How a teen’s AI model could help stop poaching in rainforests
A 17-year-old’s breakthrough AI may finally give wildlife rangers the real-time edge they need to stop poachers
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Scientists compared dinosaurs to mammals for decades but missed this key difference
Baby dinosaurs weren’t coddled like lion cubs or elephant calves—they were more like prehistoric latchkey kids. New research suggests that young dinosaurs quickly struck out on their own, forming kid-only groups and surviving without much parental help, while their massive
New engine uses the freezing cold of space to generate power at night
Engineers at UC Davis have built a remarkable device that creates power at night by tapping into something we rarely think about: the vast cold of outer space. Using a special type of Stirling engine, the system links the warmth of the ground to the freezing depths above us,
We all harbour 9 secrets and they are eating us up inside
Secret-keeping evolved to maintain social harmony, but it can weigh heavily on us when we can’t stop thinking about them. So, what is the best way to deal with things that we don't want anyone else to know?
Could a niche 80s technology be the key to better quantum computers?
Superconducting computing circuits were briefly heralded as the future of computing in the 1980s. Columnist Karmela Padavic-Callaghan visits a quantum chip foundry where one company is betting this technology’s second act will revolutionise quantum computers
Fossil amber reveals the secret lives of Cretaceous ants
Tiny insects trapped in amber could tell us a great deal about their roles in past ecosystems: pollinators, parasites, predators, and prey. But how many of the insects preserved alongside each other reflect interactions during life, and how many are just unlucky coincidences?
Green hydrogen has a hidden problem and scientists may have fixed it
Green hydrogen could be a game-changer for the clean energy transition—but right now, it’s too expensive and still relies on harmful “forever chemicals.” A new EU-backed project called SUPREME aims to fix that by reinventing how hydrogen is made. Led by the University of
Study of 40,000 cases links Somalia migration mainly to water scarcity
A study published in Nature Food by researchers from the Politecnico di Milano and the University of California at Berkeley provides forward-thinking answers to the debate on the role of environmental stresses on migration processes. The analysis, conducted on a dataset of
Using high-energy sparks to degrade pollutants without generating waste
A study published in the Chemical Engineering Journal proposes a new approach to environmental remediation of pharmaceutical pollutants in water flows. This approach is based on a phenomenon known as "sparks," which refers to the sparks that appear on the surface of a metal
Green turtle nests may bury 'plastic rocks' and endanger the species
Even the most remote regions of the globe are not free from plastic pollution. In a study published in Marine Pollution Bulletin, researchers from São Paulo State University (UNESP) in Brazil have detected plastic rocks on Trindade Island, the easternmost point of South America.
Carbon-based catalyst can use sunlight to degrade PFAS
An international team of scientists led by the University of Bath has developed a new catalyst—a substance that speeds up chemical reactions—that uses sunlight to break down so-called "forever chemicals" prevalent in the environment and known to accumulate in the human body
New technique spots hidden defects to boost reliability of ultrathin electronics
Future devices will continue to probe the frontier of the very small, and at scales where functionality depends on mere atoms, even the tiniest flaw matters. Researchers at Rice University have shown that hard-to-spot defects in a widely used two-dimensional insulator can trap
Mitochondria can reshape lipid storage in cells by repurposing a protein-insertion complex
A recent study by the University of Bonn and University Hospital Bonn and the University of Freiburg shows that the mitochondria appear to be able to influence the number of lipid droplets in the cell using a mechanism that is actually intended for a completely different
Stem cell patch reverses brain damage in fetuses with spina bifida
The congenital condition spina bifida is often treated surgically in the womb, but many children still go on to have mobility issues. The addition of a patch made up of stem cells from donated placentas could improve their long-term outcomes
Undergrads expand the chemical toolbox for cancer drugs
Thanks to modern therapies, a cancer diagnosis is no longer an automatic death sentence. But many patients still suffer from unwanted side effects and limited efficacy. In a recent Bioconjugate Chemistry publication, William & Mary researchers have designed an antibody-drug
Neanderthal males, human females? How ancient attraction shaped the human genome
The human genome is a rich, complex record of migration, encounters, and inheritance written over thousands of millennia. Genomic research by members of Sarah Tishkoff's lab at the University of Pennsylvania are revisiting a particularly intimate chapter, suggesting that
Matching vibrations is all it takes to shut down superconductivity in a nearby crystal
The world is never really at rest. Even in a vacuum near ultracold temperatures where all classical motion should come to a halt, you'll find quantum fluctuations. In thin, two-dimensional materials, these include random vibrations that can alter electromagnetic fields, a
Exceptionally preserved 551-million-year-old site suggests Avalon biota lasted longer
Researchers studying the soft-bodied Ediacaran biotas of the world generally accept that there are three distinct assemblages. The 575–560-million-year-old (Ma) Avalon Assemblage is best known from the Ediacaran of Newfoundland, Canada, characterized by the weird and wonderful
Do These Centenarians Hold the Key to Long Life in Their Blood?
