Measurements of an argon isotope could help scientists understand whether the interiors of Uranus and Neptune, our solar system's so-called ice giants, are dominated by ice or rock. New research led by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and published in The Planetary Science
If you ask anyone to name a dinosaur, there's a good chance they'll say Tyrannosaurus rex, that fearsome prehistoric predator with its enormous jaws and razor-sharp teeth. But what about a lesser-known dinosaur such as Iguanodon or Plateosaurus? Probably not.
NASA’s Swift telescope has burned up, months after a robot sent to save it failed The post Here’s Why It’s So Hard to Boost a Satellite appeared first on Nautilus .
Catenanes are molecules in which two or more rings are mechanically interlocked like the links of a chain, without any chemical bonds between them. Since Jean-Pierre Sauvage, who later shared the 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, reported an efficient metal-templated synthesis in
The rate of sea-level rise is now more than 4 millimeters (0.16 inches) per year, having more than doubled since 1993–2002. Scientists estimate that this figure may go up to 10 millimeters (0.39 inches) per year in the near future. The inundation of coastlines and islands will
A new report suggests this year, carbon emissions may begin to trend downward for the first time. But it's important to take this with a grain of salt. While news reports have hailed this event, it will take years to confirm it wasn't just a blip caused by the U.S.–Iran war.
Plants continuously adapt to environmental changes, and temperature is a key signal for growth and flowering. How plant thermometers, or "thermosensors," work at the molecular level is not well understood.
A research team led by Kyushu University and the National Institute of Genetics has discovered that during the two-cell stage of mouse embryonic development, the embryo's nucleus softens and deforms. This nuclear softening is an integral part of major zygotic gene activation,
Findings from a study spanning the Americas show that climate change forecasts are underestimating threats to biodiversity—even to exceptionally resilient species—by not factoring in extreme weather events that become more likely in a warmer world.
A faint glow emitted by plants as they absorb sunlight could offer scientists a powerful new way to monitor photosynthesis across the planet. Fully realizing that potential, however, will require advances in both the general understanding of plant biology and the satellite
Researchers in Florida unearthed a “dark magic mushroom” that boasts a combination of hallucinogenic and poisonous traits.
Researchers have recently developed a gas sensor that can detect tiny amounts of dimethyl sulfide in human breath, even in the presence of interfering gases and high humidity. The study was carried out by researchers from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese
People living on the moon may seem like science fiction, but major U.S. labs and agencies are actively working toward building lunar habitats. Making those habitats livable will require solutions for extreme temperatures, limited resources and the handling of waste generated by
On May 12, 2023, the authorities ordered the evacuation of the village of Brienz/Brinzauls in the canton of Grisons, as a rapid slide of the slope above the village appeared imminent. However, it took its time. It was not until the night of June 15–16 that around 1.2 million
Long before pottery became commonplace in Southwest Asia, people living beside the Upper Tigris were experimenting with ways to turn clay into containers.
Energetic pathways that make and break complex molecules are critical to all life. It’s even possible that these self-sustaining cycles could have been key at life’s beginning. The post How a Metabolic Spark Could Have Jump-Started Life first appeared on Quanta Magazine
Something funny happened at work, and there is one person you really want to tell. You stare at their name in your contact list. You know that if you call, no one will answer. They're gone.
When it comes to colon health, the benefits of wheat and rye bran in whole-grain foods are well known. Now researchers in Sweden have shown how these fibers may have a therapeutic use, too. A new study published in the journal Biomacromolecules demonstrates the potential to use
With just a degree or two determining gator sex ratios The post The Temperamental Nature of Alligator Gender-Reveal Parties appeared first on Nautilus .
Smartwatches worn on millions of wrists today pack vastly more processing power than the computers that helped Apollo astronauts land on the moon. But the scientific drive to go tiny has come at a cost: It means heat, electricity and energy now have much less room to flow
Samples from the Bennu asteroid, which is currently more than 200 million miles (322 million kilometers) from Earth, and the Murchison meteorite, which fell to Earth in 1969, both contain molecules that build proteins necessary for life. New research has found that the
Researchers at the Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry (XTIPC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have developed a core-shell confined iron-based single-atom catalyst that combines high Fenton-like catalytic activity with structural stability, enabling
The same metal can have many faces, and each tells a different chemical story. At the atomic scale, those different faces can push the same reaction along very different paths.
