New book highlights human toll of the Kenyan property boom
As Nairobi's skyline climbs ever higher, life for those living on the city's edges is being transformed—and not always for the better.
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Why meritocracy is hard to achieve
Can an organization ever be truly meritocratic? That's a question Emilio J. Castilla, the NTU Professor of Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management, explores in his new book, "The Meritocracy Paradox: Where Talent Management Strategies Go Wrong and How to Fix Them"
Dark matter and neutrinos may interact, challenging standard model of the universe
Scientists are a step closer to solving one of the universe's biggest mysteries as new research finds evidence that two of its least understood components may be interacting, offering a rare window into the darkest recesses of the cosmos.
Economics has lost the narrative thread, says leading expert
Economics could do with less mathematics and more story, says Canada's most-cited economist.
You've heard of climate change. What is the climate debt doom loop?
Municipal bonds are a time-honored way to fund roads, schools, bridges and other public projects while paying investors interest, usually at tax-free rates.
Flood literacy gaps persist as nature-based solutions prove effective against increasing water events
For decades, flooding has remained one of the most destructive and deadly natural disasters in the United States, causing an average of $8 billion in damages and nearly 90 deaths each year.
Direct flights drive multinational firm growth in globally connected cities
Waiting in an airport for a connecting flight is often tedious. A new study by MIT researchers shows it's bad for business, too.
How political influence shapes agricultural expansion in the Amazon
In communities around the Amazon Rainforest, there's a pervasive belief that large landowners use their money to influence local politics to benefit their operations.
Smartphone use cuts into school hours, with social media leading the way
University of California, San Francisco investigators measured smartphone app activity during school hours among US adolescents and reported an average of 1.16 hours of use, with social media apps taking up the most time.
Ushikuvirus: Newly discovered giant virus may offer clues to the origin of life
The origin of life on Earth becomes even more fascinating and complex as we peer into the mysterious world of viruses. Said to have existed since living cells first appeared, these microscopic entities differ greatly from other forms of life. Composed of only genetic material,
How is drought in New England affecting water levels and the environment?
Recent reports of wells drying up in New Hampshire reflect a pattern we're increasingly seeing across New England: extended dry periods and below-normal precipitation are stressing shallow groundwater systems that many homeowners depend on.
Nature-inspired computers are shockingly good at math
Neuromorphic computers, inspired by the architecture of the human brain, are proving surprisingly adept at solving complex mathematical problems that underpin scientific and engineering challenges.
Human-made materials could make up as much as half of some Scottish beaches
The natural sands of beaches along the Firth of Forth are being mixed with significant amounts of human-made materials like bricks, concrete, glass and industrial waste, new research has revealed.
Inflatable fabric robotic arm picks apples
A low-cost, simple robotic apple picker arm developed by Washington State University researchers may someday help with fruit picking and other farm chores.
Oil residues can travel over 5,000 miles on ocean debris, study finds
When oily plastic and glass, as well as rubber, washed onto Florida beaches in 2020, a community group shared the mystery online, attracting scientists' attention. Working together, they linked the black residue-coated debris to a 2019 oil slick along Brazil's coastline. Using
How a parasite 'gave up sex' to find more hosts—and why its victory won't last
Australian researchers have uncovered how a particular strain of a diarrhea-causing parasite managed to infect more animal species, offering new insights into how parasitic infections emerge and spread to people.
Ammonites survived asteroid impact that killed off dinosaurs, new evidence suggests
In the aftermath of the giant asteroid that crashed into the Yucatan Peninsula about 66 million years ago, approximately 75% of all species on Earth were wiped out, including the dinosaurs. Among those thought to have perished at this K-Pg (Cretaceous-Paleogene) boundary were
Galaxies with ‘hoop skirts’ are more common than we thought
The discovery of thousands more galaxies with stars ringing their main disks could help astronomers study galactic evolution more generally.
