Headlines

Bacteria can learn and form memories without a brain

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have shown that bacteria can learn from past experiences, store memories across generations and adapt their behavior to changing environments, all without a brain or nervous system. The research could shape how scientists think about

How gene swapping helped build the planet's decomposers

Decomposers are crucial for keeping Earth habitable, breaking down dead biomass and returning key nutrients, such as carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus, to the ecosystem. Most decomposers, including fungi, survive through osmotrophy—a means of feeding by absorbing dissolved

A faster way to forecast alien weather

The TRAPPIST-1 system, located about 41 light years from Earth, has been a focal point of much exoplanetary discussion—mainly because it has seven confirmed planets orbiting a dim M-dwarf star. Two of those planets—TRAPPIST-1e and -1f—are thought to be in the star's habitable

Disgust may contribute to improper waste disposal

A common explanation for why waste management sometimes fails is that carelessness breeds more carelessness. Now, research from the University of Gothenburg shows that dirty waste disposal rooms can evoke feelings of disgust that increase the risk of people disposing of their