Chip-based laser cooling could ease quantum computing bottleneck
Researchers at Cornell have developed a laser-cooling technique that could potentially remove a significant bottleneck in the development of larger, faster quantum computers.
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El Niño threatens health, too—early warnings done right can save lives
As communities around the world shore up their infrastructure in anticipation of one of the most powerful El Niños on record in late 2026 and early 2027, they need to think about rising health risks, too—and include them in early weather warnings.
Europe's look-alike Alpine newts turn out to be five distinct species
What scientists until recently called the Alpine newt has turned out to be five different species, following genetic research by Leiden biologists. One of these species was even new to science and has now been given a name: Mesotriton similis.
Mapping oxygen in graphene oxide could unlock better materials
Just one atom thick, graphene is the thinnest and strongest material ever measured. It can also conduct electricity and heat extremely well. These remarkable properties have generated interest in using graphene in everything from solar cells and batteries to water filters and
Engineering team creates 3D-printed raptor puppets to help wildlife rehabilitation
Four new feeding puppets at Salthaven Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Centre will help caregivers feed young raptors while reducing their contact with people when baby season returns next year.
Uncovering the hidden origins of the placenta
When an embryo attaches to the wall of the uterus roughly six days after fertilization, it begins to build the body and placenta. Called implantation, this is the stage of life scientists know least about. It is also the stage when most pregnancies are lost.
Catalyst regeneration enables durable hydrogen production from ammonia
Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a catalyst-regeneration strategy that could make hydrogen production from ammonia more efficient and reliable. By tackling a major problem that causes catalysts to lose their effectiveness over time, the
New AI tool exposes plant pathogens and the genes behind them
Can a bacterium's DNA reveal whether it will make a plant sick? Bioinformatician Guillermo Guerrero Egido believes so. In his PhD research, he developed a computational method that not only identifies potential pathogens, but also the genes that may be responsible for their
Layered superionic conductor hosts atomic vibrations that behave like liquids, glasses and crystals
Scientists from the Institute of Metal Research (IMR) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have directly observed liquid-like, glass-like and crystal-like phonon behaviors coexisting in a crystalline solid—the layered superionic conductor AgCrSe₂.
You May be Able to Get 43 More Minutes of Work Done if You Change Your Desk
It’s time for workers to stand up The post You May be Able to Get 43 More Minutes of Work Done if You Change Your Desk appeared first on Nautilus .
Wood stove experiment reveals how wildfire smoke helps sunlight regenerate nitrogen oxides
Wildfires bring to mind a blazing sea of flames. But what happens to the smoke? Anyone observing a wildfire from a safe distance notices mainly the enormous clouds that tower above the fire. These rise several kilometers and then embark on journeys that can extend across
Unrealistic emissions scenarios help AI climate models prepare for unfamiliar futures
Accurate, up-to-date climate projections are essential for planning decisions that enhance the resilience of power grids, protect public health, maximize agricultural yields and more. Now, MIT researchers have developed a technique that streamlines the production of fast,
Want to be more productive at work? Show your boss this study
Every workday is a negotiation between our bodies and our jobs. Sit too long, and our backs and necks protest; stand too long, and our feet might have something to say about it.
Genetic data reveal hidden extinction risks in the deep sea
A biodiversity crisis is unfolding across the planet, but the deep sea was thought immune and even a refuge for marine life. New research led by Florida International University scientists and published in Nature Communications suggests that assumption may be alarmingly wrong.
Reusable molecular fabric could cut energy needed to separate industrial chemicals
Separating out a particular toxic chemical from industrial processes linked to the manufacture of nylon, paint, certain foams found in furniture and even detergents requires a lot of energy and hassle. Now a team of scientists from UT Austin and Zhejiang University has struck
Hubble offers cosmic sampler of targets for Roman
A gallery of gravitational lenses captured by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope showcases the diversity of this cosmic phenomenon and lays the groundwork for follow-up observations by the new Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.
