In summer 2020, the German federal government lowered value-added tax from 19% to 16% for half a year as part of its COVID economic stimulus package. A new study, recently published in the journal Review of Economic Studies, uses survey data, data on retail purchases and an
A surprising new study reveals that mosquitoes have very different tastes in humans, with each species attracted to its own combination of skin odors, chemicals, and bacteria. The discovery challenges the idea of a universal mosquito magnet and could lead to more effective
A new study reveals that coyote populations on the Outer Banks persist despite ongoing removal programs, posing a continued threat to shore-nesting birds and protected sea turtles. The study is the first in-depth assessment of coyote populations on barrier islands and has
Life cycle assessment is used to quantify the environmental impact of products and services and forms an important basis for political decisions. However, the necessary data is always difficult to capture completely. A study by the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI now shows that
Losing a job can be a life-shattering experience. And when depression complicates a job search, unemployment can become a vicious cycle. Now, a Northwestern University–led clinical trial suggests a new intervention may break that cycle: a phone app, named DRIVEN, that combines
Scientists have uncovered fossils of a giant rodent that lived in Thailand 34 million years ago, revealing that enormous rodents evolved much earlier than previously thought. Named Yakamys sirindhornae, the ancient animal may have weighed around 66 pounds, roughly twice as much
ZonationR is a new tool that simplifies the use of Zonation to identify priority areas for biodiversity conservation. It brings all stages of the conservation planning analysis together in one automated and reproducible workflow and helps users systematically explore and
To what extent do genes influence the migratory routes of birds? The factors that determine the long-distance migrations of seabirds are not yet fully understood. Now, a study published in the journal Molecular Ecology reveals that, in the case of Cory's shearwater, an
A bizarre, heavily armored amphibian roamed the oceans 237 million years ago, despite the fact that modern amphibians cannot survive entirely in saltwater. Discovered in China, the giant salamander-sized creature may be the first known amphibian to have adapted to a fully
The oldest pair of compact quasars ever observed has been found only 900 million years after the Big Bang. Scientists say there is no theoretical explanation for how the pair of actively feeding black holes grew so massive at such an early time in the history of the universe.
Iron-sulfur clusters are ancient protein cofactors that are essential for electron transport, enzyme catalysis and photosynthesis. However, their sensitivity to oxygen and inherent instability have long hindered their practical application.
The LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) observatory, now in development, will detect gravitational waves, the tiny ripples in space-time caused by orbiting masses. Now two studies led by NASA astrophysicists show in new detail how LISA could reveal a new and unique
Contrary to what was previously believed, viruses infecting fish are not transmitted exclusively through water acting as an abiotic vector. A team of researchers from the University of Liège has demonstrated that a virus affecting European eels can spread very efficiently
Researchers from the Skoltech AI Center, together with colleagues from the Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, ITMO University and other institutions, have published a paper in Chemical Society Reviews that examines where AI produces
Bioacoustics researcher Léa Bouffaut, at the Cornell K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, has spent the past several years eavesdropping on the conversations of whales. But instead of using underwater microphones like other marine scientists, she listens by
Marine heat waves and anemone bleaching are altering clownfish behavior, making clownfish more defensive of their host and more aggressive toward one another, new research reveals.
Redirecting shipping traffic to avoid collisions with whale sharks has very little impact on fuel use, according to new research led by the University of Southampton published in Royal Society Open Science.
Scientists have identified a major turning point in Earth's geological history, when the processes shaping the planet's crust changed dramatically and began to resemble the plate tectonics we see today—about 2.5 billion years ago.
Disadvantaged students are less likely than their more advantaged peers with similar attainment to take and pass entrance exams for selective schools, and introducing an opt-out system for the tests would only deliver a small boost.
A new study is complicating the picture The post Lean Muscle Mass Isn’t a Cure-All for Metabolic Health appeared first on Nautilus .
A breakthrough in telescope imaging could reveal countless alien worlds that have been hiding in plain sight. Scientists developed a new technique that uses a digital twin of the James Webb Space Telescope to remove the overwhelming glare of stars, making faint exoplanets two
Scientists led by the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History have restored the physical reference of one of the most historically significant names in biology. In a paper published in Taxonomy, researchers designated a new type specimen, or neotype, for Araneus
World leaders meeting at the annual U.N. climate summit in November 2026 are wrestling with a persistent challenge: how to get countries to follow through on their commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that are warming the planet.
Biomaterials engineers have created a "superstructure" hydrogel that could be an eco-friendly tool used in medical technologies and as a recovery aid for surgical procedures. The research is published in the journal Macromolecular Rapid Communications.
Reptiles are captivating creatures—so captivating that people keep them as pets, or wear clothes and carry handbags fashioned from their patterned skins.
