More than half a century ago, Sir Roger Penrose envisioned a scenario in which energy could be extracted from a black hole spinning at extreme speeds. He proposed that a particle entering its ergosphere—a region of space dragged around by a rotating black hole—could split into
If you visit Scandinavia, you are likely to find yourself at an exhibition about Vikings. There are many to choose from.
Imagine trying to trap a miniature star inside a machine without letting it touch the walls or burn itself out. This is the central, high-stakes challenge of high-temperature plasma engineering.
Tiny particles made from the membranes of human immune cells could offer a promising new way to fight fungal infections that are becoming harder to treat. Engineers at the University of California San Diego created antifungal nanoparticles that target Candida albicans, a fungus
Climate change threatens many plant and animal species not only when their habitats disappear as climatic conditions change, but also when those habitats shift. In a new study, a team of University of Potsdam researchers found that whether a species' habitat disappears or
The molecular machinery that normally builds proteins inside cells has now taken on a new role as a "switch." A research team at POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology) has developed a new 'RNA-based smart gene circuit' platform that can simultaneously read
What happens when weather forecasts do not match reality? How does the public emotionally respond when a disaster unfolds differently from what they expected? A research team led by Professor Jonghun Kam and Kiru Kim from the Department of Environmental Engineering at POSTECH
Flower-rich road verges may attract hungry bumblebees, but at the same time, they can be dangerous for the buzzing insects—if traffic is too heavy. The new research from Lund University in Sweden examined the role roadsides play for bumblebees. The results show that road verges
Across a narrow watershed in Asakura, a rural city in Fukuoka Prefecture, centuries-old stone channels still guide water through fields and into the river below. Today, those same systems are the focus of researchers at Kyushu University's Watershed Systems Engineering
Fast identification of bacteria is important in health care, food safety, environmental monitoring and infection control. One of the most common first steps is gram classification, which separates bacteria into gram-positive and gram-negative groups. This information can help
The world's largest whale graveyard has been discovered at the bottom of the Indian Ocean by Chinese scientists, who found that the vast expanse of both new and ancient carcasses supports huge communities of deep-sea life.
A research team led by Professor Chaogu Zheng from the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), in collaboration with scientists from Princeton University and Columbia University, has discovered how sensory-motor circuits—nerve circuits that turn
Shielding astronauts from the deadly radiation they face is a central challenge for any designer of a deep-space crewed mission. Even relatively low levels of exposure over long periods can lead to everything from central nervous system damage to cancer. But current solutions,
By analyzing data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, Dutch astronomers have investigated a young, oxygen-rich supernova remnant known as G292.0+1.8. Results of the new study, published June 29 on the arXiv preprint server, yield important insights into the expansion of this
An ancient sample shows calcite threading through the material’s cracks and pores, with possible lessons for making modern concrete last longer
They have been our meat and our messengers, a source of fertilizer and a religious symbol: while pigeons are now mostly reviled as dirty city pests, they long played an important role in human society.
Researchers have traced the journey of a plastic bottle cap recovered near the waters of southern Japan by combining data from the label, chemical clues in tiny shells and ocean current simulations. They found 307 organisms, including a polychaete worm not found in Japanese
An experimental drug called DT-109 reversed severe fatty liver disease in animal studies by repairing the gut and preventing harmful toxins from damaging the liver. The discovery could open the door to a new class of treatments for MASH and potentially other diseases tied to
In her recently completed research, Dr. Gaia Romeo exposes the reality behind the EU's 'safe third country' policy. She focuses on the only case in which that policy has already been applied on a large scale: Greece. There, the concept was used to reject asylum applications and
This week, researchers reported finding nanoplastics in Antarctic soils for the first time, suggesting they were delivered via long-range atmospheric transport. A study associates the use of hormonal birth control with the risk of brain tumors. And researchers developed a new
If we want to dismiss something as irrelevant, we'd say that it's "as boring as watching the grass grow." And yet grasses—including corn, wheat and rice—make up most of the plant-based calories humans eat, as well as most of the calories fed to livestock. Perhaps we should have
Two striking Asian praying mantis species that have rapidly spread across Europe have now been officially classified as invasive, raising new concerns about their impact on native wildlife. Boosted by climate change and urban environments, these fast-breeding predators are
Researchers discovered that electricity can dramatically reshape how heat flows through certain ceramic materials, increasing heat conduction by almost threefold in a preferred direction. The unexpected result could lead to much more efficient cooling technologies and
Northwestern Medicine scientists have identified a novel mechanism used by the bacteria responsible for gonorrhea to evade immune detection and achieve widespread infection, according to a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Neisseria
Researchers found that every pregnancy rewires the brain in its own way, with a second pregnancy bringing a different pattern of changes than the first. The discoveries could lead to better ways to recognize and treat maternal mental health challenges, including peripartum
Tennis players can return high-speed balls using a combination of reaction and predicting the future
Water reserves are being depleted rapidly in northern Italy, threatening farming as the region's main river dries up, local officials warned Friday.
