Microplastics have been found to interact with the gut microbiome. Here's what health effects they might have
Through the air we breathe and the food we eat, we can't help but inhale and ingest tiny bits of plastic every day.
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AI-enhanced microscopy produces crisp, real-time video inside live cells
Using artificial intelligence, engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a new way to watch the inner workings of living cells in real time. The process both captures images that are twice as sharp as conventional microscopes and is fast enough to play
Two blazing quasars caught waltzing into a merger
Astronomers, using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), have confirmed the existence of a close quasar pair housed in a pair of merging galaxies seen when the universe was less than a billion years old, at a redshift of 5.7. The system, designated
Universal patterns emerge across 22 languages, mapping how vocabularies evolve
Human languages are known to have grown and changed considerably over the course of history, often reflecting technological, cultural, and societal shifts. Studying the evolution of languages can thus offer valuable insight into how human societies and cultures have transformed
How emoji use at work can determine how competent your colleagues think you are
You've typed it, deleted it and typed it again. You need to let your colleague know there's a problem with a project at work. Should you use a grinning face—😄—in that Slack message to soften the blow, or an angry face—😠—to show your distress?
Extreme stability in ultrafast nanomagnetism aids the development of faster data storage
For the first time, researchers have mapped how the boundaries of magnetic nanostructures behave on extremely short timescales. The work of physicist Johan Mentink of Radboud University shows that these boundaries are much more stable than previously thought. This insight will
The threat of light pollution puts the world's darkest skies in the Atacama Desert at risk
It takes a moment for the eyes to adjust. A faint spark appears in the darkness; then another, brighter one. Soon, stars, planets and entire constellations emerge. Before long, a whole galaxy stretches across the sky, visible to the naked eye.
This new tool makes AI's role in student writing visible
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed college writing. As paper drafts are increasingly co-written with AI, professors are left wondering not whether students are using AI, but how. A 2025 AI in Education trend report found that 90% of college students use AI
Ammonia as a clean fuel: 'Do not create a new nitrogen problem,' says researcher
Ammonia has been feeding the world for decades as a fertilizer and is now rapidly emerging as a carbon-free fuel for shipping and industry. But if we focus only on CO₂ emissions, we risk creating new nitrogen problems, warns nitrogen expert Jan Willem Erisman in an article
Panama’s ocean lifeline vanishes for the first time in 40 years
For decades, the Gulf of Panama has relied on strong seasonal winds to trigger upwelling, bringing cool, nutrient-packed water to the surface. But in 2025, this dependable event didn’t happen. Researchers point to unusually weak winds as the likely culprit, reducing ocean
Deep under Antarctic ice, a long-predicted cosmic whisper finally breaks through in 13 strange bursts
A detector buried deep in Antarctic ice has captured the first experimental evidence of a predicted but never-before-seen phenomenon: radio pulses generated when high-energy cosmic rays slam into the ice sheet and trigger particle cascades inside it. Through results published
Mezcal worm in a bottle DNA test reveals a surprise
The famous mezcal “worm” has long puzzled scientists, but DNA testing has finally cracked the case. Researchers found that all sampled larvae were actually agave redworm moth caterpillars—not a mix of species as once believed. While the discovery clears up a long-standing
Reading shortcuts for children may be popular, but the research doesn't back them up
This year marks the UK's National Year of Reading, which aims to rebuild good reading habits and enjoyment as child and adolescent reading declines year on year.
Can warning videos blunt misinformation? What a 12-country test found
The internet and social media platforms have given rise to a rising wave of misinformation, with many users now posting fake news, AI-generated photos or videos and other types of misleading content online. Over the past few years, this rise in misinformation has become a
Why did Clovis toolmakers choose difficult quartz crystal? New study offers clues
Quartz crystals are difficult to knap due to size, hardness, and crystalline structure, making them a "low-quality" raw material. However, the Clovis people of North America sometimes made points and other tools from this material despite its drawbacks. To determine whether the
Paris has successfully cut noise pollution, but urban birds still can't sing at their natural pitch
When Rachel Carson wrote the environmental classic "Silent Spring" in 1962, she warned that unchecked human impacts might create a silent future.
‘Staggering’ number of people believe unproven claims about vaccines, raw milk and more
Survey results suggest a rise in questioning of scientific evidence
Blood vessels found in T. rex bones are rewriting dinosaur science
Dinosaur DNA may still be out of reach, but scientists are uncovering something almost as exciting—ancient blood vessels hidden inside fossilized bones. In a massive Tyrannosaurus rex nicknamed Scotty, researchers discovered a network of preserved vessels within a rib that once
DNA research just rewrote the origin of human species
Scientists have uncovered a surprising new picture of human origins that challenges the long-held idea of a single ancestral population in Africa. By analyzing genetic data from diverse modern African groups—especially the highly distinct Nama people—and comparing it with
Fish oil may be hurting your brain, new study finds
Fish oil has long been praised as brain-boosting, but new research suggests the story may be more complicated. Scientists found that in people with repeated mild head injuries, a key omega-3 fatty acid in fish oil—EPA—may actually interfere with the brain’s ability to repair
Graphene kills harmful bacteria “superbugs” but spares human cells
Scientists have uncovered how graphene oxide pulls off a remarkable trick: it hunts down and destroys harmful bacteria while leaving human cells completely unharmed. By targeting a molecule found only in bacterial membranes, this ultra-thin carbon-based material acts with
Warming waters are supercharging an invasive salmon predator in Alaska
As Alaska’s rivers warm, invasive northern pike are becoming noticeably more voracious. Scientists discovered that pike of all ages are eating more fish, with young pike increasing consumption by over 60%. Warmer water speeds up their metabolism, pushing them to hunt more. This
Aggressive “hulk” lizards are wiping out millions of years of evolution
For ages, wall lizards coexisted in three distinct color types, each with its own strategy for survival. Now, a powerful green variant is taking over. These dominant “Hulk” lizards are outcompeting the others, causing yellow and orange morphs to vanish. It’s a dramatic reminder
Bonuses can lower self-set goals and reduce performance, experiment suggests
Financial bonuses are often used to motivate employees to meet targets and boost productivity. But do they actually work? New research from Tilburg University suggests these incentives can sometimes have the opposite effect. Employees who set their own goals often perform
Microfluidic device tracks cell 'squishiness' faster and more reliably than standard methods
Researchers from Brown University and their collaborators have developed a new way to measure the properties of cells—an important development, they say, because accurate measurements of changes in cell elasticity can be used to better understand diseases, diagnose patient
Australian farmers are battling another potential mouse plague—what is causing it?
Got a mouse in your house? That thought alone may terrify you. Now imagine if mice were scampering through your house, rummaging in your pantry or even running across your face at night.
Forty years on from the disaster, why there are foxes, bears and bison again around Chernobyl
In the novel "When There Are Wolves Again" by E.J. Swift, the Chernobyl disaster and its legacy is extrapolated to a near future where natural habitats are depleted and precarious.
Fluorescent probe lights up centrioles and cilia in living cells across species
Scientists at EPFL have developed CenSpark, a fluorescent probe that makes centrioles and cilia visible inside living cells, helping researchers study cell division, development, and immunity like never before.
More shearwaters are washing up dead on Australian beaches. It's not due to 'natural' causes
You might know the short-tailed shearwater and sable shearwater by the common name "muttonbirds." These two species of seabird breed on islands off southeastern Australia. Both undertake a breathtaking two-week, non-stop flight across the Pacific to the Bering Sea, more than
