When JWST's first science results started rolling in, it was a triumph for scientific vision and persistence. For years, the fate of the powerful space telescope was uncertain. It went way over budget, and for 25 years, troubling conversations accompanied its ongoing
Choosing an orbit for a satellite always comes with trade-offs. Very low Earth orbit (VLEO), between 100–450 km (62–280 miles), has distinct advantages. Remote-sensing cameras can take better pictures, communications and radar require less power, and atmospheric drag
Monitoring marine life helps scientists track ecosystem health, improve conservation and manage fisheries. A promising approach is environmental DNA (eDNA), which refers to trace genetic material naturally released into the water by organisms, such as skin cells, mucus and
A new recycling technique could help tackle a major challenge: breaking down some of the toughest plastics without generating large amounts of waste.
A team of researchers from University of Toronto Engineering has created a new type of dye-sensitized nanoparticle that can detect target chemicals at very low concentrations while also distinguishing between molecules with very similar shapes.
Have you ever wondered what Earth observation satellites see when they look down at the deep ocean or a dense tropical forest during the dead of night? The answer, for the most part, is nothing. Standard optical sensors require a steady stream of light to function, and in these
Artificial intelligence is transforming how information is generated, processed and stored, but its rapid expansion is also driving unprecedented demand for computing power and electricity. Developing hardware that can process information more efficiently is therefore becoming
Even though it might be a dying past time The post All the Ways Reading for Pleasure is Good for Your Mental Health appeared first on Nautilus .
Picture yourself in a manufactured colony that orbits between Earth and the moon. It might sound like science fiction, but it's part of a 2019 presentation made by Jeff Bezos, founder of the space technology company Blue Origin, to an audience of journalists, space industry
In a study of monk parakeets, researchers at the University of Cincinnati and Duke University found that sex has little to no impact on who initiates fights, who is targeted or who rises in the dominance hierarchy.
With the rise in popularity of the digital assets known as cryptocurrencies over the last decade, the idea of a decentralized financial system that operates outside traditional markets is gaining mainstream appeal. A new analysis from a Penn State researcher, however, suggests
Emotional mechanisms are frequently used to inspire good environmental behavior. But how effective are they at inspiring actual sustainable change? Perhaps not as much as previously believed, according to a new study that challenged participants to put their money where their
The Kinsey Institute released new data from its annual Singles in America survey, the nation's most comprehensive and longest-running annual study of single adults. Now in its 15th edition, Singles in America has surveyed more than 80,000 people across the United States,
Metabotropic glutamate receptors, which are important but difficult drug targets, interact in surprisingly varied ways with their principal regulatory proteins, according to two new studies led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. The findings represent a major step forward
Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have identified how certain dangerous bacteria spread. They studied chain-like adherence pattern (CLAP) varieties of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), finding that single bacteria attach to a surface and elongate before
How can we predict the way a real material, such as a polymer, responds mechanically over timescales ranging from the ultrafast motion of atoms to the slow deformations measured in a laboratory? This is a deceptively difficult problem.
Our cells' membranes have many functions. They not only provide mechanical protection but also precisely control which substances enter or leave cells. If they fail to perform these tasks, disease can result. Their structure is correspondingly complex: The outer cell membrane,
Access to clean water depends not only on preventing pollution but also on being able to detect contaminants quickly and reliably. Among the pollutants of concern are metal ions such as mercury, lead and zinc, which can enter aquatic environments through industrial and other
Researchers at Stanford Medicine have developed two new artificial intelligence models of the biological cell. The first, called universal cell embedding, paved the way for a second-generation model called TranscriptFormer, which has been trained on data from 112 million cells
Laboratory animals are anesthetized to avoid pain during invasive procedures. Anesthesia is necessary for these animals' welfare, but it is not always without problems: Substandard anesthesia can cause suffering, distort experimental results and force researchers to repeat
After an injury, DNA not only changes its activity but also the way it is organized spatially within the cell nucleus. In this process, certain regions of DNA establish new physical contacts through chromatin loops that act as bridges, bringing together sequences that are far
Explosive volcanic eruptions can be as destructive as they are difficult to predict, launching pyroclasts—the fragments of magma and rock blasted from a volcano—into the air and surrounding areas. These particles can have wide-ranging impacts, as seen during this summer's
When forests burn, the direct consequences are obvious: houses go up in flames and habitats are destroyed. The damage caused by smoke extending far beyond the fire area is less visible. Sarah Meier, an environmental economist at ETH Zurich, investigated this in relation to
A team of researchers has found that a common wastewater pollutant turned male fathead minnows into worse fathers and fiercer rivals, revealing ecological impacts that laboratory studies missed.
