The American academic research engine has long been the envy of the world. Generally well-funded, labs in the United States have been able to attract the best minds who generate breakthroughs and train the next generation workforce that powers the U.S. economy. But since the
Why do some organizations survive across the centuries while others founder when faced with technological disruption? A new study by the University of Zurich shows that historically developed monastic forms of co-determination can be a significant advantage for dealing with
Most students use AI—but their attitudes toward it are ambivalent. On the one hand, they see it as helpful for working more efficiently, broadening their knowledge, and overcoming writing difficulties. On the other, they worry about becoming overly dependent on it and losing
RNA is the means of translating the genetic code embedded in DNA into proteins, which serve as enzymes, transporters, signaling molecules, receptors, structural components, regulators, and gene-expression controllers, among many other roles. Yet one gene is not limited to
Five different groups of predatory dinosaurs independently evolved disproportionately small arms, and it seems they did so because their heads became so large and powerful
The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season starts June 1, and while a developing El Niño might result in a tamer season than in the past few years, all it takes is one big storm hitting a populated area to make it a bad hurricane season.
Some birds sing to attract a mate. Others dance or display colorful feathers. But in the moonlit forests and shrublands of northern Argentina, one bird courts romance by snapping its wrists together, producing a sharp clapping sound scientists have puzzled over for decades.
Researchers at Bar-Ilan University have successfully restored youthful patterns of DNA organization in the livers of old mice, reversing key molecular features associated with aging. The study, published in Nature Communications, identifies the protein SIRT6 as a powerful
A recent study published in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences has uncovered a detailed mechanism through which intense storms over the Himalayas contribute to increasing moisture in the lower stratosphere—a layer of the atmosphere crucial to global climate regulation. The
An international team of scientists have documented, for the first time, humpback whales traveling between breeding grounds in eastern Australia and Brazil, crossing more than 14,000 kilometers of open ocean. The findings set new records for the greatest distances ever
They have their massive heads to blame The post We Finally Have the Answer for T. Rex’s Tiny Arms appeared first on Nautilus .
As primary producers at the base of marine food webs, diatoms are key indicators of environmental change, providing critical insight into the health and resilience of the Salish Sea bioregion. A team of Canadian scientists has recently compiled a new, consolidated checklist of
The evolution of tiny arms in several groups of meat-eating dinosaurs was likely driven by the development of strong, powerful heads, which were used to attack prey, according to a new study led by researchers at UCL (University College London) and Cambridge University.
A Bermuda High parked over the western Atlantic is pulling sweltering air up from the South, challenging records in parts of the eastern U.S.
Witches' broom disease, caused by the fungus Moniliophthora perniciosa, decimated cocoa crops in southern Bahia state, Brazil, in the 1990s. It was even the subject of a local soap opera and continues to plague the chocolate industry in the Amazon region. However, a recent
New research shows that Americans' use of home delivery continues to be split sharply along geographic lines, with shoppers in urban areas remaining more reliant on home delivery than rural households. In a new study published in the International Journal of Physical
The loss of dense kelp forests along the Maine coast—and the northward proliferation of small, carpet-like turf algae in its place—is accelerating as the ocean warms, according to new research by scientists at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences.
Researchers at Clarkson University are advancing the use of artificial intelligence and computational physics to accelerate discovery of next-generation materials for quantum technologies, optoelectronics, and renewable energy applications.
A new study led by Dr. Lin Su of Queen Mary University of London, published today in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, describes a new integrated solar reactor in which engineered Escherichia coli (E. coli) are grown directly inside the same liquid that converts CO₂
Anime has gone mainstream in the United States, drawing millions of fans who spend big money on conventions, streaming, gaming, and merchandise. But anime is no longer reserved just for cosplayers. Now, businesses and sports franchises are increasingly tapping into anime
In the HiPEQ project, a consortium of industry and research partners has developed new laser-based approaches to enable miniaturized, robust beam sources for quantum technology. Among others, the consortium also used lasers to grow novel optical insulator crystals. The project
Governments around the world conserve plants and animals in part by setting aside land. Whether as wilderness reserves or as resource management zones that allow industrial activities such as logging, 17.4% of the planet's land offers some measure of protection. These protected
A review paper led by researchers from the University of St Andrews highlights the transformative potential in the use of radar in polar research to predict future sea levels.