A "widespread and significant" heat wave is predicted to bring oppressive temperatures to drought-hit western U.S. states over the weekend, with all-time records at risk of falling, the National Weather Service said Friday.
More than 14,000 people in Taiwan have fled their homes, and many shops remain closed, as a typhoon pounding Japan's remote southwestern islands swept toward China on Saturday.
Japan's experimental reusable rocket took off and safely landed in a first test flight Saturday as the country seeks to achieve the technology key to cut launch costs and compete in the global space market dominated by SpaceX.
Researchers have achieved a major milestone by creating a long-sought two-dimensional quantum material and confirming its unusual conducting edge states. The ability to control these states through strain could make the material a promising platform for future room-temperature
Ultra-fine bubbles may offer a cleaner way to perfect inkjet printing for next-generation electronics. By simply changing the number of bubbles in each droplet, researchers were able to dramatically reshape the final printed pattern without leaving behind unwanted chemical
A new digital platform developed under the leadership of CIIMAR is making Portugal's marine biodiversity more accessible by bringing together thousands of biological resources into a single access point. The Blue Biobanks Digital Research Platform aims to bridge scientific
Many of the body's biggest flaws are the result of evolution building on old designs instead of starting over. Our spine, eyes, teeth, pelvis, and even certain nerves all reveal compromises that worked well enough for survival but still leave us prone to pain, injury, and
Workers earning the lowest wages are the least likely to be covered by collective agreements in Germany, despite being the group for whom these protections are arguably most important. In 2021, only 34% of workers in the lowest wage decile were covered by collective agreements,
Scientists have discovered a previously unknown fossil goose that challenges a decades-old theory about the evolution of New Zealand's birds. The find suggests the country's giant flightless geese evolved from much more recent arrivals, revealing a far more dynamic evolutionary
At Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), conversations about diversity often center on supporting Hispanic/Latine students. New research from scholars at University of New Mexico highlights an important and sometimes overlooked issue--the experiences of Black students at these
A detailed independent study found that SpaceX's Starship is every bit as revolutionary as expected, while revealing both its impressive capabilities and its biggest remaining hurdles. It also introduces an ambitious European rocket concept that could offer a very different
Geoscientists at the University of Glasgow have helped reveal new evidence about the formation of one of the highest mountainous areas on Earth—the Tibetan Plateau. A study by an international team of Chinese and U.K. geoscientists shows that the unique topography at the summit
A new study found that dietary fiber can determine whether beneficial intestinal worms help reduce inflammation or become essentially inactive. With plenty of fiber, the worms remained healthy and supported an anti-inflammatory response, while a low-fiber diet pushed them into
There's a bit of a historical mystery surrounding the star Theta Eridani. Ptolemy in the second century A.D. and al-Sufi in A.D. 964 both recorded Theta Eridani as one of the 13 brightest stars in the sky. Hipparchus may have said the same. But there's a problem. For it to be
A newly discovered underwater volcanic eruption north of Papua New Guinea is unfolding in one of the world's most poorly mapped ocean basins. Satellites have spotted steam plumes, ash, thermal hotspots, and huge floating pumice rafts, suggesting magma is rising surprisingly
Cephalopods are loners, but they’re also intelligent The post How the Rule-Breaking Octopus Is Rewriting the Evolution of Intelligence appeared first on Nautilus .
Researchers from King's College London recorded the warning signs of a major low-oxygen event in Lake Victoria just hours before fish deaths were reported by local communities, demonstrating why earlier warning systems are urgently needed.
Heavy marijuana smoking may raise the risk of lung cancer and several head and neck cancers, according to growing research, but many important questions remain unanswered. Scientists are still trying to determine how much marijuana use is enough to significantly increase cancer