Nullarbor mapping reveals surface signs of deep, hidden cave systems
Mysterious trenches stretching for kilometers across southern Australia's Nullarbor Plain have been revealed as the surface footprints of deep, hidden ancient cave systems.
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Study maps where humans drive harmful nutrient levels along coasts
Along a quarter of the planet's coastal waterways, humans contribute more harmful nitrogen—via agricultural runoff, wastewater discharges and other activities—than all natural sources combined.
New benchmark puts quantum computers to the test and reveals their limitations
Quantum computers are no longer theoretical concepts. Today, they are being developed to tackle a range of complex problems, including exploring financial risk, modeling complex molecules and optimizing massive logistics networks. However, until now, there has been no way to
How Do You Read Ancient Charred Scrolls? Make Your Own
A new technique could unlock the secrets of the Herculaneum scrolls The post How Do You Read Ancient Charred Scrolls? Make Your Own appeared first on Nautilus .
What ancient Mars rocks reveal about its buried carbonate stores
Carbonate minerals are among the best records of past liquid water on Mars: They form when water carrying dissolved carbon dioxide reacts with rock, and their composition reflects the chemistry of both. Yet Mars has surprisingly little carbonate on its surface compared with
Opt-out AI training plan could weaken Australian copyright protections
The ground is shifting beneath the feet of Australian authors and other creatives. A leaked proposal seen by the ABC suggests the government might grant artificial intelligence (AI) companies access to the copyrighted works of Australians under an opt-out system.
Extreme rainfall caused by climate change creates uneven risks to farming in China
Climate change is increasing the likelihood and intensity of extreme rainfall, putting China's agricultural land at growing risk of flooding, disruption and damage, according to new research led by Dr. Haoyu Hu from the University of Manchester.
Sixteen new fungus species found hiding in Thailand's flowers
Researchers have discovered 16 new species of fungus living unnoticed inside garden flowers and wildflowers across northern Thailand, more than quintupling the number of such fungi known to occur in the country. The findings are published in the journal IMA Fungus.
Climate change is making it easier for invasive species to succeed
In 2017, Hurricane Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico with maximum sustained winds of 250 kilometers per hour (155 mph). It devastated communities and infrastructure, was associated with nearly 3,000 deaths and caused tens of billions of dollars in losses.
Capybaras in the desert? Fossil casts doubt on Atacama as world's oldest continuously dry region
Ask any zoo-goer and they will tell you that capybaras are adorable. Ask a scientist specializing in the rodents, which resemble oversized guinea pigs, and they will tell you they are obligate semiaquatic herbivores that indicate persistent riparian ecosystems. In plain
Deep-sea hydrothermal vents may be a hot spot for pregnant Antarctic krill
Antarctic krill are tiny shrimp-like creatures that were previously thought to mostly inhabit the upper layer of the Southern Ocean. Although they had occasionally been observed at deeper levels, they were never seen near deep-sea hydrothermal vents until 2024, when a group of
Why does laundry get smelly if it stays wet? A textile scientist explains how to fix it
You forget a load in the machine overnight, and by morning it smells worse than before you washed it.
Japanese supercomputer simulations may explain Webb's Little Red Dots
Of all the discoveries from the James Webb Space Telescope, the multitude of Little Red Dots it has observed is among the most enigmatic. Now, simulations using the Japanese Supercomputer ATERUI III have explained the nature of the Little Red Dots without requiring any exotic
European ash pangenome could help researchers breed a generation of trees resistant to ash dieback
In a study published in the journal Nature Communications, researchers from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Forest Research and collaborating organizations present the first-ever European ash (Fraxinus excelsior) pangenome, using high-quality DNA to aid research into natural
Diamond quantum sensors can detect heart magnetism at room temperature without skin contact
Physicists at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) have developed a technology that uses quantum sensors to measure biomagnetic signals, such as heart activity. Researchers from the DIAQNOS (DIAmond-based Quantum Sensing for NeurOSurgery) flagship project, coordinated by
Education reform student and professor find that social media also affects students in developing countries
Sometimes the best collaborations start with disagreements in class discussions.
