Plastic particles from everyday items like Styrofoam cups and take-out containers are finding their way into the brain, where they may trigger Alzheimer’s-like symptoms. New research shows that mice carrying the Alzheimer’s-linked APOE4 gene who consumed microplastics exhibited
Scientists at Michigan State University have discovered how to use ultrafast lasers to wiggle atoms in exotic materials, temporarily altering their electronic behavior. By combining cutting-edge microscopes with quantum simulations, they created a nanoscale switch that could
Continuous landmasses, now submerged, may have made it possible for early humans to cross between present-day Turkey and Europe, new research of this largely unexplored region reveals.
In a fruit fly, nerve cells that detect limb movement are silenced when the insect walks or grooms. This on-off switch may help the nervous system to shift between two states: one helps keep the body steady and the other readies it to move.
Biologists at The University of Texas at Austin, who have reported discovering a bird that's the natural result of a green jay and a blue jay's mating, say it may be among the first examples of a hybrid animal that exists because of recent changing patterns in the climate. The
NASA's Deep Space Optical Communications technology has successfully shown that data encoded in lasers can be reliably transmitted, received, and decoded after traveling millions of miles from Earth at distances comparable to Mars. Nearly two years after launching aboard the
More than half of Earth's terrestrial surface is rangeland—vast open areas of native vegetation, suitable for grazing. These areas feed 50% of the world's livestock and support the livelihoods of more than 2 billion people. The continental U.S. is about one-third rangeland.
Hormone replacement therapy used within five years of the onset of menopause is associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease, while starting it later in life is associated with an increased risk
A large language model called Delphi-2M analyzes a person’s medical records and lifestyle to provide risk estimates for more than 1,000 diseases
Posidonia seagrass meadows, veritable underwater forests, play a major ecological role. Under constant pressure from human activity, scientists are looking for ways to ensure their survival, in particular by carrying out restoration campaigns.
Heterostyly, a floral polymorphism where a species produces two or three distinct flower types with reciprocal arrangements of stigmas and anthers, boosts pollination accuracy, reduces sexual interference, and encourages cross-pollination. This intricate system is controlled by
When Russia mounted a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, many outsiders expected the worst. Predictions swirled that the capital city of Kyiv would fall in a matter of days or weeks.
Bird flu hits cats particularly hard. Just last week, an infected cat was euthanized in California after eating raw pet food. But a University of Maryland-led study appearing in One Health shows promising results when an infected cat gets early care and treatment.
A Rutgers-led team of scientists has uncovered evidence of how galaxies expand by tracing the invisible scaffolding of the universe created by a mysterious substance known as dark matter.
Organic beekeeping can support healthy and productive honey bee colonies, and a new study led by researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences has found that adopting organic honey bee colony management is not only profitable, but in some cases, it can be even
The Red Sea, circled by desert landscapes, is home to marine life accustomed to the water's bathtub-like temperatures—often reaching 85 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer. But in the past three years, marine heat waves have made the Red Sea even hotter. Rising ocean
New research is shining a light on one of genetics' enduring puzzles—how the workings of the so-called "selfish gene" could be harnessed to control harmful insect populations. By understanding the molecular basis of a selfish gene and the way it operates, scientists believe
In 2022, after Elon Musk bought what's now X, the company laid off 80% of its content moderation team and made Community Notes the platform's main form of fact-checking.
Every year, as the presses churn and the sweet smell of cider fills the autumn air, more than 4 million tons of apple byproducts are hauled off as animal feed, compost or landfill waste. But a new Cornell study offers apple skins, seeds, cores and pulp a different ending.
A new type of catalyst—a material that speeds up chemical reactions—that could make the production of clean hydrogen fuel more efficient and long-lasting has been developed by a team led by City University of Hong Kong, including researchers from Hong Kong, mainland China, and
Seoul National University College of Engineering announced that a joint research team has become the first in the world to elucidate the reconstruction mechanism of copper alloy catalysts during electrochemical CO₂ conversion reactions.
Public confidence in the trustworthiness of U.S. health and science agencies has dropped across the board since the inauguration of President Donald Trump, driven by sharp declines among Democrats, according to a new survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the
The growing global demand for clean energy and rising concerns over climate change have intensified the search for sustainable alternatives. Hydrogen emerges as a promising solution due to its high energy density and zero-carbon emissions.
