"Taking Action for Nature" was the theme of CoP 17, the UN Biodiversity Conference 2026, which is drawing to a close in Yerevan, Armenia. A new analysis of African national biodiversity strategies and action plans shows how academic and research institutions can respond to this
Sixty-three light-years from Earth, in the small, faint constellation known as Pictor (which is Latin for "painter"), there lies a strange structure that has puzzled astronomers for the last two years. Nicknamed the "Cat's Tail," this dark feature stretches across an abyss of
Researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience (CTAHR) have bred new "tropical" pincushion protea (Leucospermum) hybrids that bloom near sea level, reducing local reliance on imported flowers.
Magnetic fields exist in many stars, including the sun. Yet they remain too poorly understood to be reliably included in stellar evolution models, limiting their accuracy. Now, a new study by researchers at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), published in
Astrophysicist Shep Doeleman explains how capturing the first image of a black hole required a telescope the size of the world, and why the next goal is to create a movie. The post How Do You Take a Picture of a Black Hole? first appeared on Quanta Magazine
As modern electronic devices shrink, so do the metal electrical wires inside them. However, they start to run into serious problems the smaller they get. Conventional wires generate excessive heat and suffer a massive spike in electrical resistance that affects overall
Experts in climate, nature, health, national security, and financial risk have joined forces to call for a more integrated approach to government climate and nature risk assessments. In a commentary published in Nature Climate Change, they warn that conflicting advice can give
In July 2026, the U.S. House passed legislation to make daylight saving time (DST) permanent. But a new analysis of the consequences of the Sunshine Protection Act, reported in the journal Current Biology on Oct. 29, finds that this legislation would have serious safety
A new study from the Institute for Food and Resource Economics at the University of Bonn shows that the success of nature conservation measures depends partly on the credible enforcement of environmental laws.
Theoretical physicists at Emory University have discovered a way to use light to detect the "spectral fingerprints" of anyons—exotic quasiparticles that emerge from the collective behavior of many electrons. Their findings are published in Physical Review Letters. The work
A tiny fossil discovered exactly a century ago has caused an enormous change in our understanding of when flying insects first appeared on Earth.
A harmonic increment provides a new way to improve smooth approximations of the minimum function. In a recent paper, published in the Journal of Inequalities and Applications, Prof. Thomas A. Weber shows how a harmonic-increment transformation brings any smooth estimate that
Flying foxes are the biggest bats in the world; they look like German shepherd puppies with 5-foot (1.5-meter) wingspans. But Madagascar's flying foxes are shrinking.
Rare, complete fossils of ancient fish discovered in Alberta are helping fill in the gaps in our knowledge about which freshwater fish were living in North America at the end of the age of the dinosaurs, and how they evolved into their modern descendants.
And those gains persist even after a break from exercise The post Your Cells Keep a Record of Every Workout You’ve Ever Done appeared first on Nautilus .
A cosmic explosion that announced itself with a modest flash of gamma rays went on to produce one of the brightest afterglows astronomers have recorded in the past 20 years. An international team of astronomers now finds evidence that the surprising mismatch comes down to
In a study published in Eco-Environment and Health, a team of 35 international experts led by Surrey's Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE) reviewed several studies from across the world on the performance of indoor greenery.
"Ammonia was first used as a fuel during World War II, when gasoline was hard to get hold of," explains David Emberson, associate professor at NTNU's Department of Marine Technology.
Viewed under a microscope, the air above the Amazon rainforest teems with activity. It is full of pollen, fungal spores, tiny plant particles and bacteria. Normally, the composition of this bioaerosol community is quite stable. A team that included researchers from the
Scientists have identified a weakened brain signal that may connect several seemingly unrelated symptoms of schizophrenia, including sensory processing difficulties, disorganized speech, and greater symptom severity. The surprising discovery could help explain the disorder's
With family budgets stretched ever tighter, swimming lessons can be one of the first expenses to be cut back—but with research showing swimming helps children not just physically but developmentally, researchers are calling for greater government support.
