As we age, our immune system quietly loses its edge, and scientists have uncovered a surprising reason why. A protein called platelet factor 4 naturally declines over time, allowing blood stem cells to multiply too freely and drift toward unhealthy, mutation-prone behavior
A new look at the cluster offers evidence of a dramatic space crash The post Celebrate the New Year With This Cosmic Champagne Cluster appeared first on Nautilus .
A strange little snake fossil found on England’s south coast has finally revealed its secrets—more than 40 years after it was discovered. The newly named Paradoxophidion richardoweni lived around 37 million years ago, during a time when Britain was warmer and teeming with
Understanding the chemical properties of a molecule is an inherently quantum problem, making quantum computers a good tool for the job – and we may start seeing this take off in 2026
New research reveals a brighter side of ADHD, showing that adults who recognize and use their strengths feel happier, healthier, and less stressed. People with ADHD were more likely to identify traits like creativity, humor, and hyperfocus as personal strengths. Across the
Microplastics in rivers, lakes, and oceans aren’t just drifting debris—they’re constantly leaking invisible clouds of chemicals into the water. New research shows that sunlight drives this process, causing different plastics to release distinct and evolving mixtures of
Mars once had sprawling river systems that rivaled major watersheds on Earth, and scientists have now identified the biggest ones for the first time. Researchers mapped 16 massive drainage basins where water likely flowed long enough to support life. Even though these areas
Longest lightning, the first AI-generated genomes and biggest black hole smashup were among this year’s top science superlatives.
Ammonia (NH3) is a colorless chemical compound comprised of nitrogen and hydrogen that is widely used in agriculture and in industrial settings. Among other things, it is used to produce fertilizers, as well as cleaning products and explosives.
Quantum information theory is a field of study that examines how quantum technologies store and process information. Over the past decades, researchers have introduced several new quantum information frameworks and theories that are informing the development of quantum
Scientists in China have performed an experiment first proposed by Albert Einstein almost a century ago when he sought to disprove the quantum mechanical principle of complementarity put forth by Niels Bohr and his school of physicists. Bohr claimed there are properties of
Using the Einstein Probe (EP), astronomers have detected a new X-ray transient event, which turned out to be an X-ray flare from the star PM J23221-0301 located about 150 light years away. The finding was reported in a research paper published December 18 on the arXiv preprint
New footage shows orcas and dolphins coordinating hunts, hinting at interspecies teamwork to track and catch salmon off British Columbia.
Winds exceeding 110 mph that tore across the top of Mount Hamilton early Christmas morning blasted a massive steel protective door off the iconic white dome at Lick Observatory.
Astronomers have found a system of three supermassive black holes, all actively feeding, that appear to be combining into a single system – a rare event that will help elucidate the physics of complex mergers
Astronomers combined data from NASA’s JWST and Chandra X-ray Observatory to create a stunning new image of two merging spiral galaxies
Winter is hard, and for wildlife in Colorado, it's even harder. To survive, many species have developed adaptations over hundreds of thousands of years that allow them to weather the storms, including hibernation, thicker coats, food storage and migration.
High in the mountains west of Fort Collins, teams of scientists and engineers are pretending to be beavers.
Central Asia, the Sahel region and northern Europe experienced their hottest year on record in 2025, according to AFP analysis based on data from the European Copernicus program.
An explorer and a glaciologist are kite-skiing across Antarctica with a ground-penetrating radar to gather data that will help understand the past and future of the ice sheet
Sport is one of the most climate-sensitive aspects of Australian life, yet still sits largely outside the national conversation on climate exposure.
New research suggests that even light alcohol use may carry serious risks. A large study in India found that drinking just one standard drink a day is linked to a roughly 50% higher risk of mouth cancer, with the greatest danger tied to locally brewed alcohol. When alcohol use
Cannabis products with higher THC levels may slightly reduce chronic pain, particularly nerve pain, according to a review of multiple clinical trials. The improvement was small and short-lived, while side effects were more common. Products with little or no THC, including
The intermittent nature of solar energy poses challenges to grid stability, making accurate ultra-short-term solar irradiance forecasting crucial for balancing supply and demand. However, traditional numerical weather prediction models often struggle with cloud initialization,
Palladium is widely used in various industries and everyday products, including smartphones, semiconductor manufacturing processes, and hydrogen fuel cells. It is an essential metal that acts as an excellent catalyst even in minute quantities, reducing pollutants and enhancing
Visual evidence of our planet’s curvature is relatively recent The post The Photos That Shaped Our Understanding of Earth’s Shape appeared first on Nautilus .
Among his other ongoing projects, US President Donald Trump has spent much of his second term on a renovation. The Oval Office has been converted into a miniature palace festooned with gold bling, the rose garden has been paved over, a triumphal arch is planned and the new
A burned-out parent is a less emotionally real parent The post The Emotional Cost of Parental Burnout appeared first on Nautilus .
New research shows that women living near Superfund sites are more likely to develop aggressive and metastatic breast cancers. The studies found higher risks for hard-to-treat subtypes like triple-negative breast cancer, especially in areas with greater air pollution.
It's a Wednesday evening in a town hall in Penryn in Cornwall, and my friend Pete and I are volunteering at our local repair cafe. We set up tables, get our tools ready, put up a sign outside and wait for people to arrive.
These feathery gas detectors became beloved pets in the dark depths The post When Canaries Actually Worked in Coal Mines appeared first on Nautilus .
Environmental change doesn’t affect evolution in a single, predictable way. In large-scale computer simulations, scientists discovered that some fluctuating conditions help populations evolve higher fitness, while others slow or even derail progress. Two populations facing