Today's computers store information using only two values: 0 and 1. But as electronic devices become smaller and reach their limits, scientists are searching for new ways to pack more information into the same space. One idea is to use magnetism. In some materials, atoms behave
Cows eat grass...everyone knows that. But climate change is forcing producers and scientists to rethink some of our long-held assumptions about livestock nutrition. Crop costs are climbing. Traditional pastures are under pressure. And researchers are casting a wider net for
Service quality improvement requires a holistic approach to analyzing customer reviews and identifying relevant, actionable issues. Researchers from South Korea have addressed this by developing a model that integrates service-specific aspects and customer actions, which are
Is the next generation of college graduates justified in jeering at the coming industrial revolution? The post Commencement Boos for AI Platitudes appeared first on Nautilus .
A team at the University of Vienna, led by chemist Nuno Maulide, has developed a new method for controlling chemical reactions in a more targeted and efficient manner. At the heart of this is the concept of "cation sampling": specially selected groups (ketones), in a sense,
Rates of violence against women have remained largely unchanged in California for nearly two decades, with Black and multiracial women facing the highest risks, a sweeping new analysis by UC Berkeley public health researchers has found.
Parasitic nematodes (commonly known as roundworms) are a large, diverse and poorly studied group of disease-causing organisms that severely impact the health of humans and animals. They infect almost one-quarter of the global population and significantly impair child growth and
Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have developed a novel image projection system that delivers super-resolution images over an extended depth of field. By combining a neural network-based digital encoder with a passive all-optical diffractive
Florida State University chemists have synthesized new molecules derived from bacteria found in a Pacific Ocean sea sponge, a breakthrough for the future of drug development, particularly for rare forms of cancer.
In a new study, researchers show how so‑called TriPcides can target the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, including antibiotic‑resistant strains such as MRSA. The compounds disrupt the bacteria's ability to cause infection and can also kill dormant bacterial cells, which are
Why do so many corporate renewal efforts fail, despite following current best practices?
March was a scorching 9.35 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than the 20th-century average for the month, capping the hottest 12-month stretch for the U.S. since records began in 1895
More than half the world's population now lives in cities that are often much hotter than their rural surroundings. Roads, buildings and paved surfaces absorb and store heat during the day, then release it slowly after sunset. This is known as the urban heat island effect.
An international team of scientists has developed a new analysis of how sound waves behave, revealing surprising effects that have largely been overlooked for decades. In the new paper in Scientific Reports, which was led by researchers from City St George's, University of
Cellular membranes not only constitute a barrier, but they also accommodate a plethora of different molecules for sensing and ensuring cellular function. These molecules often cluster together, forming condensates embedded in the membrane. A team of physicists from MPI-DS
Scientists at Children's Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern (CRI) have discovered that large pieces of DNA can transfer directly between human cells, and the DNA can persist and change how the recipient cell functions. The findings, published in Cell,
Many people are migrating within countries across South Asia to cope with extreme weather. In Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal, people often move from rural homes to urban metropolises when their homes and livelihoods become damaged or threatened by cyclones and storms,
Gold nanoparticles, which are about one-thousandth the width of a human hair, can convert light they receive from a laser into heat. This capacity, known in medicine as photothermal therapy, is effective at destroying cancer cells without harming the surrounding healthy tissue.
Extreme heat and drought could damage harvests and worsen global food insecurity this summer.
SpaceX is now targeting the evening of May 21 to launch the latest and largest version of its Starship megarocket for the first time
Scientific American spoke to one of the people who are currently being monitored for possible hantavirus infection at the National Quarantine Unit in Nebraska
Quantum technologies promise powerful new kinds of computers, giving scientists new tools to mimic and explore nature at its tiniest scales. At those levels, everything in nature—from atoms and electrons to light itself—follows the strange rules of quantum mechanics. But the
We often assume that how we respond to a rude comment says something stable about us: our personality, our culture, even the language we are speaking. If someone reacts calmly, we presume they are a patient person. If they snap back, we might assume they are short-tempered.
What happens when a scientific problem seems too complex to solve precisely, yet understanding it could reshape how researchers design new materials and medicines? For decades, much of the polymer science community has relied on a "good enough" approach to a stubborn problem:
How well do language models understand Meenzerisch, the dialect spoken in the German city of Mainz? A research team led by Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) has now investigated this question for the first time. Meenzerisch still shapes regional language culture today
You skip the pesticides, you remove weeds by hand, you choose heirloom seeds. Organic methods give you comfort in knowing that your vegetables are grown without excessive chemicals.
For decades, historians have generally agreed that the progress of small villages as they evolved into cities came at the price of widening inequality. A small group of leaders, kings and priests, would inevitably seize control of the wealth and the gap between rich and poor
