longest-standing puzzles: how a vast ice sheet could form when Earth was around 5°C warmer
A new study goes deep on the interaction between activities and hostile wildlife The post How to Not Get Mauled on Your Hike This Summer appeared first on Nautilus .
Samples collected at daring heights provide evidence for an untested theory of tree drought adaptation, while countering another.
As temperatures rise around the world, air conditioning is saving lives. But a growing reliance on it is also placing unprecedented pressure on electricity grids, increasing greenhouse gas emissions and making cities even hotter.
Escherichia coli (E. coli) are mostly harmless bacteria that live in the intestines of animals and humans. They are the most well-studied bacteria and, often, when scientists discover something about E. coli, they extrapolate that discovery across all bacteria. So when
Of the known things in the universe, black holes are among the most extreme. They pack huge amounts of mass densely into a small area, producing gravity that is so strong that even light cannot escape. To describe their properties, physicists have relied on complex equations
Due to their high porosity, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are regarded as promising materials for innovative applications, which is why the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded in 2025 for their discovery. They are used, for example, to store gases, to capture CO2 and for the
Indian startup Skyroot Aerospace said Thursday it would hold the maiden test flight of the country's first privately developed orbital-class rocket in the coming weeks.
With El Niño officially declared for summer 2026, Dr. Laura Fernandez and researchers at Macquarie University are testing the use of recycled water to irrigate trees, helping cool Western Sydney.
It will be some months before the true toll of Europe's worst-ever heatwave is confirmed, but researchers can estimate a death count based on how many people died in Europe during previous hot periods
Nearly 660 kilometers (410 miles) beneath Earth's surface lies one of the planet's most important internal boundaries. Known as the 660-km seismic discontinuity, it separates the mantle transition zone from the lower mantle and plays a central role in controlling how heat and
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters is known for targeting immigrants with inflammatory comments about their place in their new country. He made headlines last year when he urged immigrants who "come here with their ideas, foreign to our country" to "show some gratitude."
A star called TOI-2155 lies around 1,350 light-years (839 trillion miles) from Earth. It is a little bigger, heavier and hotter than the sun, and it is not particularly interesting or unusual in itself.
Australia has a mental health crisis. The Productivity Commission has found mental health issues cost Australia up to A$200 billion to A$220 billion per year—one-tenth of annual economic output.
