Optical cavities are pairs of light-trapping mirrors and underpin the operation of lasers, atomic clocks and many types of precision sensors. If the distance between the mirrors is changed rapidly enough, some theories predict that the waves inside them should bunch together
Like many of us, I always enjoy the John Lewis Christmas ad and 2026 is no different. This year, I love the fact that the star of the show is a grandmother.
Penn State researchers have refined an atom-scale model of how silicon carbide changes from a solid into vapor during crystal growth, work that could help manufacturers produce higher-quality material for advanced electronics while reducing costly trial-and-error experiments.
Sports betting has grown explosively since 2018, when a U.S. Supreme Court ruling struck down a federal ban on it. Now, Americans wager more than $165 billion on sports annually, contributing to an industry larger than state-run lotteries even excluding prediction markets such
Matter starts to behave differently at extremely low temperatures, creating conditions ideal for studying quantum physics and new states of matter. Now, researchers from China have achieved a new low-temperature record aboard their Tiangong space station. Their research,
The genus Picea (spruce) is widely distributed across the Northern Hemisphere and is a dominant component of boreal and montane forests. Understanding the evolutionary processes that have shaped diversification and regional differentiation across the genus requires a
Adopting certain lifestyle habits, including physical exercise, could significantly reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia The post A Neuropsychologist Explains the Importance of Exercise in Fighting Dementia appeared first on Nautilus .
Although genome-editing-based breeding has advanced rapidly in aquaculture, progress in marine mollusks has lagged behind. The main challenge is not genome editing itself, but rather rearing the few edited larvae through metamorphosis to establish a viable G0 founder population.
Human cells turn genetic instructions into proteins with great precision. Critical for the translation of this information are transfer RNAs, or tRNAs, small molecules that read the genetic code three letters at a time and bring the matching building blocks of proteins, the
It would greatly benefit the environment and climate if nylon—chemically known as polyamide—could be produced on a large scale from plastic waste in the future, rather than from petroleum, as has been the norm until now. At LIKAT in Rostock, chemists pursuing this approach have
A robotic truss builder that was conceived, designed and built by Caltech researchers has successfully built a structure in space—without the help of astronauts—for the first time. The truss builder, part of DARPA's Novel Orbital and Moon Manufacturing, Materials, and
An international team of researchers led by UT Southwestern Medical Center has developed a versatile light-sheet microscope that captures 3D views of biological samples, from activity inside living cells to larger tissues. Designed to make detailed imaging much simpler and
The broad-headed snake (Hoplocephalus bungaroides), one of Australia's most endangered snakes, has been given a lifeline, with at least four of six captive-bred juveniles surviving the critical first few months after their release into the wild.
Imaging and chemical analysis of a 115-million-year-old dinosaur fossil points to blood cells. But some aren't convinced.
Skin is remarkably good at keeping things out of the body. Typically, that's a positive. It becomes an issue when medicine needs to get in. Swallow a pill to treat a skin condition, and the medicine enters your stomach, moves into your bloodstream and travels throughout your
Forty young sea turtles recently reached an important milestone at Florida Atlantic University: They were finally big enough to leave the university's marine science laboratory and return to the ocean. Their release was a reason to celebrate. But for FAU researchers who have
African governments are using foreign investment, infrastructure projects and conservation schemes to extend their control over land and communities, according to new research spanning 14 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
Our oceans have effectively become trash dumps where massive quantities of plastic end up. So much so, in fact, that the largest offshore plastic accumulation zone has been labeled the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
The Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) for the first time has detected the presence of the spring mountain butterfly (Erebia epistygne), a species under threat of extinction in Catalonia, under the electricity transmission lines of Red Eléctrica, Spain's transmission
Technetium-99 is a long-lived radioactive byproduct of nuclear fuel production and reprocessing. In many environments, it forms a highly mobile chemical species that can move readily through water and soil, making it a priority contaminant at legacy nuclear sites including
Or not, depending on the species The post How an Octopus Can Squeeze into a Beer Can appeared first on Nautilus .
Sustainability has become an increasingly visible feature of consumer-packaged goods (CPGs), from the ingredients used in household products to the materials and design of their packaging. For companies marketing sustainable products, however, an important question remains:
Every autumn for the last five years, hundreds of volunteers have set out remotely triggered cameras in mountains, forests, farms and beaches in more than 20 countries in Europe. Their joint project is called Snapshot Europe, and it's the largest open-access survey of mammals
Disorder can make sense, and understanding its logic can be genuinely useful. A study by a research group at the University of Trento shows how a minimal chemical difference can turn chaotic, disordered motion into a highly coordinated and reproducible structure.