What a brewery can teach the chemical industry
What do you do when the chemical you want to make is toxic to the microbe making it? It is a problem that limits efforts to replace oil-based manufacturing with biology, and one that researchers in the Sustainable Commodity Chemicals through Enzyme Engineering and Design
Ultrafast 3D imaging captures fleeting motion at 150,000 frames per second
A research team from the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), led by professor Jinyang Liang, is pushing the limits of ultrafast imaging with a new technology capable of capturing three-dimensional images at speeds of up to 150,000 frames per second. Published
A plethora of seismic eruptions, aka UteQuakes
The Utah Utes' rivalry football game with BYU was a triumph for Utah, but it was also a UteQuake extravaganza. No new records were set, but Rice-Eccles Stadium experienced intense seismic shaking during Saturday's game that resulted in a 28–20 victory for the still-undefeated
Space telescope Euclid sets the new standard for cosmology
On July 1, 2023, the European Space Agency (ESA) launched the Euclid space telescope into space. Its mission: to create the largest and most detailed map of the universe ever made.
Toxic Salton Sea dust may trigger lung inflammation and reduce gut microbial diversity
Though it may not always feel like it, we are a part of nature, and our health depends on the quality of our environmental surroundings. A new study published in Scientific Reports explores a surprising new connection between climate change, pollution and the negative health
Despite falling enrollment, public schools haven't downsized
The number of students in U.S. public schools has dropped dramatically in recent years, with enrollment falling by more than a million students nationwide since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. That steep decline has intensified the financial strain on many districts,
The Shapes and Colors of a Near-Death Experience
Near-death experiences are more common than many of us might think: Some studies estimate that between four and eight percent of the global population has had one, as have up to 23 percent of cardiac arrest survivors . These journeys into the borderlands of consciousness tend
Sound without physical force creates a sense of resistance to hand movement
Virtual reality and augmented reality strongly rely on visual information; consequently, they are inaccessible to individuals with visual impairments. To create illusions of tactile feedback or force sensations without physical contact, previous studies have primarily relied on
eDNA study reveals drivers of dramatic restructuring of marine food web
A new study from Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) has combined decades of microscope records with cutting-edge environmental DNA (eDNA) data to uncover the drivers of a major shift at the base of the marine food web in UK waters. The work is published in the journal
How a warming ocean is changing the base of the marine food web
Climate change is causing warming in the oceans, which can have significant effects on marine food webs. Rising ocean temperatures can intensify seawater stratification, a process in which ocean water forms layers of different densities that mix less readily. This can reduce
Two hot zones near Earth's core may fuel volcanoes beneath oceans
The ocean covers around 70% of the Earth's surface, but large parts of the seafloor remain largely unexplored.
Scientists uncover how limestone-eating shipworms breed in turbulent water
Researchers from Northeastern University's Ocean Genome Legacy Center (OGL) have taken the next step toward deciphering the life cycle and unusual reproductive strategies of a limestone-eating species of shipworm. The results could ultimately usher in new developments in
Why did a Brooklyn building collapse so suddenly? Experts weigh in
The devastating incident on Wednesday has left at least eight people dead and more than a dozen injured
Same fertilizer, different timing: Nutrient pulses give two invasive plants an edge
Fluctuating resource supplies can help some highly invasive plants outcompete native species. But research on how nutrient fluctuations affect plant invasion has largely relied on greenhouse or simplified experiments, leaving it unclear whether the same mechanisms operate under
Can Network Science Transform Health and Nutrition?
Albert-László Barabási explains how the same organizing principles shape everything from the internet to the cell, and how mapping the networks inside our bodies could change how we treat disease and think about food. The post Can Network Science Transform Health and Nutrition?
Secret to selling small plates at restaurants: Nonrounded pricing
Oh, what a difference a penny can make in the likelihood that restaurant customers will order a small plate.
Talking or just meowing? Food test suggests cats call for human attention
As any cat owner knows, their feline companion is the boss of the home, and their meows are one way to get attention. But are those noises actually an attempt to communicate with us, or simply an expression of how the cat feels?
Imperfections reveal unexpected links between light and atomic vibrations in ultrathin boron nitride
First, one person stands up, followed by their neighbors, one after another, until a wave sweeps through the stadium. Atoms within a material move in a similar way: rather than remaining completely still in their positions, they vibrate together around their respective
Zn doping reveals robust two-gap superconductivity in FeSe
Researchers using the Steady High Magnetic Field Facility have found that zinc doping unexpectedly alters the superconducting properties of iron selenide (FeSe) while preserving its two-gap superconducting state.
