A colossal ocean current encircling Antarctica—stronger than all the world’s rivers combined—played a far more complex role in shaping Earth’s climate than scientists once thought. New research shows it didn’t form just because ocean gateways opened, but required shifting
Images have long played a powerful role in shaping public perceptions of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), often reinforcing emotional reactions more than scientific understanding. A new experimental study published in the Journal of Science Communication (JCOM) explores
A remarkable fossil discovery in southwest China is rewriting the story of how complex animal life began, showing that many key animal groups appeared millions of years earlier than scientists once believed. Dating back over 540 million years, the fossils reveal a surprisingly
Earth may have won a cosmic chemistry lottery. Researchers found that during the planet’s earliest formation, oxygen had to be in an extremely narrow “Goldilocks zone” for two life-essential elements, phosphorus and nitrogen, to stay where life could use them. Too much or too
A strange “forbidden” planet spotted by the James Webb Space Telescope is turning planetary science on its head. TOI-5205 b, a Jupiter-sized world orbiting a small, cool star, has an atmosphere surprisingly poor in heavy elements—even less enriched than its own star, which
On Monday night, the president of the United States called the crew aboard the Orion spacecraft to congratulate them on their moon mission
Researchers at Cedars-Sinai have developed a fast, new technique for analyzing cells, described in the journal Angewandte Chemie. The approach, called single-injection multi-omics analysis by direct infusion (SMAD), can detect more than 1,300 proteins and more than 9,000
A medieval ophthalmologist who translated Greek works by Galen, Hippocrates, and Plato into Arabic played a pivotal role in shaping Western medical scholarship, according to a study published in the journal Cogent Arts and Humanities.
From the perspective of the Orion capsule, the moon will fully block the sun’s disk for nearly an hour
Most elementary school-aged children have a surprising cognitive ability: they can detect—nearly as well as adults—when someone treats people from one social group differently than another. The study, "Children's and adults' detection of social biases," published in Child
Is consciousness something the brain produces, or is it woven into the fabric of reality itself? Renowned neuroscientist Christof Koch is challenging long-held scientific assumptions by confronting the “hard problem” of consciousness — why and how subjective experience exists
University of Mississippi research offers hope that cancer drug therapies packaged in 3D-printed carriers could deliver medication directly to tumors while reducing many of the side effects that cancer patients endure. In a study published in Pharmaceutical Research, the Ole
Your brain’s “stop eating” signal may come from an unexpected source. Researchers found that astrocytes—once thought to just support neurons—actually play a key role in controlling appetite. After a meal, glucose triggers tanycytes, which send signals to astrocytes that then
Even after one of the largest environmental remediation efforts in California history, dangerous levels of lead persist in residential neighborhoods surrounding a former battery smelter in Southeast Los Angeles, according to a new study from the University of California,
A new review from Osaka Metropolitan University (OMU) summarizes the biocatalysts involved in semi-artificial photosynthesis, an exciting research field that combines natural photosynthesis with artificial technology to efficiently generate fuels and useful substances from
The space exploration milestone came during a 40-minute period during which the Artemis II astronauts were unable to communicate with Earth
Climate change may reduce yields of crops like corn and soybeans, but it can also give some plants an edge. That's one of the takeaways of a recent study of tall goldenrod, a common wildflower that runs rampant in fields across its native range in North America and other parts
Materials that repel water are used in countless applications, including industrial separation processes, routine laboratory pipetting, and medical devices. When water touches these surfaces, the interface where they meet tends to acquire a small electrical charge—an effect
The theory of panspermia holds that life is spread through the cosmos via asteroids, comets, and other objects. When the building blocks of life emerge on one planet, impacts can eject surface material into space, which then carries these seeds to other worlds. For decades,
Researchers at the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo and George Mason University's College of Science have developed a new method that improves air temperature forecasts one to five weeks in advance—without requiring additional model simulations. The
Researchers at Oregon State University have developed a technique for simultaneously treating lung cancer and a serious muscle-wasting condition that often accompanies it. The study, published in the Journal of Controlled Release, involves lipid nanoparticles delivering
Creating artificial systems that mimic the functioning of cells is one of the goals of what is known as synthetic biology. These models, known as synthetic or biomimetic cells, allow some of the basic processes of life to be reproduced in the laboratory to better understand how
Mayo Clinic researchers developed an experimental nanotherapy that delivers two cancer drugs directly to brain tumors, according to a study published in Communications Medicine. The strategy extended survival in preclinical models of glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of
The racist origin story of the most common college entrance exam The post The Creator of the SAT Was an Infamous Eugenicist appeared first on Nautilus .
