Scientists have finally cracked one of the biggest mysteries in the senses: how smell is organized. By mapping millions of neurons in mice, researchers discovered that smell receptors in the nose aren’t random at all—they’re arranged in neat, overlapping stripes based on
The body’s “killer” T cells don’t just attack—they strike with astonishing precision, forming a tiny, highly organized contact zone that lets them destroy dangerous cells without harming their neighbors. Now, scientists have captured this process in unprecedented detail,
For the first time, scientists have watched a subduction zone literally fall apart beneath the ocean floor. Using advanced seismic imaging, they found the Juan de Fuca plate splitting into fragments as it sinks beneath North America. Rather than collapsing all at once, the
What’s going on here? The post Birds Are More Afraid of Women Than of Men appeared first on Nautilus .
A new paper from researchers at the University of Kansas looks at extreme heat events in the United States, arguing a combination of inadequate data and unclear delineation of responsibility among government agencies leaves the nation unprepared for a hotter climate.
Researchers at Tampere University have recently demonstrated that light can be used to precisely reshape soft materials without mechanical contact. They have developed light-responsive hydrogel thin films that enable programmable surfaces with high sensitivity, rapid response,
A new "gold standard" for soil analysis and microplastic extraction has been developed at the University of New England (UNE), unlocking vital capabilities to safeguard agricultural soils and protect human health. Led by Ph.D. candidate Nivetha Sivarajah, the research team
Every day, millions of people watch their pet reptiles run, dig, swim or climb up against the walls of their enclosure. Reptile keepers call this "glass surfing," but among scientists, this conduct is typically considered to be a type of repetitive behavior, akin to pacing in
A lot has changed at the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster The post Chernobyl, 40 Years Later appeared first on Nautilus .
New research from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, published in Nature Microbiology, reveals that when microbes live together, they can sense one another and actively reduce competition by shifting toward different roles instead of all doing the same thing. It shows that
A new analysis of experimental data led by the University of Michigan has unveiled insights into why and how plant communities are changing their makeup to survive in warmer temperatures. Thanks to field studies of plant communities in nature, scientists had previously
U.S. companies are reporting on cybersecurity in greater detail, yet stock market reactions remain muted. A new study by the University of Vaasa and Aalto University shows that mandatory cybersecurity disclosure does not prompt reactions from investors or stock analysts.
A new study by University of Maryland chemical physicists demonstrates how to control the nuclear spin of molecular hydrogen (H2) by simply freezing it in dry ice. This new technique, published in the journal Physical Review Letters, could improve energy storage for hydrogen
Many of today's villages and towns in Central Europe trace their origins to settlements that emerged after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, often on former Roman territory or in the immediate vicinity of the Limes, the former imperial frontier. Since the nineteenth
Researchers Dr. Noushin Mohammadian and Prof. Dr. Omid Fatahi Valilai of Constructor University in Bremen have presented a new strategy that merges social media intelligence, behavioral assessment, and AI-assisted content creation to make environmental campaigns more adaptive,
Water is fundamental to all life—contaminants are harmful to humans and the environment. Herbicides used in agriculture to control weeds present a particular challenge here. The most widely used herbicide in the world is glyphosate. Experts have differing views on its use. Some
A UCLA-led international research collaboration has unveiled a new technology that may help scientists better understand how small molecules, including many drugs, bind to proteins. The invention works with an existing lab method called photo-crosslinking. The paper is
Anusuyabai Pandekar and her daughter-in-law Mandabai sit facing each other beside a stone grindmill. The mill is still. No grain rests between its stones. No flour gathers at the edges. Instead it sits between them like an object from another time.
Antiferromagnetic materials, with antiparallel atomic spins and zero net magnetization, are fast and resistant to external magnetic interference, making them ideal for high-speed, high-density spintronic devices. However, their zero net magnetization makes conventional imaging
New sociological research shows that while many young adults are leaving organized religious institutions, they are not abandoning spirituality or belief. Instead, they're practicing their faith in more personal, values-driven ways—a phenomenon the authors call "DIY faith."
Insilico Medicine, a clinical-stage biotechnology company powered by generative artificial intelligence (AI), today announced advancements to its unified AI framework for drug target discovery, integrating its previously introduced Target Identification Pro (TargetPro) and
The recent measles outbreak in South Carolina sickened nearly 1,000 people before public health officials got it under control. Vaccination can effectively prevent further spread
Archaeologists recently analyzed a broken, decorative cup found unexpectedly on a Spanish farm. The cup appears to represent Hadrian's Wall—a place 2,000 miles away—and a time period almost 2,000 years ago. The new study, published in Britannia, links the cup to several other
IPOs are headline-grabbing events. But public companies raise even more capital through post-IPO issuances of shares, also known as seasoned equity offerings (SEOs). In 2025, total SEO proceeds topped $175 billion, as compared to approximately $47 billion for IPOs.