A new study published in Nature Materials reports that researchers have developed an aluminum gallium nitride device that combines light detection, memory and basic processing by controlling charge at polarization interfaces. The device can detect light at the
For more than 50 years, engineers have described light in optical fiber using a convenient shortcut, one that works so well it is rarely questioned. Engineers at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits University) in Johannesburg, South Africa, have now shown that this
In a study published in Optics Communications, a research group led by Yu Tao from the Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics (CIOMP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences proposed a new analytical phase readout algorithm for deep frequency modulation
A new study found that energy drinks and stimulant supplements were linked to disproportionately frequent reports of serious heart problems, including 11 times more reports of cardiac arrest and 4.5 times more reports of heart attacks. Young adults accounted for nearly half of
A new tool that uses detailed satellite images to help unlock Australia's mineral wealth has been unveiled.
The find indicates that flight may have evolved multiple times The post This 150-Million-Year-Old Bird Had a Body Built for the Land appeared first on Nautilus .
A surprising study of more than 4,500 older adults found that people who were overweight or obese when diagnosed with dementia had a 16% to 27% lower risk of death than those at a normal weight. Researchers suspect that extra energy and muscle reserves may help patients survive
Scientists have discovered that the intricate patterns of hair follicles on mammals may arise from a remarkably simple process involving cells following chemical signals. The findings challenge a long-standing theory and reveal how nature can create complex biological patterns
Pictorial reading supports, such as icons, can help people with aphasia better comprehend the material and enjoy the reading process. But exactly what type of icon is most helpful?
The Antarctic ozone hole expanded to its seventh-largest size on record in 2026, driven by unusual weather conditions that pushed it close to its historic maximum. Scientists say international restrictions on ozone-destroying chemicals prevented even greater damage, and Earth's
The company’s appointed team of experts has verified and released the groundbreaking AI-generated proof, which validates bedrock assumptions of the Standard Model of particle physics
Rip currents remain one of Australia's deadliest beach hazards, contributing to 47% of the 66 beach drowning deaths recorded in the 2025 National Drowning Report.
Ancient manuscripts, including the 1,000-year-old York Gospels, have revealed traces of a deadly sheep virus whose history stretches back more than 3,700 years. Scientists discovered that the virus has remained remarkably unchanged for millennia, turning historic parchment into
Around 1,800 years ago, over 9,000 bones, mainly from frogs, ended up in an Iron Age/Roman gully near Cambridge. When archaeologists first dug them up, speculation soon followed. Were these the remains of a Roman frog feast or perhaps the skeletal aftermath of a ritual?
New research from Murdoch University has revealed that Carnaby's cockatoos depend on small, fragmented patches of native vegetation to survive in heavily cleared landscapes—a finding that could play an important role in protecting the endangered species.
Physicist Stefano Martiniani uses a computer algorithm to design new materials that could help advance light-based computers.
A national system that defines where things are across the country will get a complete overhaul
The astonishing strength of this El Niño could mean we surpass an important climate threshold—possibly for good
India's air pollution monitors were overwhelmed this week by toxic smog so severe that concentrations exceeded their upper measurement limit, equivalent to 66 times the World Health Organization's recommended daily maximum, regulators said.
Drug companies maintain large libraries of chemical compounds that can be screened for potential use in the development of new pharmaceuticals. One class of these compounds, sulfonamides, is used in antibiotics and in drugs to treat type 2 diabetes, hypertension and
Sea lions, marine mammals belonging to the eared seal family, have to dive to search for food and other resources. Between dives, however, they return to the surface to breathe and recover.
One of the strongest El Niños ever recorded is pushing the climate into uncharted territory
Colombian farmer Albert Montano razes a beautiful thorny shrub, fearful that its yellow flowers will fuel potent wildfires expected during the El Niño weather pattern.
A bizarrely deformed 1834 British silver coin found at a car boot sale may preserve evidence of a rare minting accident nearly 200 years ago. Advanced 3D scans and microscopic analysis revealed unusual metal distortions suggesting the coin was crushed under extreme pressure,
A new study quantifies, for the first time, the interrelationships and competing objectives of two major areas of action for reducing greenhouse gas emissions: the phaseout of fossil fuels and measures taken on natural land, such as farmland, forests and wetlands. It
In the extreme depths of the Pacific Ocean, there are small, metal-bearing formations that are far more than just valuable sources of raw materials. A new study published in the journal Scientific Reports shows that polymetallic nodules serve as specialized habitats for tiny
A remarkable discovery in a South African cave suggests that an extinct human relative may have created an all-female burial site more than 240,000 years ago. Scientists analyzed ancient proteins preserved in Homo naledi teeth and found no male-specific markers among at least