Image: Algae swirls across a South African reservoir
On clear days in Hartbeespoort, South Africa, satellite images often reveal a reservoir with shades of deep blue interrupted by drifting patches of vivid green. These shifting features indicate algae blooms, which can affect water quality, ecosystems, and nearby human
The next great space race: Building data centers in orbit
Google, SpaceX and Blue Origin are reportedly racing to develop technology for AI data centers in space, but it will likely be years before we see them rocketing into the sky, experts say.
FAST J0139+4328 is a low-surface-brightness galaxy, deep imaging reveals
Astronomers from Serbia and Russia have conducted deep optical observations of a cloud of neutral atomic hydrogen, designated FAST J0139+4328. Results of the observational campaign, published December 31 on the arXiv preprint server, provide evidence that FAST J0139+4328 is a
This weight loss option beats Ozempic by 5 times
Bariatric surgery far outperformed GLP-1 weight loss drugs in a new real-world comparison of more than 50,000 patients. Two years after treatment, surgery patients lost about 58 pounds on average, while those using semaglutide or tirzepatide lost roughly 12 pounds. Even
Language shapes visual processing in both human brains and AI models, study finds
Neuroscientists have been trying to understand how the brain processes visual information for over a century. The development of computational models inspired by the brain's layered organization, also known as deep neural networks (DNNs), have recently opened new exciting
Environmentalists push back against US EPA plan to extend coal plant closings
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is facing strong public opposition to its proposed plans to extend closure deadlines until October 2031 for 11 coal plants across the country—three of which are in Illinois and one in northwest Indiana.
Boomers are the key to sustainability in boardrooms, study suggests
Baby boomers could be the secret ingredient for corporate sustainability, according to a new Murdoch University study.
Japanese scientists just built human brain circuits in the lab
Researchers in Japan built a miniature human brain circuit using fused stem-cell–derived organoids, allowing them to watch the thalamus and cortex interact in real time. They found that the thalamus plays a decisive role in maturing the cortex and organizing its neural
Drone monitoring helps dolphins
Australia's beloved dolphin populations face growing pressures from environmental changes and human activity, increasing the need for reliable, accessible and noninvasive tools to monitor their health and support conservation and management.
Ancient skeletons reveal viruses embedded in human DNA
Researchers have reconstructed ancient herpesvirus genomes from Iron Age and medieval Europeans, revealing that HHV-6 has been infecting humans for at least 2,500 years. Some people inherited the virus directly in their DNA, passing it down across generations. The study shows
Report: After more than 2 years of war, Palestinian children are hungry, denied education and 'like the living dead'
More than two years of war in Gaza have left many Palestinian children too weak to learn or play and convinced they will be "killed for being Gazans," a new report warns. The University of Cambridge-led study also includes the first analysis of education in the West Bank and
‘Microbubbles’ Help Spread Dangerous Microplastics Through Our Water, Study Finds
Water plays a crucial role in how tiny pieces of plastic enter our environment—and us
How New Public Health Changes Could Leave Vulnerable Children Behind
A look at how evolving national health policies could reshape the future of kids’ care, from vaccines to essential treatments.
Overseas scholars drawn to China's scientific clout, funding
China's government has long made efforts to tempt top scientists from abroad, but researchers say its institutions themselves are increasingly attracting talent thanks to their generous funding and growing prestige.
AI chatbots miss urgent issues in queries about women's health
AI models such as ChatGPT and Gemini fail to give adequate advice for 60 per cent of queries relating to women’s health in a test created by medical professionals
Boosting the cell's own cleanup: New class of small molecules accelerate natural protein degradation
Cells have a remarkable housekeeping system: Proteins that are no longer needed, defective, or potentially harmful are labeled with a molecular "tag" and dismantled in the cellular recycling machinery. This process, known as the ubiquitin-proteasome system, is crucial for
A dead whale found on the bow of a ship in New Jersey sparks an investigation
After a dead whale was found on the bow of a container ship docked in New Jersey, authorities were working Tuesday to remove the carcass and determine the endangered animal's cause of death.
