Sand, powders, and other collections of visible-sized grains are found throughout daily life, from food and pharmaceuticals to soils and industrial materials. When grains of similar size are arranged regularly, they can form a strong crystal-like solid. Yet what happens inside
Cell-communication molecules called kinases play a key role in the growth and spread of many cancers. But exactly which kinases are active in a particular cancer is not always clear—there are 1.8 million sites on human proteins that kinases might act on, and researchers have
Light-driven membrane proteins are key components in biohybrid systems because they can convert light energy into ion gradients, enabling energy conversion or sensory applications. While their integration into natural lipid membranes is well studied, embedding them in
As climate impacts such as heat waves, floods and fires intensify worldwide, there is an urgent demand for information on how to respond. IIASA researchers and partners have developed a new tool that meets that need, integrating climate drivers, risks and adaptation options in
France saw more than 7,300 excess deaths during heat waves so far this year, health authorities said Wednesday, as the country has also endured a record number of hot days since mid-June, according to an AFP analysis.
New research from Purdue University demonstrates how organic aerosol molecules can influence one another's behavior in ways that existing atmospheric models do not fully capture.
Amid current heat waves, urban greening is once again moving to the center of public debate. Greener cities are generally expected to have cleaner air because trees capture airborne particles, absorb gaseous pollutants and cool urban neighborhoods. But trees also emit biogenic
In British zoos and aquariums, fewer than 10% of vertebrate species are native to the UK, and just 2% are high conservation priorities, according to a study by Justin Lennon at the University of Brighton and colleagues, published Aug. 19, 2026, in the journal PLOS One.
Did brands exist before modern society, in noncapitalist economies? An international team led by Marta Luciani of the University of Vienna has made unexpected discoveries about Bronze Age trade: Yes, brands did indeed exist 3,200 years ago. Findings from the oasis of Qurayyah
R.I.P. “Kerry cow” The post The “Kerry Cow” Wasn’t a Cow at All—And It Upends Stone Age Irish History appeared first on Nautilus .
When temperatures rise, public advice is familiar: drink water, avoid strenuous activity during the hottest hours, keep homes cool and check on older or isolated people. These recommendations are reflected in the latest heat-health guidance from the WHO Regional Office for
An interdisciplinary team of engineers and chemists at Penn State has laid the groundwork for 3D printing spheroids—tiny clusters of living cells—capable of regenerating bone tissue in response to severe trauma or infections.
Official flood maps shape disaster preparedness, insurance decisions and urban planning, but large parts of the United States remain unmapped or under-mapped. This means some communities may be left unaware of the risks they face, limiting their ability to prepare for future
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has developed a new framework for early wildfire detection using real-time modeling that combines multiple datasets with complex remote-sensing capabilities. Understanding real-time wildfire growth patterns and fire dynamics while accounting
Polymers used for light-based 3D printing are very stable because of their chemical structure, but they are typically hard to recycle. A research team led by Professor Dr. Eva Blasco, a researcher at the Institute for Molecular Systems Engineering and Advanced Materials
In the world of fusion energy, scientists and engineers study the fourth state of matter known as plasma in an effort to design and build a new type of power plant. Relying on the heat produced by two small atoms smashing together, a network of such facilities would help
Scientists are largely clueless about the origins of static electricity. A quirky group of researchers aims to change that.
On a warm evening in May, swifts scream over rooftops, chasing insects above the traffic. A fox slips along a garden wall while gulls squabble on a supermarket roof. We tend to treat these animals as visitors. But they're residents too, living alongside us in places designed
Proteins form complex three-dimensional shapes and can join together to create larger structures. Researchers want to use these properties to make artificial materials. However, arranging proteins and synthetic molecules together with a high level of structural precision is no
The star S301 swoops so close to our galaxy's supermassive black hole that it could, for the first time ever, reveal that dark behemoth's rotation
If you're a keen angler and regularly catch yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi), you may have encountered instances of the fish's flesh turning mushy and unpalatable once cooked. Some have said it's a bit like trying to eat wet newspaper.
We reach for brighter, better lighting for sharper pictures, whether we're photographing a puppy or a microscopic cell. In most cases, the light comes from outside the object being photographed. A recent study explored a different approach, using the cells' own chemical glow to
Companies with strong political connections are more likely to escape scrutiny over greenwashing, according to new research from Durham University Business School. Greenwashing occurs when organizations overstate or misrepresent their environmental performance to appear more
Hearing children of deaf adults can experience stigma, discrimination and social exclusion because of their association with their deaf parents, while also demonstrating significant resilience and agency in responding to prejudice, a new study has found.
