New fossil scans challenge insect flight timeline, suggesting origins up to 80 million years later
A tiny fossil discovered exactly a century ago has caused an enormous change in our understanding of when flying insects first appeared on Earth.
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New mathematical method improves calculations for systems limited by their smallest input
A harmonic increment provides a new way to improve smooth approximations of the minimum function. In a recent paper, published in the Journal of Inequalities and Applications, Prof. Thomas A. Weber shows how a harmonic-increment transformation brings any smooth estimate that
Museum specimens reveal shrinking flying foxes in Madagascar, with commercial hunting suspected
Flying foxes are the biggest bats in the world; they look like German shepherd puppies with 5-foot (1.5-meter) wingspans. But Madagascar's flying foxes are shrinking.
Ancient Alberta fish fossils reveal evolutionary secrets of modern species
Rare, complete fossils of ancient fish discovered in Alberta are helping fill in the gaps in our knowledge about which freshwater fish were living in North America at the end of the age of the dinosaurs, and how they evolved into their modern descendants.
Your cells keep a record of every workout you’ve ever done
And those gains persist even after a break from exercise The post Your cells keep a record of every workout you’ve ever done appeared first on Nautilus .
Modest gamma-ray flash followed by dazzling afterglow points to powerful stellar jet viewed off-axis
A cosmic explosion that announced itself with a modest flash of gamma rays went on to produce one of the brightest afterglows astronomers have recorded in the past 20 years. An international team of astronomers now finds evidence that the surprising mismatch comes down to
Indoor plants could improve air quality and cooling
In a study published in Eco-Environment and Health, a team of 35 international experts led by Surrey's Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE) reviewed several studies from across the world on the performance of indoor greenery.
Using hydrogen to spark ammonia engines into life
"Ammonia was first used as a fuel during World War II, when gasoline was hard to get hold of," explains David Emberson, associate professor at NTNU's Department of Marine Technology.
Saharan dust carries desert bacteria across the Atlantic to Amazon rainforest
Viewed under a microscope, the air above the Amazon rainforest teems with activity. It is full of pollen, fungal spores, tiny plant particles and bacteria. Normally, the composition of this bioaerosol community is quite stable. A team that included researchers from the
A single brain signal may explain schizophrenia's most puzzling symptoms
Scientists have identified a weakened brain signal that may connect several seemingly unrelated symptoms of schizophrenia, including sensory processing difficulties, disorganized speech, and greater symptom severity. The surprising discovery could help explain the disorder's
Children need to learn to swim for academic and social milestones, rather than just fitness, research suggests
With family budgets stretched ever tighter, swimming lessons can be one of the first expenses to be cut back—but with research showing swimming helps children not just physically but developmentally, researchers are calling for greater government support.
Six popular sugar substitutes linked to faster brain aging
A study of nearly 13,000 adults found that people consuming the most artificial sweeteners experienced a 62% faster decline in memory and thinking skills, equivalent to approximately 1.6 additional years of brain aging. Six popular sweeteners were linked to faster cognitive
Struggling with your career? This psychological intervention may help
Job loss and career uncertainty can take a toll that extends well beyond the workplace. New research suggests that a psychological intervention based on the principles of acceptance and commitment therapy, or ACT, may help individuals navigate work-related challenges while
Amino acid boosts last-resort antibiotic's effectiveness
Worldwide, antibiotic resistance is associated with millions of deaths every year, and the World Health Organization warns that the number of resistant infections is rising. Colistin is a last-resort antibiotic used when other treatments fail, but rates of colistin-resistant
Children bear the brunt of climate change, warns new report
Climate change is posing an increasing threat to the health and well-being of children and young people in Australia and New Zealand, with rising exposure to heat waves and widespread climate-related distress among young Australians, according to the annual MJA–Lancet Countdown
A 700,000-year-old elephant tooth reveals a lost world where early humans lived
A remarkably preserved elephant tooth dating back nearly 700,000 years has revealed a surprisingly lush prehistoric world where giant elephants and early humans lived side by side. Discovered in northern Israel alongside ancient stone tools, the tooth belonged to a
NASA discovers Jupiter’s invisible shield is more complex than Earth’s
NASA’s Juno spacecraft has discovered that Jupiter uses a surprisingly complex system of powerful plasma waves and multiple shock regions to defend against the solar wind. The findings reveal major differences between Jupiter and Earth and could help scientists understand the
Smaller ants devote more of their resting energy budget to their brains
The energy required for brains of different sizes to function could play a role in how different species evolved over time. While the energetic costs of brains have long been deemed important in evolution, direct measurements of the rate at which the brains of different species
First individual-based model of basking sharks replicates complicated social and environmental drivers of behavior
A new study published in Individual-Based Ecology presents the first individual-based model (IBM) of basking shark behavior.
