Hotspots and patterns behind deliberately lit fires in Western Australia identified
As the next wave of hot days approach, researchers from Murdoch University are urging people living near bushland to be extra vigilant about preparing for arson.
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Saltwater crocodiles traveled thousands of miles across the Indian Ocean, genetic study suggests
Accounts from early expeditions to the Seychelles more than 250 years ago described crocodiles as common along the coasts of the archipelago. But after the first settlers established a permanent presence in 1770, the Seychelles crocodiles were completely wiped out within 50
Rocket or arugula? How a salad vegetable mapped the Italian diaspora
If you watch American cooking shows, you've likely experienced "salad confusion." You see a chef preparing what looks like rocket, but they call it arugula. It's the same plant (Eruca sativa). It has the same peppery bite. So why do English speakers use two completely different
Land use acts as a 'silent amplifier' of extreme heat, AI-driven study reveals
A new study using Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) has revealed land-use change—particularly deforestation and unplanned agricultural expansion—is dramatically intensifying heat waves across Africa, with findings that carry direct implications for Australia's warm
Ultrathin kagome metal hosts robust 3D flat electronic band state
A team of researchers at Monash University has uncovered a powerful new way to engineer exotic quantum states, revealing a robust and tunable three-dimensional flat electronic band in an ultrathin kagome metal, an achievement long thought to be nearly impossible. The study, "3D
Too many students drop out of A-levels—here's how to help them pick a course they'll stick with
You can probably remember at least one education choice you regret. You don't have to be lazy or naive to pick the wrong subject, just lacking in information about what you will actually have to study on the course.
South Africa's floods turned deadly because Limpopo wasn't prepared—how to prevent a repeat
Limpopo, in northern South Africa, home to 6.6 million people, several large mines and the Kruger National Park (one of Africa's largest game reserves), experienced unusually severe floods in mid-January 2026. Rural villages remained cut off from the world following the
AI bosses are creating a new problem for gig workers
For millions of gig workers driving for companies such as Uber Eats, DoorDash and Deliveroo, there is no human manager to call, no supervisor to appeal to and no office to walk into. Decisions about pay, performance, penalties and access to work are made by algorithms.
The Rubin Observatory will rapidly detect more supernovae
In our galaxy, a supernova explodes about once or twice each century. But historical astronomical records show that the last Milky Way core-collapse supernova seen by humans was about 1,000 years ago. That means we've missed a few. But with the Vera Rubin Observatory poised to
Deep-sea fishing could undermine valuable tuna fisheries
A new study led by scientists at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), along with international partners, finds that proposed commercial fishing in the deep ocean could have serious consequences for bigeye tuna, one of the world's most valuable and widely consumed fish.
The infant universe's 'primordial soup' was actually soupy, study finds
In its first moments, the infant universe was a trillion-degree-hot soup of quarks and gluons. These elementary particles zinged around at light speed, creating a "quark-gluon plasma" that lasted for only a few millionths of a second. The primordial goo then quickly cooled, and
How dangling moss saves blue manakin eggs from hungry birds
If something exists in nature, there is most likely a very good reason for it. While there are exceptions, many features "selected" by evolution serve a purpose. Take the blue manakin, a small bird commonly found in southeastern Brazil. Like many birds, it builds nests that
The hidden reason cancer immunotherapy often fails
Cancer immunotherapy has been a game-changer, but many tumors still find ways to slip past the immune system. New research reveals a hidden trick: cancer cells can package the immune-blocking protein PD-L1 into tiny particles that circulate through the body and weaken
Intermittent black hole jets are like a 'cosmic volcano'
When astronomers look out into the cosmos, they see supermassive black holes (SMBH) in two different states. In one state, they're dormant. They're actively accreting only a tiny amount of matter and emit only faint, weak radiation. In the other, they're more actively accreting
What the new nutrition guidelines get wrong about fat
New U.S. dietary guidelines promote eating full-fat foods and meats. But experts say nuts and seed oils are better sources of the two crucial fats we need.
Why long COVID brain fog seems so much worse in the U.S.