When NASA's Voyager 2 robotic probe flew by Uranus and Neptune in the 1980s, it uncovered an anomaly: their magnetic fields are highly disordered, unlike Earth's, which has well-defined north and south poles.
Why does a quenda have a short, sturdy snout, while its relative the bilby has such a remarkably long one? New research led by Murdoch University's Harry Butler Institute suggests millions of years of adaptation to different environments across Australia and New Guinea may help
Gerrothorax maritimus , which existed about 237 million years ago, is the first ever amphibian known to have lived without access to land or freshwater.
Levitating trains, ultra-efficient energy storage, and quantum computers: superconductivity could unlock a wealth of possibilities for the future. New research led by scientists from Utrecht, Leiden, and Munich has now shed light on one of the key requirements for achieving
As grocery prices continue to rise, a study by researchers at Penn State found that in addition to increased spending, the price hikes are also associated with higher risk of food insufficiency and worse mental health conditions.
A literature review in the International Journal of Services and Standards has highlighted the potential of social media to improve humanitarian supply chain management. However, it also identifies a shortage of research into its role in the delivery of aid during emergencies.
The world is on track for 2026 to be the second-hottest year on record as an exceptionally strong El Niño weather pattern turbocharges human-driven global warming, the EU's climate monitor said Friday.
As floods become more frequent, severe and widespread, getting people to respond appropriately to flood warnings is more important than ever. New research from the University of Vermont shows that the way flood hazard information is presented can dramatically affect not only
An unprecedented find in the Valley of Kings The post Inside King Tutankhamun’s Tomb, 104 Years After Its Discovery appeared first on Nautilus .
Gravitational lensing is one of astronomy's best tricks for seeing the early universe. When a massive galaxy cluster sits in between the observer and a distant object, its gravity bends and magnifies the distant object's light, acting like a giant natural magnifying glass.
Across Europe, the 'emptying' of places abandoned by the state, capital and people is increasingly common. At the epicenter of this growing phenomenon are villages and towns in Eastern Europe and Russia, where the transition from socialism to capitalism has expelled people and
Despite many obstacles presented by students being at home during COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions, autistic children involved in a feasibility study still showed significant progress through online instruction. Flinders University's Professor Joanne Arciuli, who led the
Chinese American family caregivers of people with dementia reported a greater sense of control and competence in their caregiving roles and more positive views of caregiving after taking part in a seven-week digital support program, researchers at George Mason University found.
Archived observations appear to show a moving object in the far-distant outer solar system, but its reality is unclear
Scientists have discovered chemically confirmed traces of ancient blood inside 115-million-year-old dinosaur bones, challenging assumptions about how long biological molecules can survive. The extraordinary preservation could unlock new clues about dinosaur physiology and even
What happens when a technology becomes more powerful than its creators can fully understand?
A study of nearly 5,800 adults found that heart scans measuring calcium buildup in the arteries led to the same observed rate of major cardiovascular events as traditional risk assessments, despite recommending statins to far fewer patients. Surprisingly, patients advised to
The risk of relying on uncertain carbon removal projects can now be quantified using a new standardized metric that can be applied across all such schemes, irrespective of the technology used.
University of Oregon geologist Becky Dorsey's latest research sheds light on the Siculo-Calabrian rift zone, a belt of faults spanning more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) in southern Italy. The new data could help improve earthquake hazard assessment in this seismically active
An international team of scientists has outlined how a new generation of artificial intelligence models could transform our understanding of ecosystems and help predict their responses to environmental change.
Living cells are one of the few materials that can replicate themselves, and this is crucial for tissue development and recovery from injury or illness. But making sure cell division only happens at the right time is essential; otherwise, unregulated replication can lead to
Scientists have solved a mystery surrounding destructive beetles attacking blueberry bushes in North Carolina, identifying a species whose massive larvae can grow up to five inches long and destroy plant roots. Although farmers have reported damage for more than a decade, the
After his mother was killed in a bear attack in Kashmir, Indian software engineer Mudasir Ali developed an online early-warning system to help people in the Himalayan region avoid dangerous encounters with wildlife.
November's night sky is packed with celestial wonders, from bright meteor fireballs and a close pairing of Mars and Jupiter to a spectacular supermoon. Meanwhile, NASA's Voyager 1 is making history by becoming the first spacecraft to reach a distance of one light-day from Earth.
After nearly 22 years of exploring the universe’s most violent explosions, NASA’s Swift Observatory has re-entered Earth’s atmosphere over Indonesia. Originally designed to last just two years, the pioneering space telescope transformed our understanding of black holes,
Full-fat dairy may not be the health villain it has long been portrayed as, according to a new study finding that three daily servings did not worsen weight, cholesterol, or insulin resistance over 12 weeks. Researchers also observed improvements in blood pressure and nutrient