Einstein's equations may explain the universe without dark energy
Mathematicians have uncovered what they argue is a fundamental flaw in the standard model of the universe, potentially challenging the need for dark energy. Their calculations suggest that the mathematical framework used to describe cosmic expansion is inherently unstable and
Q&A: Are polls trustworthy?
In the final stretch to the midterm elections, polls have come out tracking candidates' likelihood of victory at the local, state and federal levels. According to Tim Servinsky, project manager at Penn State Harrisburg's Center for Survey Research, polls built with the right
Behold a Prehistoric Lizard Tail Trapped in Amber
Proof the defense tactic has been used for at least 99 million years The post Behold a Prehistoric Lizard Tail Trapped in Amber appeared first on Nautilus .
A striking Mars cloud may be born from surprising physics
Everyday Earth clouds get their start with a bit of salt or dust. Not so the Red Planet's Arsia Mons Elongated Cloud, computer models suggest.
How to keep electricity costs down amid uncertain federal policy
Keeping the lights on nationwide is a feat of engineering that depends on millions of miles of power lines and thousands of power-generation plants.
Less than 42 minutes of bright daylight linked to higher dementia risk
Getting more daylight could be linked to a surprisingly powerful benefit for brain health. In a study of more than 87,000 adults, researchers found that higher daytime light exposure was associated with a 16% lower risk of dementia, with longer exposure to bright light linked
Prosecutors invoke gender stereotypes in capital cases against women
In 2001, Brenda Andrew was convicted of murdering her husband, and in 2004 she was sentenced to death.
Scientists can now rewire living brains
The tool could eventually lead to an entirely new approach for treating mental health
As ancient oceans warmed, carbon export and fish productivity surged
Ocean fish stocks have been increasingly exploited over time, and remote sensing shows they have declined in the open ocean over the last three decades, particularly in the tropics. But it's uncertain how fish populations will fare in the future, as climate models show both
Scientists discover that cranberry juice may help fight tooth decay
Cranberry juice may offer an unexpected benefit beyond its reputation for helping prevent urinary tract infections: protecting teeth from decay. Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago discovered that pure, unsweetened cranberry juice slowed the regrowth of dental
American jobs offer more autonomy—and more stress
American jobs have become increasingly stressful over the past two decades—but workers have also gained greater ability to exercise independence and make decisions at work.
Five things you need to know about the Trump administration’s rollback of methane regulations
The gas is a major driver of climate change
Mathematicians find an infinite number of Ramanujan equations
Knots show how to generate infinitely many formulas of a kind developed by the visionary genius
Can the world’s religions survive the existence of aliens?
Finding alien life could shake some people to their very souls, but different religions can take very distinct approaches to the existence of extraterrestrial life
Philippine island fights rising seas with nature, not concrete
For years, residents of a flood-prone Philippine island north of Manila have elevated their homes atop layer upon layer of concrete, only to see floodwaters threaten them again.