A hailstorm of these proportions is “unusual” but not unheard of in Missouri at this time of year, one expert says
When Hurricane Maria made its ferocious landfall on the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico in September 2017, the loss extended beyond several thousand human lives: The damage to the island's natural ecosystems, including its iconic rainforests and tropical dry forests, was
Trying to untangle a knot in a mess of strings can be frustrating and time-consuming. But not so for molecular machines—molecules that convert chemical energy into mechanical work and motion. Machines from the AAA+ family, which exist in the cells of all living organisms from
They pack an even more impressive punch than previously thought The post Scorpions Wield Metal-Tipped Weapons appeared first on Nautilus .
Imagine that a government builds a five-star airport without any roads leading to it. The terminal is immaculate, the runway is regulation length—but there is simply no way to get there.
A newly discovered object may be a key to unlocking the true nature of a mysterious class of sources that astronomers have found in the early universe in recent years. A "X-ray dot" found by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory could explain what these objects are. A paper
An early ninth-century manuscript containing a text of the first known poem in the English language has been discovered in Rome by researchers from Trinity College Dublin. The newly-discovered manuscript in the National Central Library of Rome of Caedmon's Hymn dates from
Researchers at the Institute of Science Tokyo have developed a simple and efficient method for synthesizing polyfunctionalized biaryls without transition-metal catalysts or complex multistep prefunctionalization. Through an innovative substrate design strategy, the researchers
Scientists have used an online game to discover the secrets of animal camouflage—such as why tigers have stripes. The study, by the universities of Exeter and Bristol, reveals that high-contrast markings like tiger stripes are harder to see in sunshine, and in complex 3D
English farmers shrank their environmental footprint between 2010 and 2021, with decreases in several key areas, including greenhouse gas emissions, fertilizer overuse and cattle populations, reports a new study by Yusheng Zhang and Adrian Collins of Rothamsted Research in the
Ever had that moment when a song comes on and it feels strangely familiar, like it reminds you of another song that came out just a few months ago? If you feel this phenomenon has become more frequent, then you are not imagining it. Science agrees with you. A recent study found
An international team of Earth scientists led by Utrecht professor Douwe van Hinsbergen has developed an online tool that allows you to see, for any given location on Earth, what latitude it occupied in the distant past, right back to the heyday of the supercontinent Pangea 320
Researchers at the National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST), Japan, and The University of Tokyo, Japan, in collaboration with Kyushu University, Japan, have developed a new class of biocompatible molecular quantum nanosensors (MoQNs) that operate inside
Sequencing environmental DNA—or eDNA—from the East River in New York City can effectively monitor human diets and local wildlife, as well as the river's fish populations, report Mark Stoeckle and Jesse Ausubel of The Rockefeller University, U.S., in a study published in the
It’s a big honor for such a small amphibian The post New Frog Species Gets Olympian Name appeared first on Nautilus .
A procedure that could be done in half an hour, and prepared ahead of time, could seriously reduce blood loss from severe wounds, such as during surgery
A genomic analysis of people buried on the border of the ancient Roman Empire show how distinct groups combined after the empire’s fall
An experiment with a carbon material in a magnetic field has revealed a novel way for electrons to move, which doesn't fully belong in two or three spatial dimensions
A wave of dinosaur discoveries over the past decade has completely reshaped our understanding of these long-extinct animals. Palaeontologist Dave Hone spills the secrets of how dinosaurs lived, from how social they were to how much they really fought
A psychiatrist on the crucial distinction the case glosses over, how media coverage has made it worse, and why that’s dangerous for LGBTQ+ youth The post The Mix-up at the Heart of the Supreme Court’s Conversion Therapy Ruling appeared first on Nautilus .
A clinical trial for spina bifida treatment suggests that a surgical approach relying on stem cells is safe for patients. Its efficacy is still being evaluated.
Former National Institutes of Health official David Morens is accused of evading record requests related to the COVID pandemic’s origins and gain-of-function research
Our food choices could play an important, short-term role in how our bodies respond to infections, new research suggests
And it’s not a new drug The post A Treatment for Pre-Eclampsia Could Be in Sight appeared first on Nautilus .
Zermelo-Fraenkel set theory is so widely accepted that modern mathematicians hardly think about it. But believing in its core principles didn’t come easily. The post Why Math’s Final Axiom Proved So Controversial first appeared on Quanta Magazine
Ultrafinitism, a philosophy that rejects the infinite, has long been dismissed as mathematical heresy. But it is also producing new insights in math and beyond. The post What Can We Gain by Losing Infinity? first appeared on Quanta Magazine