Strips of land planted with flowers between fields are the most popular environmental measure in agriculture. They attract pollinators such as butterflies and wild bees, look beautiful and can be achieved quickly. However, the goal of creating and maintaining a structurally
Imagine stepping into a 2,500-year-old tomb—without ever leaving your sofa. Using advanced digital technology, Swedish researchers have documented and visualized nearly 280 Etruscan chamber tombs in Italy. The result is a new digital portal that opens up this cultural heritage
Social media use has long been part of the everyday lives of most children and adolescents. Many of them exhibit risky, and in some cases even addictive, behavior. While social media use can certainly have positive effects for young people, intensive use can negatively impact
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria and emerging viruses are a rapidly increasing threat to the global health care system. About 5 million deaths each year are linked to antibiotic-resistant germs, and more than 20 million people died during the COVID-19 virus pandemic. Empa
From the 2008 financial crash to today's volatile cryptocurrency markets, sharp fluctuations continue to disrupt global markets and economies. According to Masoumeh Fathi's doctoral dissertation at the University of Vaasa, traditional risk models often underestimate the
New research shows that wherever human populations mix, their languages blend as well
How can we save wild salmon from extinction, and at the same time ensure farmed salmon a life free from lice and other suffering? Research uncovers critical challenges related to management, fish welfare, monitoring and control in the aquaculture industry.
A team of researchers from Kent have demonstrated that it is possible to grow tea in lunar soil as part of a wider field of work to explore how future astronauts living and working on the moon can grow their own food.
The catastrophic floods that hit the Texas Hill Country in July left residents and officials scrambling for answers. In response, the Hydrology & Hydroinformatics Innovation (H2I) Lab at The University of Texas at Arlington, led by civil engineering assistant professor Adnan
Horses play a key role in forest management and in reducing the risk of wildfires in Mediterranean forests, thanks to the adaptability of their eating habits. This is the conclusion reached by an interdisciplinary study led by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and the
Between a third and half of all soil carbon on Earth is stored in peatlands, says Tom and Marie Patton Distinguished Professor Joel Kostka. These wetlands—formed from layers and layers of decaying plant matter—span from the Arctic to the tropics, supporting biodiversity and
If it feels like headlines reporting 100 or 1,000-year floods and megafires seem more frequent these days, it's not your imagination.
Researchers Mitsuyoshi Kamba, Naoki Hara, and Kiyotaka Aikawa of the University of Tokyo have successfully demonstrated quantum squeezing of the motion of a nanoscale particle, a motion whose uncertainty is smaller than that of quantum mechanical fluctuations.
UNSW engineers have made a significant advance in quantum computing: they created 'quantum entangled states'—where two separate particles become so deeply linked they no longer behave independently—using the spins of two atomic nuclei. Such states of entanglement are the key
Women, non-native English speakers and those from lower-income countries published fewer English-language peer-reviewed papers than men, native English speakers and those from higher-income countries, according to a study published September 18 in the open-access journal PLOS
Through a collaboration between U.S. and Kenyan researchers and Turkana communities of northern Kenya, scientists have uncovered key genetic adaptations underlying survival in hot and dry environments, revealing how natural selection has enabled this pastoralist population to
New research into the genetics of Anopheles funestus (An. funestus), one of the most neglected but prolific malaria-transmitting mosquitoes in Africa, has revealed how this species is evolving in response to malaria control efforts.
A new study suggests that the risk of mosquito-borne illness in Brazil will rise significantly by the year 2080, but that climate action could help. Katherine Heath of the Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues present these findings September 18 in the
One of the great challenges of ecology is to understand the factors that maintain, or undermine, diversity in ecosystems, researchers write in a new report in the journal Science. The researchers detail their development of a new model that—using a tree census and genomic data
A Cincinnati brewing company will unveil a new beer this fall that is out of this world.
Although each generation seems to adopt a particular palette, it would be simplistic to view this as a biological or universal phenomenon. While color is the visual effect produced by the spectral composition of light that is emitted, transmitted or reflected by objects, how we
The last gasp of a primordial black hole may be the source of the highest-energy "ghost particle" detected to date, a new MIT study proposes.
When German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen discovered X-rays in the late 1800s while experimenting with cathode ray tubes, it was a breakthrough that transformed science and medicine. So much so that the basic concept remains in use today. But a team of researchers at Sandia
Many companies across the world use carbon credits as part of their climate strategies to offset emissions. A carbon credit is a certificate that represents the reduction, avoidance or removal of one ton of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. While organizations claim these
The world of cells is surprisingly noisy. Each cell carries unique genetic information, but when we try to measure cellular activity, signals can be lost or blurred, and differences between experiments can further obscure the data. These challenges have made it difficult for
Last month, courts on both sides of the Atlantic delivered a clear verdict: When classifying titanium dioxide as carcinogenic, regulatory agencies had overreached.
At the end of the last ice age, billions of boulders and cobbles were left scattered over southern Scandinavia. Huge ice sheets had dragged the rocks from mountainous regions further north down to the Baltic Sea areas. When those ice sheets retreated and sea levels rose, these