The way we classify humanity’s ancient relatives is a mess. But there’s a simple fix. The post Why It Might Be Time to Rethink the Human Family Tree appeared first on Nautilus .
Beijing’s success shows how close China is to the U.S. in the new space race
The thrilling National Geographic series, premiering August 19, follows Kio from lion cub to king.
Scientists had previously observed that some species of shrews undergo a form of biological plasticity in which their bodies, skulls, brains and some organs shrink in the winter, then regrow in the spring. Now, a new study in Japan, published in the Proceedings of the Royal
Before booking a vacation, it pays to check the weather.
As students return to Canadian colleges and universities soon, many will enter classrooms where generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is already part of everyday academic life. Many might use tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini to brainstorm, summarize readings, revise
Although increased cell proliferation is a hallmark of cancerous tissues, in some cases it may actually protect against tumor growth, according to a new study by Caltech researchers. Using mathematical models, the work suggests a new paradigm for the earliest stages of cancer
Many animals obtain information about others from scent marks left in the environment, including urine. Because these marks remain after the sender has left, they allow animals to communicate across space and time. But odor molecules evaporate, degrade and change after release.
Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan in collaboration with FUJIFILM have developed a novel way of delivering circular RNA (cirRNA) into cells, paving the way for longer-lasting mRNA-based therapeutics including cancer vaccines and GLP-1 obesity treatments. The research is
A new analysis of ice cores collected from the Andes in Peru has produced the first global record of historical tropical methane, filling a critical gap in our understanding of the origins of Earth's greenhouse gases.
With AI use growing across the youth services sector, new research by Swinburne University of Technology and Youth Affairs Council Victoria (YACVic) has, for the first time, identified key risks to young people and how to address them.
Between 2021 and 2023, Antarctica appeared to be growing. Heavy snowfall fueled by wetter weather caused parts of the continent to gain mass, leading some to question whether climate change is really causing the ice to melt. However, a new study shows that the precipitation
Astronomers have discovered the fastest known star in our galaxy, the Milky Way, orbiting the black hole at its center. The star, named S301, was detected with the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope Interferometer (ESO's VLTI) and reaches speeds of 25,000 km/s
Miniature models of the human brain can be kept alive for years, allowing scientists to study neural development and brain diseases
Personality and context shape the psilocybin experience in ways that show up on brain scans The post What a Blissful Psychedelic Trip Looks Like Inside the Brain appeared first on Nautilus .
Overton is a medical doctor with ties to the “Make America Healthy Again” movement
Could this secret cellular weapon be the key to longevity?
Psychedelics can create a new “hidden order” in brain activity that could explain how these drugs alter our sense of self
The star passes very close to the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole and could reveal the black hole’s spin by tracking how it warps the star’s orbit.
As humanity gets closer to the possibility of long-term interplanetary travel, psychologists have started raising concerns about astronauts' mental health. Researchers at Texas A&M University conducted research on sailors in an isolated environment to address these concerns
Quantum batteries, devices that store energy by exploiting quantum mechanical phenomena, could, in principle, be charged faster and more efficiently than classical ones. Despite their potential, connecting these batteries to chargers is known to create quantum correlations that
Imagine your team has been tasked with delivering a high-stakes policy paper under intense time pressure. Everyone turns to generative artificial intelligence (AI), and within minutes, it delivers a full draft complete with structured arguments and authoritative-looking
It's a cold winter afternoon, and you've just brought the laundry in. Suddenly, you pause. Are these clothes a bit damp?
Despite science's best efforts to classify the vast menagerie of subatomic particles discovered over the past few decades, some exotic varieties defy explanation. Now, nuclear physicists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility have
No one yet knows which technology will power the quantum computers of the future, but the race to create them has already produced some of science’s most intricate machinery. The post Building a Quantum Computer, One Fragile Qubit at a Time first appeared on Quanta Magazine
Adoptions are on hold for thousands of dogs and cats in Texas, potentially putting the animals at risk of being euthanized, because of efforts to stop the spread of the New World screwworm, an insect that has crossed the border from Mexico into the United States for the first
