Headlines

A new take on interpreting chemical bond analysis in solids

Researchers from Skoltech, SberUniversity, the M.N. Mikheev Institute of Metal Physics of UB RAS and Ural Federal University have published a review of a novel approach to interpreting chemical bonding in solids. The method not only describes crystals in terms of precise

Sitting up straight may improve your mood and decision-making

A simple change in posture may subtly affect how people feel and make decisions. Participants who sat upright reported greater feelings of pride and took more successful risks in a virtual balloon game than those who hunched over. Most did not realize researchers had influenced

Scientists discover the brain cells that keep you motivated

A group of brain cells called orexin neurons appears to help us keep working when reaching a reward becomes increasingly difficult. Blocking their activity weakened motivation in rats, pointing to a possible new target for understanding why people sometimes struggle to sustain

Venus's polygonal plains could point to a watery past

Venus may be overwhelmingly inhospitable today, but many planetary scientists believe that it wasn't always this way. Billions of years ago, some observational evidence suggested that our planetary neighbor may have looked far more like Earth, complete with oceans potentially

Drought-hardy ryegrass raises new weed management challenge

A study by La Trobe University researchers has found annual ryegrass, the most damaging weed in Australian grain systems, can adjust its growth and reproduction to survive under drought stress, making it potentially harder to manage as climate conditions become more variable.

A colossal magma system has been hiding beneath Tuscany

A massive magma reservoir has been detected deep beneath Tuscany, despite showing no obvious signs at the surface. Scientists mapped the roughly 6,000-cubic-kilometer body using natural ground vibrations recorded by dozens of seismic sensors. It poses no immediate danger, but

Did T. rex leave these 66-million-year-old bite marks?

Fossilized dinosaur bones from Wyoming are offering a rare glimpse into the feeding behavior of Tyrannosaurus rex. Researchers examined more than 3,000 bones dating back 72 to 66 million years and found just 12 with possible tooth traces, including four with patterns that

Metal-free process makes plant dyes more durable for textiles

Research in the International Journal of Materials and Product Technology describes a metal-free dye-fixing process that could help make natural plant dyes more practical for high-performance textiles, addressing a longstanding obstacle to their wider use in sustainable clothing.

Social influence can help tackle climate change

The power of social influence could be key to changing attitudes and behaviors around climate change, according to a new study by researchers at the Center for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST). The team examined the role of social influence in accelerating

How a unique environment sets Australian chocolate apart

University of Queensland research has shown microbes could give Australian-grown chocolate an edge in the global market. Working with growers in Far North Queensland, scientists found the cocoa fermentation process may have a bigger influence on the flavor of chocolate than the

Producing spider silk is a biological feat

"Spider-Man: Brand New Day" turns organic web production into a superpower. In the 2026 film, Tom Holland's character, Peter Parker, begins producing webbing inside his body and shooting it from his wrists, rather than firing synthetic web fluid from the wrist-mounted