New research identifies key proteins linked to longevity The post Do These Centenarians Hold the Key to Long Life in Their Blood? appeared first on Nautilus .
Grasslands are vanishing nearly four times faster than forests, global study finds
Along with forests, grasslands and wetlands are also being converted to cropland and pasture at an increasing rate around the world—often for livestock farming and the export of agricultural products. An international team of researchers, including Martin Persson from Chalmers,
What does it mean to compute? Framework maps hidden computations running inside natural dynamic systems
Some computers are easy to spot. Artificial, human-built computers like those found in smartphones and laptops are abstract dynamic systems with observable computational elements like input, output, energy cost, and logical processes. Other computers aren't so readily recognized.
Tracking wildlife trafficking in the age of online marketplaces
Wildlife trafficking is one of the world's most widespread illegal trades, contributing to biodiversity loss, organized crime, and public health risks. Once concentrated in physical markets, much of this activity has moved online. Today, animals and animal products are
Smart materials and drug delivery could exploit lipid molecules that reorganize at drying interfaces
Minor changes in moisture level can promote lipid molecules to reorganize themselves in biomaterial or biomembranes. This can affect how the skin, lungs and tear film protect us from dehydration. This new discovery from Lund University in Sweden could be the inspiration for
A cosmic explosion with the force of a billion suns went unseen—until we caught its echo
Some of the universe's most extreme explosions leave behind almost no trace. The original explosion is unseen, but our observations can capture the long-lived echo it leaves behind as the shock front plows into its surrounding environment. In new research accepted for
Head-to-head trial shows Eli Lilly’s oral GLP-1 orforglipron outperforms oral semaglutide
A new trial found that Eli Lilly’s GLP-1 pill resulted in greater reductions in blood sugar levels and weight than oral semaglutide did, but fewer people stayed on it
Single-celled organism becomes multicellular via three different pathways
Some single-celled organisms are known to transition to multicellularity during their lifetimes, usually either by cloning themselves or when many similar cells come together to form a larger multicellular organism. A new study published in Nature suggests that a combination of
Turning over a new leaf in analyses of natural products
Scientists have developed a new way to help understand what happens in the body when people consume a plant product and the many chemicals it contains. The Journal of Natural Products published the method to quickly analyze the effects of a natural product, developed at Emory
Scientists lay out what we do and don't yet know about moths and butterflies
Should you ever find yourself playing a trivia game on the topic of moths and butterflies, here are a few facts that might help. Collectively called Lepidoptera, moths and butterflies account for nearly 10% of all animal species.
The Vibes Have Been Off in the US for Decades
New survey analysis reveals a sense of national deterioration The post The Vibes Have Been Off in the US for Decades appeared first on Nautilus .
Tackling the global tuberculosis crisis: An emerging class of antibiotics offers hope
Researchers from the University of Sydney and the Centenary Institute have discovered how a promising class of experimental antibiotics disrupts the bacterium that causes tuberculosis (TB), paving the way for urgently needed new treatments.
Laser technique can quickly check mRNA packaging in lipid nanoparticles
Messenger RNA (mRNA) technology is transforming medicine by providing our cells with genetic instructions to produce proteins that help the immune system prevent or fight a wide range of diseases, including cancer and other rare disorders. Before the molecule can help fight
How much would you pay for climate-friendly bread?