A study of nearly 13,000 adults found that people consuming the most artificial sweeteners experienced a 62% faster decline in memory and thinking skills, equivalent to approximately 1.6 additional years of brain aging. Six popular sweeteners were linked to faster cognitive
Job loss and career uncertainty can take a toll that extends well beyond the workplace. New research suggests that a psychological intervention based on the principles of acceptance and commitment therapy, or ACT, may help individuals navigate work-related challenges while
Worldwide, antibiotic resistance is associated with millions of deaths every year, and the World Health Organization warns that the number of resistant infections is rising. Colistin is a last-resort antibiotic used when other treatments fail, but rates of colistin-resistant
Climate change is posing an increasing threat to the health and well-being of children and young people in Australia and New Zealand, with rising exposure to heat waves and widespread climate-related distress among young Australians, according to the annual MJA–Lancet Countdown
A remarkably preserved elephant tooth dating back nearly 700,000 years has revealed a surprisingly lush prehistoric world where giant elephants and early humans lived side by side. Discovered in northern Israel alongside ancient stone tools, the tooth belonged to a
NASA’s Juno spacecraft has discovered that Jupiter uses a surprisingly complex system of powerful plasma waves and multiple shock regions to defend against the solar wind. The findings reveal major differences between Jupiter and Earth and could help scientists understand the
The energy required for brains of different sizes to function could play a role in how different species evolved over time. While the energetic costs of brains have long been deemed important in evolution, direct measurements of the rate at which the brains of different species
A new study published in Individual-Based Ecology presents the first individual-based model (IBM) of basking shark behavior.
Mathematicians have uncovered what they argue is a fundamental flaw in the standard model of the universe, potentially challenging the need for dark energy. Their calculations suggest that the mathematical framework used to describe cosmic expansion is inherently unstable and
In the final stretch to the midterm elections, polls have come out tracking candidates' likelihood of victory at the local, state and federal levels. According to Tim Servinsky, project manager at Penn State Harrisburg's Center for Survey Research, polls built with the right
Proof the defense tactic has been used for at least 99 million years The post Behold a Prehistoric Lizard Tail Trapped in Amber appeared first on Nautilus .
Everyday Earth clouds get their start with a bit of salt or dust. Not so the Red Planet's Arsia Mons Elongated Cloud, computer models suggest.
Keeping the lights on nationwide is a feat of engineering that depends on millions of miles of power lines and thousands of power-generation plants.
Getting more daylight could be linked to a surprisingly powerful benefit for brain health. In a study of more than 87,000 adults, researchers found that higher daytime light exposure was associated with a 16% lower risk of dementia, with longer exposure to bright light linked
In 2001, Brenda Andrew was convicted of murdering her husband, and in 2004 she was sentenced to death.
The tool could eventually lead to an entirely new approach for treating mental health
Ocean fish stocks have been increasingly exploited over time, and remote sensing shows they have declined in the open ocean over the last three decades, particularly in the tropics. But it's uncertain how fish populations will fare in the future, as climate models show both
Cranberry juice may offer an unexpected benefit beyond its reputation for helping prevent urinary tract infections: protecting teeth from decay. Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago discovered that pure, unsweetened cranberry juice slowed the regrowth of dental
American jobs have become increasingly stressful over the past two decades—but workers have also gained greater ability to exercise independence and make decisions at work.
The gas is a major driver of climate change
Knots show how to generate infinitely many formulas of a kind developed by the visionary genius
Finding alien life could shake some people to their very souls, but different religions can take very distinct approaches to the existence of extraterrestrial life
For years, residents of a flood-prone Philippine island north of Manila have elevated their homes atop layer upon layer of concrete, only to see floodwaters threaten them again.
Across the world, people have felt the impacts of climate change firsthand. The Northern Hemisphere has had another record-breaking summer season of heat and extreme weather events. The Southern Hemisphere now faces a summer of heat waves, flooding, wildfires and droughts. This
Ancient ice discovered high in Tibet may be more than 128,000 years old, preserving an extraordinary record of Earth's climate that scientists previously thought had been lost. The discovery reveals a rare glimpse into the last ice age and could reshape our understanding of how
A new study has found that in U.S. counties that ended COVID-19 pandemic-era Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Emergency Allotments, child maltreatment rates went up. The findings from the study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine suggest that changes
Researchers have discovered a small group of brain cells that prevents dangerous blood pressure swings, even when average readings appear normal. The finding reveals a hidden source of cardiovascular risk and could open the door to new treatments that protect the heart and brain.
Scientists have defied a long-standing rule of laser physics by generating X-rays with much higher energies than conventional theory predicts. The surprising discovery reveals how two electrons working together can overcome a previously accepted limit, opening new possibilities
Scientists have uncovered seven surprising stages that space rocks go through as they hurtle toward Earth, revealing that melting and violent fragmentation, rather than simple evaporation, determine their fate. The discovery could help explain why meteorites scatter across the