A massive international study of more than 3,100 long COVID patients uncovered a striking divide in how brain-related symptoms are reported around the world. In the U.S., the vast majority of non-hospitalized patients described brain fog, depression, and anxiety, while far
NASA testing advances space nuclear propulsion capabilities
Nuclear propulsion and power technologies could unlock new frontiers in missions to the moon, Mars, and beyond. NASA has reached an important milestone advancing nuclear propulsion that could benefit future deep space missions by completing a cold-flow test campaign of the
443-million-year-old fossils reveal early vertebrate eyes
Scientists analyzing 443-million-year-old Scottish fossils have uncovered the early evidence that some of the first groups of vertebrates possessed surprisingly advanced eyes and traces of bone, reshaping our understanding of how the vertebrate body first evolved.
Study calls for action to combat online abuse of sportswomen
Stronger policies and accountability measures to safeguard women athletes online are being called for, as part of a new study on the issue focusing on the case of former footballer Joey Barton. A team from the universities of Manchester, Chester, Hull, Durham and Loughborough
Atlantic nurse sharks show faster growth patterns in Biscayne Bay than nearby Bimini, Bahamas
A new study from the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science shows that juvenile Atlantic nurse sharks (Ginglymostoma cirratum) grow more rapidly as juveniles and reach smaller maximum sizes than nurse sharks in Bimini, Bahamas—locations
Probing the jet base of M87's supermassive black hole
Some galaxies eject powerful streams of charged particles—jets—from their centers into space. The prominent jet of Messier 87 (M87) in the constellation Virgo is visible over distances of 3,000 light-years and can be observed over the full electromagnetic spectrum. It is
Multiwavelength monitoring reveals distant blazar OP 313's behavior
An international team of astronomers has analyzed the data from long-term multiwavelength monitoring of a distant blazar known as OP 313. Results of the new study, published January 18 on the arXiv preprint server, shed more light on the peculiar behavior of this object.
Multiwavelength analysis finds no radio pulsations from accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar
Using various space telescopes and ground-based facilities, astronomers have performed X-ray and radio observations of an accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar known as MAXI J1957+032. Results of the observational campaign, published on the arXiv preprint server and forthcoming
The first direct observation of a liquid charge density wave
Charge density waves (CDWs) are ordered, crystal-like patterns in the arrangement of electrons that spontaneously form inside some solid materials. These patterns can change how electricity flows through materials, in some cases prompting the emergence of superconductivity or
Ann Druyan on How NASA’s Golden Records Got Made
A comic about humanity’s love letter to interstellar space The post Ann Druyan on How NASA’s Golden Records Got Made appeared first on Nautilus .
A few extra dollars may go a long way for survey researchers, study shows
Survey research is an important tool for capturing public opinion. Social scientists, market researchers, policymakers and more rely on surveys to capture the big picture of the public's perception. But the data gleaned from a survey largely depends on its response rate, and
The fat you can’t see could be shrinking your brain
Where your body stores fat may matter just as much as how much you carry—especially for your brain. Using advanced MRI scans and data from nearly 26,000 people, researchers identified two surprising fat patterns tied to faster brain aging, cognitive decline, and higher
Jurassic amphibian with a projectile tongue named as a new species
A new species of amphibian that lived 150 million years ago has been discovered in Portugal. The tiny animal was one of the earliest species belonging to a mysterious group of amphibians that lived from the time of the dinosaurs right up until the last Ice Age.
Warming may increase mangrove methane emissions—but these forests remain powerful carbon sinks
Mangrove forests play an important role in the global carbon cycle, particularly within the marine carbon system. Growing along tropical and subtropical coastlines, these salt-tolerant trees are among nature's most efficient "blue carbon" sinks, capturing and burying vast
Health advocates sound alarm as EPA works to loosen pollution standard
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's effort to roll back federal particulate matter pollution standards will harm Michigan residents, particularly those who live near emitters such as manufacturing plants and refineries in Wayne County, health and environmental advocates
We're getting closer to growing a brain in a lab dish
Clumps of cells known as organoids are helping us to understand the brain, and the latest version comes equipped with realistic blood vessels to help the organoids live longer
The surprising science behind how certain foods can make you smell more attractive
Beneath fancy perfumes and deodorants, our food choices may be quietly shaping our natural scent in unexpected ways
Brazil declares acai a national fruit to ward off 'biopiracy'
Brazil has declared the acai berry a national fruit, a move to stamp its ownership on the popular "superfood" as concerns grow about foreign companies staking claims to the Amazon's biological riches.