In the search for climate-friendly foods, scientists have spent decades reimagining what grows in the field. But a quieter question has lingered in the background: Will anyone actually want to eat it? A new study in the journal Agricultural Economics has applied this question
How RNA binding selectivity arises from disordered regions
RIKEN researchers have discovered how an enzyme modifies gene expression by targeting certain stretches of messenger RNA (mRNA) while leaving others alone. This finding could contribute to the rational design of drugs that tweak the enzyme's activity. The paper is published in
The Birth of Light
Long since flared out, echoes from the universe’s very first stars could be reaching us today The post The Birth of Light appeared first on Nautilus .
Getting closer to the stars: Fink, a French tool for tracking transient phenomena across the observable universe
Thanks to Fink, a software package created by two CNRS engineers, it is now possible to track millions of transient celestial phenomena observed in the sky by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, in real time and with unprecedented precision. Minutes after each image is
An acoustic telemetry network reveals the connectivity of the gilthead seabream in the Mediterranean
The gilthead seabream, a species of commercial interest that migrates seasonally, does not form independent local populations in the northwestern Mediterranean but instead constitutes a single, functionally connected population on a large scale. Individuals spend the summer
Nanochannel method makes ion membranes twice as strong for clean energy
Researchers have found a way to fabricate film-thin membranes imbued with super strength that could extend the durability of decarbonization technologies. Chemical engineers at The University of Queensland are harnessing an intricate building technique to produce the hyper-thin
Shark deterrents found to reduce fisheries loss
In a world-first discovery, researchers have found an electrical shark deterrent used at Cocos (Keeling) Islands was effective at reducing the number of fish taken off fishing hooks by sharks—a process known as depredation. The study, led by The University of Western
Male Neanderthals and female humans likely interbred more often than the other way around
Interbreeding between Neanderthals and ancient anatomically modern humans primarily occurred between male Neanderthals and female humans, a new study suggests
Atomic precision unlocks smarter oxygen reduction catalysts
Tiny changes at the atomic scale can determine the future of clean energy. In a new study, Tohoku University researchers have revealed how the precise coordination environment surrounding a single cobalt atom dramatically influences its catalytic behavior in the oxygen
It's never too late to learn a language: Adults and kids bring different strengths to the task
There's a common assumption that if someone starts learning a language when they are very young, they will quickly become fluent. Many people also assume that it will become much harder to learn a language if they start later in life.
Improved short-term sea level change predictions achieved with better AI training
Sea level can temporarily change for a variety of reasons—atmospheric pressure shifts and water accumulation from wind and storms, for example—which can cause flooding in coastal communities and affect maritime industry operations. The key to mitigating the effects of
When we interbred with Neanderthals, they were usually the fathers
Genetic evidence hints that there was a strong bias for male Neanderthals and female humans to mate, rather than any other combination
Birds achieve sweet success: What adaptations to high-sugar diets reveal about metabolism
Anyone who has seen a hummingbird poking her beak deep into a trumpet creeper blossom, or a honeyeater using its brush-tipped tongue to extract nectar from eucalyptus flowers, has witnessed something that, from a human perspective, is rather remarkable. Although many bird
Hotspots of accelerated North American bird decline linked to agricultural activity
Though previous research has shown that bird populations are declining across North America, a new study is the first to show that the pace of loss has picked up speed since the mid-1980s in three regions: the Midwest, California and Mid-Atlantic states. The work appears in
Rice gene discovery could cut fertilizer use while protecting yields
Researchers from the University of Oxford, Nanjing Agricultural University, and Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology (Chinese Academy of Sciences) have finally identified the master regulator in plants that balances root and shoot growth when nutrients are limited.
How Horses Make Two Sounds at Once
And what that says about their prowess as communicators The post How Horses Make Two Sounds at Once appeared first on Nautilus .
Here’s how honeyeaters and other birds thrive on sugary diets
Birds that feed on nectar or fruit evolved better mechanisms for managing metabolism, blood pressure and high glucose.
Department of Homeland Security detains Columbia student identified as neuroscience researcher
Federal officers entered Columbia University property and detained a student on Thursday, university officials said
Dogs are more like toddlers than cats when it comes to helping humans
Why does your dog rush to "help" when you are searching for something, while your cat seems… eh, less concerned? New research suggests that this difference may stem from deep evolutionary roots—and that, in certain situations, dogs behave more similarly to young children than