The practice exploded in popularity following the Norman Conquest The post The Brutal Origins of Bear-Baiting appeared first on Nautilus .
DNA repair mechanisms are essential for maintaining the integrity of our genome. When they malfunction, they can cause disease or contribute to the development of cancer. Nature, however, offers remarkable examples of organisms that have evolved exceptional repair capabilities.
When a virus mutates, the world usually finds out the hard way. Variants of influenza and SARS-CoV-2 can slip past vaccines and antibody drugs before scientists fully understand what has changed. A new study from Harvard's Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology (CCB)
Eldercare, typically considered a family obligation, is evolving to adapt to demographic shifts that make reliance on spouses and children less assured.
A new study of nine nearby galaxies has shown that actively growing supermassive black holes may contribute to, rather than prevent, star formation in their host galaxies.
The trifluoromethyl group, or CF₃, is widely used in pharmaceuticals. When added to organic molecules, it can improve metabolic stability and membrane permeability, making it highly valuable in drug development. One useful way to introduce a CF₃ group is through the use of
Every year, tire and road wear release an estimated 6 million tons of rubber particles into the environment, some of which eventually reach agricultural land through the air, water runoff and fertilizers. Because dairy farms often operate near roads, rubber-related chemicals
In a discovery that challenges our understanding of dinosaur distribution during the Late Jurassic period, paleontologists have identified the first evidence of the iconic Diplodocus outside North America.
When people hear something new about a topic, they should update their beliefs to reflect the new information. But many people either underreact or overreact, with their responses varying based on different factors, including the environment. In "The Inference-Forecast Gap in
The position of biomineralization peptides within liposomes can influence how gold nanoparticles grow, reports a research team from the Institute of Science Tokyo. Peptides localized at the membrane interface promote branched structures, while those confined to the liposome
The reversal of a Biden-era cap on emissions from the plants could have devastating effects in efforts to stop climate change
The mystery of why our sister planet is alone The post Did Venus Eat its Own Moon? appeared first on Nautilus .
Methane emissions from the New York City metropolitan area are largely driven by natural gas use, according to a new study published today in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics by researchers at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, part of the Columbia Climate School. The
In taxonomy, the location where specimens used to formally describe a new species are collected is called a type locality. These sites can be thought of as the species' formal birthplace, much as the scientific article containing the original description constitutes its
Researchers at Uppsala University have analyzed the color pigments in a historical painting signed "L daVinci." Most of the pigments are consistent with materials used during the Renaissance, while a more recent pigment appears to be linked to later alterations. The study
Researchers at the Center for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Materials (CiQUS) at the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC) have developed a new strategy for producing covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with semiconducting properties without relying on
A Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) research team led by professors Taeyeon Kim and Doo-Hyun Ko of the Department of Chemistry recently published a comprehensive review titled "Carrier Dynamics in Nonfullerene Acceptor Organic Photovoltaics through Ultrafast Spectroscopy" in the
Floods, wildfires, conflicts, earthquakes, economic shocks, hurricanes or epidemics: These unexpected and often dramatic events affect people's lives and jobs, destroy crops, wipe out livestock and stored food, contaminate water, block roads, cut off communities and severely
Cocoa farmers in West Africa cannot stop intense downpours from damaging their crops. But they may be able to anticipate the risk and prepare, protecting both their livelihoods and their plants, the source of one of the world's most beloved foods.
A new 3D structure of a cancer-linked protein bound to its cellular partner reveals details of how the protein binds to chromosomes and could offer insights for future disease treatments. The protein—BRD4—plays a critical role in how cells read, copy and repair DNA and helps
A "mixing" phenomenon between plastic layers that had been predicted only in theory for 40 years has now been experimentally confirmed.
Microplastics are a modern environmental menace and a potential threat to human health. These tiny pieces of plastic, measuring from 1 to 5,000 micrometers, come mainly from larger plastics as well as sources such as paints and cosmetics. They are found in almost every corner
Before there was Earth, there was chemistry. In the unimaginable cold, dark clouds where stars and planets are born, carbon molecules assemble into more complex forms—starting a chemical journey that could eventually deliver some of life's basic ingredients to young planets.
Thanks to a graduate student who is a “lifelong Swiftie” The post Taylor Swift Drops New Insect Species appeared first on Nautilus .
A University of Newcastle-led global study has produced the most complete genetic picture yet of a salt-loving plant with the potential to help grow food in some of the world's harshest environments.
The pressure to be perfect may intensify for kids once they get into high school—especially for those labeled as "gifted," according to a new University of Georgia study published in Gifted Child Quarterly.