A research team at the University of Tokyo has developed a new microscopy platform that can observe a previously hidden layer of biomolecular chemistry linked to weak magnetic fields. The work, led by Project Researcher Noboru Ikeya and Professor Jonathan R. Woodward at the
The doctoral thesis of Sophia Hollick, Ph.D. '25, a recent graduate of Yale's Wright Lab in professor Reina Maruyama's group, has significantly contributed to answering a decades-long question in her field about whether or not a signal observed in an experiment that has taken
Cell cultures—single layers of cells grown in a small dish—have enabled researchers to study biological growth, develop or test drugs and even discover what causes some diseases. Cell spheroids, 3D versions of cell cultures built using a process known as cell aggregation, are
U.S. officials are taking a closer look at what's in America's drinking water, including microplastics and leftover medications.
In Puerto Rico, drought doesn't always arrive slowly. Sometimes, it appears in days. That speed can leave producers scrambling, reservoirs dropping, and communities facing water restrictions before they can react. In a place often associated with heavy rain and hurricanes,
Just as embroiderers, with needle and thread, can transform plain fabric into an intricate pattern, engineers can use lasers and polymers to create flexible, complex structures that could transform life-saving sensing technology. An interdisciplinary team at the University of
Reef sharks are observed less frequently on Caribbean reefs that have high levels of diving activity and greater coastal development, according to new research published in the Journal of Applied Ecology. Even recreational activities that are often considered low impact are
Insects just aren’t what they used to be The post What Happened to the Ancient Bug Giants of 300 Million Years Ago? appeared first on Nautilus .
How can we predict species' responses to always-arising changes in our world? A long-term ecological study from Yokohama National University researchers suggests the answer may lie in a few small simple biological traits. Their findings offer a framework for better anticipating
New evidence suggests that a disease-causing tapeworm that has been spreading across the United States and Canada has arrived in the Pacific Northwest. The tapeworm, called Echinococcus multilocularis, lives as a parasite in coyotes, foxes and other canid species and can cause
Most people think of diamonds as high-end adornments. Not Ania Bleszynski Jayich. The UC Santa Barbara physicist sees diamonds, which she grows in the UC Quantum Foundry, as a potentially powerful foundation for quantum sensors. Sensors are currently much farther along in their
University of Tennessee Knoxville professor and Goodrich Chair of Excellence in Civil Engineering Frank Loeffler and his co-authors published new research on the environmental impacts of "forever chemicals" in Nature Microbiology. Their study uncovered that bacteria incorporate
With its striking San Francisco Bay settings, director Alfred Hitchcock's iconic horror film "The Birds" has captivated audiences for more than 60 years. For Hitchcock, the film—set in an ocean-side town terrorized by swarming, murderous birds, was about how an unexpected
Debates over how geometry is understood and learned date back at least to the days of Plato, with more recent scholars concluding that only humans possess the foundations of this understanding. However, a new analysis by New York University psychology professor Moira Dillon
Imagine a creature nearly twice the size of a modern African elephant, which can weigh up to 6,000 kg. This was Elephas (Paleoxodon) recki, a prehistoric titan that roamed the landscape of what is now Tanzania nearly two million years ago. Now, imagine a group of our ancestors
When a father of astronomy wrote the first science-fiction book about the dark side of the moon The post Did This 17th-Century Novel Presage the Coming Artemis II Observations? appeared first on Nautilus .
Warming temperatures from climate change cause tree swallows to nest up to two weeks earlier than they did in the 1970s, but early spring cold snaps can hinder nestlings' growth and survival, according to a new study that incorporates a four-decade Cornell dataset on the birds.
An understanding of community resilience and risk analysis is vital when it comes to protecting civilians and infrastructure from natural hazards, such as hurricanes or earthquakes. Artificial intelligence is an efficient way to rate a community's resilience and vulnerability.
It transports far more than 100 times as much water as all of the Earth's rivers combined: The Antarctic Circumpolar Current rushes around the southern continent unhindered by land masses and is therefore a fundamental component of the climate system. In a recent study
A longstanding mystery in mosquito biology has been solved, opening a potential new path for controlling mosquitoes and the diseases they spread. For decades, scientists believed that juvenile hormone, a chemical signal essential for mosquito reproduction, needed two different
Why do cats often leave food unfinished? Many cat owners have experienced this puzzling behavior. Domestic cats are well known for eating multiple small meals throughout the day, a pattern thought to reflect their evolutionary origin from the African wildcat (Felis silvestris
Researchers at Cornell University have developed a powerful new genetic toolkit that allows scientists to study how genes function at the level of individual cells, an advance that could accelerate discoveries in development, neuroscience, and disease. The work is published in
The four astronauts embarking on NASA's lunar flyby became on Monday the humans to travel farthest from our planet, as they begin documenting areas of the moon never before seen by the naked eye.
Snow leopards, leopards, and Himalayan wolves all share similar stomping grounds in Nepal's Lapchi Valley in the Himalayas. A recent study, published in PLOS One, has taken a closer look at how these apex predators have found a way to coexist, despite limited resources.
Suggesting deep evolutionary roots of rhythm in animals The post Bumblebees Bounce to the Beat appeared first on Nautilus .
The four astronauts onboard NASA’s moon mission just broke the record for the farthest distance from Earth traveled by any human