Black holes from stellar to supermassive size may follow one jet-launching rule
An early-career Western Australian astrophysicist has helped uncover a universal rule behind one of the most powerful behaviors in the universe: when black holes launch jets. The discovery, published in the journal Nature Astronomy, shows black holes appear to fire off powerful
El Niño may lift Australian food prices as dry conditions squeeze farms
Australia's farm sector currently faces a double whammy from weather and nonweather-related factors: a confirmed El Niño effect and surging inflationary pressures.
Wild honeybee populations in the EU are on the Red List for the first time
Populations of the Western honeybee (Apis mellifera) are under immense pressure in the wild in Europe. New research published in Conservation Science and Practice from the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart and Agroscope in Zürich shows that there are frequent occurrences of
Where Does the Quantum World End and Ours Begin?
Jonathan Halliwell explains how quantum decoherence is key to understanding how we transition from a world with a wave-like nature of matter and energy to the classical macroscopic world that we’re used to. The post Where Does the Quantum World End and Ours Begin? first
Nebraskans wary of risks surrounding artificial intelligence
Americans are grappling with artificial intelligence—from its lightning-fast development to the construction of data centers to support it—and are becoming more skeptical of its benefits.
Endurance running or endurance diving—which came first?
A new study combines paleoanthropology and diving physiology to address a fundamental question in human evolution: Why did humans evolve their exceptional aerobic endurance? Did our ancestors begin endurance running to exhaust terrestrial prey, or did breath-hold diving for
During menopause, brain changes surprisingly take a break
Major hormonal milestones in women’s lives are usually associated with changes in brain volume — but a new study shows menopause is an exception.
Deep-sea crustaceans caught hitching rides on giant sea spiders
Some types of marine life appear to have it easy. While exploring thousands of meters below the waves in the Chilean Margin in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, scientists observed tiny shrimp-like crustaceans known as amphipods (Mesopleustes abyssorum) clinging tightly to much
This popular fermented food may help flush nanoplastics from the body
A kimchi-derived bacterium can bind to nanoplastics under gut-like conditions and may help carry them out of the body. In mice, the probiotic more than doubled the amount of nanoplastics detected in feces, pointing to a surprising potential use for microbes from fermented foods.
AI is shaping kids. What if kids could shape AI, too?
Vanderbilt University's Golnaz Arastoopour Irgens, assistant professor of human-centered learning technologies at Peabody College of Education and Human Development, partnered with Sarah K. Burriss (Ph.D. '23, Peabody's Department of Teaching and Learning), assistant professor
Robotic lab sets up and runs optics experiments on demand
Every new generation of phone display, television screen and solar panel is the result of precision optics experiments, which use lasers and other light sources to measure the optical properties of candidate materials. These experiments can take months to run, requiring
Temperature measurement error may cause climate-impact studies to understate impacts by 15% or more
When policymakers and city officials plan for climate change, they rely on economic studies showing how extreme heat affects violent crime, public health, energy grids and crop yields.
Beaver reintroduction improves peatland water storage and drought resilience
A study led by a doctoral researcher at the University of Liverpool has found that beavers may help restore degraded peatlands by keeping landscapes wetter and making them more resilient to drought.
Is dark matter 'natural?' Physicist puts the question to the test
Dark matter is one of the oldest open problems in physics. It makes up most of the matter in the universe and shapes how galaxies form and move, yet no one has ever directly detected it. Physicists have proposed dozens of candidates to explain it: exotic new particles, black
Scientists discover a mysterious new frog hiding in the Amazon
Scientists discovered a new frog species in the flooded forests of the western Amazon, distinguishing it from nearly identical relatives through DNA and its unique call. Adenomera varcena highlights how much Amazonian biodiversity remains hidden even as habitat loss and climate
Handheld scanner delivers lab-quality chemical composition maps using infrared light
Researchers have developed a compact, handheld mid-infrared imaging spectrometer that can produce high-resolution chemical maps of a sample without using stains or labels. With further development, the handheld device might provide a portable and easy-to-use way to map the
We could soon be able to track changes in Australia's forests in near‑real time—using satellites
Forests and woodlands cover millions of hectares across Australia, from tropical rainforests and temperate eucalypt forests to the vast woodlands and shrublands of the arid interior. They store enormous amounts of carbon, support biodiversity, regulate water supplies and help
Seeking a Trippy Placebo
Blinding clinical trials for psychedelic medicines has been notoriously difficult The post Seeking a Trippy Placebo appeared first on Nautilus .