Why the WHO must declare climate change a public health emergency
Across the world, people have felt the impacts of climate change firsthand. The Northern Hemisphere has had another record-breaking summer season of heat and extreme weather events. The Southern Hemisphere now faces a summer of heat waves, flooding, wildfires and droughts. This
128,000-year-old ice in Tibet could rewrite climate history
Ancient ice discovered high in Tibet may be more than 128,000 years old, preserving an extraordinary record of Earth's climate that scientists previously thought had been lost. The discovery reveals a rare glimpse into the last ice age and could reshape our understanding of how
End of COVID-era SNAP emergency food assistance linked to increased child maltreatment rates
A new study has found that in U.S. counties that ended COVID-19 pandemic-era Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Emergency Allotments, child maltreatment rates went up. The findings from the study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine suggest that changes
Your blood pressure could be dangerous even when your numbers look normal
Researchers have discovered a small group of brain cells that prevents dangerous blood pressure swings, even when average readings appear normal. The finding reveals a hidden source of cardiovascular risk and could open the door to new treatments that protect the heart and brain.
Scientists just broke a textbook rule of physics
Scientists have defied a long-standing rule of laser physics by generating X-rays with much higher energies than conventional theory predicts. The surprising discovery reveals how two electrons working together can overcome a previously accepted limit, opening new possibilities
Meteors don't just burn up. What really happens is far more violent
Scientists have uncovered seven surprising stages that space rocks go through as they hurtle toward Earth, revealing that melting and violent fragmentation, rather than simple evaporation, determine their fate. The discovery could help explain why meteorites scatter across the
Optimistic climate futures for local communities in the UK imagined in a new report
A new report co-authored by researchers from the University of York and WWF highlights how local communities across the U.K. imagine positive, sustainable, and resilient futures for the places where they live and work.
Scientists discover a hidden oxygen reservoir deep inside Earth
Scientists have discovered that magma deep inside Earth can store surprising amounts of extra oxygen, potentially revealing a hidden contributor to our planet's oxygen-rich atmosphere. The findings suggest that ancient volcanic eruptions may have helped transform Earth's
How the Indian Ocean is linked to Europe's early-winter rain and storms
When we think about Europe's winter weather, the Indian Ocean is probably not the first place we look. We might picture Atlantic storms, cold air arriving from the north or rain sweeping across the Mediterranean. In my research, however, I look at how these familiar weather
The phantom lighthouse: New research explains one of Australia's strangest illusions
There are two lighthouses on Lady Elliot Island, at the southernmost tip of Australia's Great Barrier Reef. The first was built in 1873, but was decommissioned in 1995 when the second took over the job of warning ships off the reef. Visitors to the island, however, regularly
Ultrathin metal layer boosts spin-related signals, opening a door to ultralow-power electronics
Researchers at Kyushu University have found that an ultrathin layer of iridium manganese (IrMn) can improve two spin-related signals in a structure made of a magnetic insulator and a platinum film. By examining how spin currents are generated and absorbed, the team gained
Atomic magnetism reveals why iron, but not chromium, can produce ammonia using sunlight
Two nearly identical materials have completely different chemical behavior. Research teams at the University of Vienna and TU Wien studied catalysts that use the energy of sunlight to produce ammonia. Surprisingly, when the three iron atoms that form tiny triangles in these
Macromolecular crowding could help build artificial cell systems
Macromolecular crowding can serve as a design tool for controlling the formation and organization of synthetic DNA droplets, a study from Science Tokyo reveals. Researchers investigated this strategy using DNA nanostars and polymeric crowding agents to mimic the crowded
Molecular architecture determines tomato plant resistance to its main pest
An international study investigating why wild tomatoes are more resistant to the tomato leafminer (Phthorimaea absoluta) than cultivated varieties revealed that the secret lies in the spatial structure of a plant defense molecule. The researchers mapped the biochemical origin
Explaining the difference between brittle and ductile behavior in polymer glasses
Glasses are (mostly) brittle, metals can be ductile (plastic), and liquids flow easily. Polymers are interesting because they exhibit all three types of behavior, depending on their chemical nature, temperature, and deformation rate. If polymers are not able to crystallize,
Dead Star Offers a Glimpse Into Our Solar System’s Future
A ring of debris hints at planetary survivors The post Dead Star Offers a Glimpse Into Our Solar System’s Future appeared first on Nautilus .