Sensors on buses and trams could make air quality measurements fairer
As cities invest increasingly in quality of life and tackling air pollution, accurate environmental monitoring is high on the agenda. To identify health risks posed by, for example, particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide, Dutch cities have traditionally relied on fixed
Digital twins for plants: How ordinary cameras are helping preserve living collections
Researchers at the University of Tartu have shown that everyday cameras can create detailed, explorable 3D models of plants, giving botanical gardens and museums an affordable way to document and preserve living collections. The study, by Toivo Aukusti Ylinampa and Urmas
Was Einstein Seduced by a Russian Honeypot Operation?
The physicist had a steamy romance with Margarita Konenkova The post Was Einstein Seduced by a Russian Honeypot Operation? appeared first on Nautilus .
Nitrate pollution in rivers linked to dry climates, not just human activity
Nitrate, a chemical compound of oxygen and nitrogen often used in farm fertilizers, can rise to toxic levels in surrounding water under very dry conditions. This relationship has traditionally been attributed to agricultural runoff or human waste in the environment, but new
Seaweeds can switch to asexual reproduction when there are no mates nearby
Kelp switch between sexual and asexual reproduction depending on whether there are potential mates nearby, according to a study by Daniel Liesner at the Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, Germany, and colleagues, published Nov. 12 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology.
Chemical traces hint at poisoned hunting weapons in Arabia 125,000 years ago
A new study has found people living in Arabia 125,000 years ago used complex technologies, including composite hunting weapons, plant-fiber processing and possibly poison-assisted hunting, while making use of a freshwater lake rich in resources.
Elephants found to be increasingly isolated, leading to fractured social networks
Humans and many other social animals thrive in well-established community networks. Asian elephants are one example of a species that flourishes in groups that work together to access food and care for their young, among other social bonds.
A new twist on 'magic-angle' graphene: Tuning resistance with strain
In materials science labs around the world, researchers regularly reproduce a peculiar experiment. Under a microscope, they use tiny robotic manipulators to lay two sheets of carbon, each a single atom thick, against one another. They then rotate the top sheet against the
The diamond paradox: Scientists describe the path to the most stable structure
Researchers from Skoltech (part of the VEB.RF Group) and MISIS University have figured out why graphite turns into an unexpected form of diamond under high pressure. Instead of the familiar cubic diamond, the first structure to form is metastable lonsdaleite—a hexagonal form of
Large mutation analysis challenges claim that evolution shields important genes from changes
The idea that important genes mutate less frequently than others was first proposed in 1972 as a challenge to the traditional view of evolution. But the claim has remained contentious. Now, new research from the University of Bath finds the evidence behind that theory to be
High water, high rents: Poorest residents pay the most for climate adaptation
As cities worldwide adapt to extreme weather, climate adaptation must prevent people from wading through flooded streets in the future. But the costs are not equally shared. A study from the University of Copenhagen shows that climate adaptation policies may even make social
How human ideas evolve: Technical progress may not require weeding out weaker designs
Human culture evolves similarly to living organisms, but unlike biology, human creativity can accumulate improvements at an incredible speed. But how exactly does the process of transmitting and modifying ideas between people work?
Space dust particles point to ancient heavy-oxygen water reservoir in the Kuiper belt
Way out past the asteroid belt, another belt encircles the planets in our solar system. The Kuiper belt, beyond Neptune, preserves icy bodies that escaped much of the processing experienced by objects closer to the sun. Unlike the rocky and metallic asteroid belt, Kuiper belt
Transparency in earnings calls does not guarantee equal access to information
The specialized language used by analysts and management in listed companies' Q&A sessions can be challenging for individual investors to follow. However, Kaisa Penttinen's doctoral dissertation in accounting at the University of Vaasa, Finland, shows these sessions still
A rare star system emits radio signals every 8 minutes
Scientists at the Curtin University node at the International Center for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) have linked mysterious radio pulses to an unusual pairing of stars—a dead star that spins every eight minutes and a star similar to our own sun.