Simple psychological interventions are often enough to encourage people to change their behavior—and this is also true when it comes to saving electricity. A new study by Mannheim-based consumer psychologist Dr. Yavor Paunov and colleagues shows that comparing one's own
Researchers at Texas A&M University have cracked a problem that has limited biological imaging for years: seeing fine cellular detail while looking deep inside living tissue. The new microscopy technique resolves structures smaller than 100 nanometers, roughly a thousand times
Water is not usually thought of as a magnetic material. But a new study led by researchers at Tohoku University's Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, in collaboration with National Taipei University of Technology (Taipei Tech), has found that tiny
A shoebox-sized color detection device could enable precise measurements at record resolution, according to new research led by Adelaide University. An international team exploited an integrating sphere—a highly reflective hollow cavity that causes light to bounce around inside
Whether an individual reoffends after their release from prison or is successfully rehabilitated depends on several factors. When assessing the risk of recidivism, all of these are taken into account—both by human experts and by machine learning models. If several equally
What would the Taung child grow up to be? The post Famous Fossil Could be Rosetta Stone for Hidden Hominin Diversity appeared first on Nautilus .
The pressure to maintain an atmosphere of fun and escapism can make it harder for festival organizations to acknowledge and respond to harm, while frontline workers are left dealing with its consequences, a new study finds.
Scientists have discovered the best evidence yet to show that West Antarctica's most vulnerable ice streams—including its giant Thwaites Glacier—repeatedly collapsed and retreated far inland during natural warm periods of the last 800,000 years.
Swordfish spend much of their time hunting prey about 600 meters (1,970 feet) below the surface in the ocean twilight zone, but occasionally, they reach depths of more than 1,000 meters (3,280 feet). Now, scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) are
Health care researchers have long sought to harness the power of computing to design molecules that bind to specific receptors and can be used as targeted treatments for diseases. Even with the increasing sophistication of artificial intelligence, however, this technological
A new study has revealed a three-dimensional, near-atomic-resolution view of the ribosome from Babesia divergens, one of several Babesia species known to infect humans and cause babesiosis. The structural insights from this close-up view could help researchers identify
The head of Germany's Isar Aerospace voiced hope Tuesday that the company could one day overtake Elon Musk's SpaceX to become the world's premier space launch company.
University of Missouri researchers have created a single solid material that responds differently depending on what it's exposed to. Shine light on it, and it changes from yellow to white, an indication of a chemical reaction. Heat it, and it undergoes a different chemical
An influencer posts a photograph of two designer handbags and asks her followers which one she should buy. Another wants recommendations for restaurants in a new city she is visiting. Someone else asks which beauty dupes are actually worth trying.
An international team of researchers, led by Jonathan Freundlich (University of Strasbourg, Astronomical Observatory), has revealed how a dense cosmic environment depletes galaxies of their gas. By mapping the molecular gas in a galaxy group located 7 billion light-years away,
Researchers have analyzed water samples collected during two expeditions aboard the research icebreaker Polarstern to investigate how life and changing conditions on the Antarctic continental shelf affect carbon carried into the deep ocean. Published in Nature Communications,
Shoppers often greet the closure of a Walmart with dismay, while competitors find cause to celebrate.
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Ames National Laboratory have discovered a way to control the handedness of magnons, tiny magnetic waves that can carry information through materials. By changing the material's magnetic state with an external magnetic field,
An international collaboration demonstrates that classical nonlinear dynamics can drive single- and two-photon states to thermalize, opening new avenues for simulating complex quantum many-body systems within accessible optical architectures.
Artificial intelligence use among university students is now near-universal in many countries. Yet, as of a year ago, fewer than one in five universities in a 90-country UNESCO survey had a formal AI policy.
A new study suggests that most of Earth's carbon originated in the outer solar system and didn't arrive here until the late stages of planetary development. The study, led by researchers at Yale and Columbia, is based upon an analysis of magma droplets called "melt inclusions"
The poles, or ends, of rod-shaped bacteria have been imaged at molecular resolution for the first time in a new study led by UCL (University College London) researchers. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, used a new technique to keep live bacteria in
Researchers from King's College London and Rutgers University in New Jersey created a modified enzyme (a protein that speeds up chemical reactions) that breaks down polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic 10 times quicker, using 10 times less enzyme. They accomplished this
A review published in the International Journal of Managerial and Financial Accounting on the subject of greenwashing in financial services has found that financial institutions often claim environmental responsibility while continuing to finance high-carbon projects.
Are you lonely posting? The post Researchers Can Tell How Lonely You Are by Your Instagram Activity appeared first on Nautilus .