A $100 detector can see invisible particles raining down from space
A pocket-sized, roughly $100 detector can reveal the invisible stream of cosmic particles constantly passing through Earth and even through our bodies. What began as a student physics project is now being used in major experiments, balloon missions, and potentially future
New porous diamond created by researchers
Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have created a carbon material with a three-dimensional structure. The material, named diamondiyne, can be described as a porous diamond with the same basic shape as a tetrahedron.
Earth's atmosphere is getting less dusty: That could be adding to global warming
Atmospheric desert dust has long swirled around the globe, but a new UCLA study presents the strongest evidence yet that global dust is mysteriously decreasing. Because atmospheric dust has a slight overall cooling effect on the climate, the researchers say its decrease may
Laser scans reveal 23 hidden ship carvings on Bronze Age temple wall in Cyprus
About 40 years ago, researchers found ancient ship carvings on a temple wall in Cyprus, possibly all carved at once at the tail end of the Bronze Age, around the time of the infamous Bronze Age collapse. Then, decades later, a new study revealed they had missed nearly two dozen
What major tests like PISA and NAPLAN get wrong about Indigenous students
We've just received the results of the latest PISA test—the international assessment of 15-year-olds' science, math and reading skills.
Astronomers just found the youngest known planet ever
Astronomers have confirmed a Jupiter-size planet less than a million years old, making Elias 2-24 b the youngest known planet and giving scientists a rare look at a world still being born. Its surprisingly rapid formation challenges leading theories about how giant planets come
More short holidays close to home boost well-being, study finds
Travel plays a far more critical role in mental health and well-being than previously thought, according to new University of the Sunshine Coast-led research. The study found frequent leisure travel boosts happiness, psychological resilience and overall quality of life, with
Genome assembly of rice stink bug offers new data-informed tool in fight against costly pest
Scientists are getting a leg up on the rice stink bug, one of the most significant threats to rice, a staple food for nearly half the world's population and a major crop in Arkansas.
When AI goes rogue, its human overseers may be to blame
When AI agents hack real systems, the bigger issue may be the human choices that gave them access, autonomy and too few safeguards.
JWST’s mysterious little red dots may be black holes growing at incredible speeds
New supercomputer simulations suggest JWST’s puzzling Little Red Dots are rapidly growing black holes from the early Universe. Extreme radiation may have helped create unusually massive black hole seeds, while dense surrounding gas allowed them to grow dozens of times faster
At-risk gamers gambling with their financial future
Nearly 8 out of every 10 people at risk of gaming disorder have experienced overspending or financial harm due to their habit, an international study led by University of Queensland researchers found.
Birds basking in natural 'saunas'
New research led by the University of Otago—Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka shows some bird species may be taking advantage of natural geothermal "health spas."
New livestream brings remote Australian arid zone waterhole to the world
A new livestream from a remote waterhole in the Northern Territory is giving people around the world the opportunity to observe wildlife in real time.
The Story of Walking Upright is Written in the Bones of Our Ancestors
How we learned to stand on our own two feet The post The Story of Walking Upright is Written in the Bones of Our Ancestors appeared first on Nautilus .
Political boot camps for women could redress gender imbalance
Immersive boot camps for women could be a way to overcome the stark gender imbalance in political leadership, according to new research that examined how to increase the political ambitions of talented women.
Cuttlefish suckers reveal how they grip rough prey—and could inspire better technology
Cephalopods are a group of soft-bodied marine mollusks that include cuttlefish, octopuses, squid and nautiluses. Many of these mollusks have muscular suckers on their arms that allow them to seize prey or grip other surfaces in their surroundings.