Magnetic nanoparticles fight bone cancer and help healing
Researchers have developed a magnetic nanomaterial that can kill bone cancer cells and support bone regeneration at the same time. The material heats up under a magnetic field to destroy tumors, while its bioactive coating helps it bond to bone and stimulate healing. Tests
CAR T-cell therapy makes ageing guts heal themselves
Immune cells are most commonly engineered to kill cancers, but now, scientists have shown the technique makes the gut lining of older mice resemble that of younger mice, raising hopes that the same approach could work in people
A global cancer surge is underway and the world is not ready
Global cancer cases have surged dramatically, doubling since 1990 and reaching 18.5 million new diagnoses in 2023. Deaths have also climbed to over 10 million a year, with the steepest increases hitting low- and middle-income countries. Without urgent action, researchers
Breakthrough lets scientists watch plants breathe in real time
Scientists have created a new way to watch plants breathe—live and in high definition—while tracking exactly how much carbon and water they exchange with the air. The breakthrough could help unlock crops that grow smarter, stronger, and more drought-resistant.
Wildfires are polluting the air far more than thought
Scientists have discovered that wildfires release far more air-polluting gases than previously estimated. Many of these hidden emissions can transform into fine particles that are dangerous to breathe. The study shows wildfire pollution rivals human-made emissions in some parts
The simplest way teens can protect their mental health
Teens who sleep in on weekends may be giving their mental health a boost. A new study found that young people who made up for lost weekday sleep had a significantly lower risk of depression. While consistent sleep is still best, weekend catch-up sleep appears to offer
11,000-year-old dog skulls reveal a hidden origin story
Dogs began diversifying thousands of years earlier than previously believed, with clear differences in size and shape appearing over 11,000 years ago. A massive global analysis of ancient skulls shows that early dogs were already adapting to different roles in human societies.
This simple math trick could transform earthquake science
Earthquakes happen daily, sometimes with devastating consequences, yet predicting them remains out of reach. What scientists can do is map the hidden layers beneath the surface that control how strongly the ground shakes. A new approach speeds up complex seismic simulations by
Where a Saudi company pumps desert groundwater, Arizona considers imposing limits
Lush green fields of alfalfa spread across thousands of acres in a desert valley in western Arizona, where a dairy company from Saudi Arabia grows the thirsty crop by pulling up groundwater from dozens of wells.
Harmful mouth bacteria may trigger Parkinson’s disease
A familiar mouth bacterium best known for causing cavities may also be quietly influencing the brain. Scientists found that when this microbe settles in the gut, it produces compounds that can travel through the bloodstream and harm neurons involved in movement. In animal
'Pocket-type' high-temperature superconducting coil achieves 44.86 tesla combined magnetic field
A research team led by Kuang Guangli and Jiang Donghui at the High Magnetic Field Laboratory of the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CHMFL), has developed a "pocket-type" high-temperature superconducting (HTS) coil, achieving a record
Environmentalists sue feds to protect 'prehistoric' crabs that frequent South Carolina coast
Environmentalists are suing the federal government over what they say is a failure to protect the horseshoe crab, a prehistoric-looking species that is important to the survival of shore birds in South Carolina and other coastal states.
The poison frog that fooled scientists for decades
Researchers discovered that a poison frog species described decades ago was based on a mix-up involving the wrong museum specimen. The frog tied to the official species name turned out to be brown, not the colorful animal shown in the original photo. After tracing old records
Quantum structured light could transform secure communication and computing
Scientists are learning to engineer light in rich, multidimensional ways that dramatically increase how much information a single photon can carry. This leap could make quantum communication more secure, quantum computers more efficient, and sensors far more sensitive. Recent
The 5 stages of the 'enshittification' of academic publishing
When writer Cory Doctorow introduced the term "enshittification" in 2023, he captured a pattern many users had already noticed in their personal lives.