Backlash as Australia kills dingoes after backpacker death
Australian authorities have sparked a backlash by killing a group of dingoes linked to the death of a young Canadian woman on an island in the country's east.
Thailand uses contraceptive vaccine to limit wild elephant births
Thailand has given a contraceptive vaccine to wild elephants for the first time in an effort to control their ballooning population, a conservation official said on Wednesday.
Russian volcano puts on display in latest eruption
A volcano in Russia's far east on Wednesday spewed ash several kilometers into the sky, authorities said, putting on a spectacular display in its latest eruption.
Most complex time crystal yet has been made inside a quantum computer
Using a superconducting quantum computer, physicists created a large and complex version of an odd quantum material that has a repeating structure in time
Tea can improve your health and longevity, but how you drink it matters
Drinking tea, particularly green tea, is linked to better heart health, improved metabolism, and lower risks of chronic diseases like diabetes and cancer. It may also help protect the brain and preserve muscle strength as people age. However, processed teas—such as bottled and
CERN chief upbeat on funding for new particle collider
Mark Thomson, the new head of Europe's physics laboratory CERN, voiced confidence Tuesday about raising the billions of dollars needed to build by far the world's biggest particle accelerator.
Video shows flames flying from NASA plane that touched down without landing gear
A NASA research plane malfunctioned and had to touch down in Texas without landing gear on Tuesday, sliding across the runway on its belly and sending plumes of flame behind it, a video posted to social media showed.
Mountain lion roams posh San Francisco neighborhood before being captured
A 77-pound mountain lion set off a scramble Tuesday as it wandered through San Francisco's wealthy Pacific Heights neighborhood before finally being captured as onlookers safely peered from their home windows or stood across the street.
AI that talks to itself learns faster and smarter
AI may learn better when it’s allowed to talk to itself. Researchers showed that internal “mumbling,” combined with short-term memory, helps AI adapt to new tasks, switch goals, and handle complex challenges more easily. This approach boosts learning efficiency while using far
How native and non-native plants affect endangered plant species in cities
Research in the Journal of Applied Ecology has identified threats to endangered plants in an urban area, generating information that can be used to guide effective conservation strategies across major cities. Investigators in Germany analyzed data on 1,231 populations of 201
A sudden signal flare reveals the hidden partner behind fast radio bursts
A repeating fast radio burst has just given up one of its biggest secrets. Long-term observations revealed a rare signal flare caused by plasma likely ejected from a nearby companion star. This shows the burst source isn’t alone, but part of a binary system. The finding
Radio waves revealed what happened before a star exploded
For the first time, astronomers have captured radio signals from a rare exploding star, exposing what happened in the years leading up to its death. The radio waves reveal that the star violently shed huge amounts of material shortly before it exploded, likely due to
This spider’s “pearl necklace” was living parasites
What looked like a pearl necklace on a tiny spider turned out to be parasitic mite larvae. Scientists identified the mites as a new species, marking the first record of its family in Brazil. The larvae attach to juvenile spiders and feed on lymph through a weak spot in the
Donkeys are a common sight in northern Namibia. What colonial history has to do with it
Donkeys are an unassuming yet ubiquitous presence in northern Namibia. They traverse sandy village roads, pull carts stacked with firewood, and graze freely along the northern edge of Etosha National Park.
New review finds wild blueberries support heart and gut health
A sweeping scientific review highlights wild blueberries as a standout food for cardiometabolic health. The strongest evidence shows improvements in blood vessel function, with encouraging signs for blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, gut health, and cognition.
A common parasite in the brain is far more active than we thought
A common parasite long thought to lie dormant is actually much more active and complex. Researchers found that Toxoplasma gondii cysts contain multiple parasite subtypes, not just one sleeping form. Some are primed to reactivate and cause disease, which helps explain why
Climate change made Australian heat wave 5 times more likely
Human-induced climate change made the intense early January heat wave in Australia five times more likely, according to a new analysis by World Weather Attribution.
