Many plastic products are designed to be used only once, yet the material itself lasts for years. But a new strategy is addressing this problem by creating products that self-destruct on command, known as living plastics. These materials incorporate activatable,
Every evening, as they move from place to place through the forest, chimpanzees stop to build a nest—most often in a tree—to sleep in. Using a selection of branches, leaves and twigs, they create comfortable and safe spaces to get some shuteye.
The Eta Aquarid meteor shower soon will light the sky with debris from Halley's comet. But a bright moon will spoil the fun this year, making the display harder to glimpse.
A rescue team on Saturday released from a barge in the North Sea a humpback whale that had been stranded in shallow waters near Germany since March, witnesses said.
Public health experts estimate that more than 200 million people worldwide are exposed to arsenic through contaminated drinking water. Scientists know long-term exposure to arsenic is associated with increased risk of chronic illnesses like cancer and cardiovascular disease,
Solar radio bursts are intrinsically linked to the motion of their emitting source through the coronal and heliospheric plasma. Electron transport is mostly confined to magnetic field lines. These electrons move at a substantial fraction of the speed of light and often generate
Exoplanet science and the search for life beyond Earth continue to advance at break-neck speeds, with the number of confirmed exoplanets by NASA rapidly approaching 6,300, with 223 of those exoplanets being designated as terrestrial (rocky) exoplanets. With the promise of
The Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) has been attracting millions of fans every year since it was launched back in 1956. At the same time, it represents a unique opportunity for research. Almost no other major cultural event has been so well documented over such an extended period
Scientists at Université de Montréal's Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer have developed a new database that integrates the molecular structure of microRNAs and messenger RNAs to systematically model their interactions. Called RIMap-RISC and developed by Ph.D.
Gold digging is often seen as a female behavior focused on exploiting wealthier partners for material gain, but science suggests this stereotype may be too narrow. Past studies have shown both men and women value resources in partners, but not much research has delved into the
Green alleys—residential laneways redesigned to enhance residents' quality of life, boost social cohesion and improve biodiversity—are gaining traction in cities across North America. But as the concept spreads, it remains loosely defined: what exactly counts as a green alley,
On a fateful day 210 million years ago, two crocodile cousins about the size of jackals stood side-by-side amid the low ferns of a humid riverbank that would one day become northern New Mexico. One of the crocs, Hesperosuchus agilis, had a long snout, large back legs, and
As climate change accelerates and global temperatures continue to rise, a new randomized clinical trial provides compelling evidence that one of the most powerful climate solutions may be on our plates. A study published in Current Developments in Nutrition shows that adopting
The FDA rejected the promising skin cancer drug RP1 twice, leaving many puzzled and worried about what this means for other drug approvals
Cornell researchers have discovered that a lethal variant of feline coronavirus, previously thought to be limited to a devastating 2023 outbreak in Cyprus that killed thousands of cats, has in fact appeared in the United States, raising concerns about future large-scale
Scientists at the Université de Montréal's affiliated Montreal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM) have identified a new family of natural molecules with strong antiviral activity, notably against the Ebola virus and SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19. The discovery
Larry Dallas's farm in Central Illinois's Douglas County is as flat as it gets. That's a good thing for planting straight rows and maneuvering farm equipment in the field, but there's a major downside, too. "Heavier rain is hard for us to deal with because of the poorly drained
Crabs’ famous sideways walk may trace back to a single evolutionary moment 200 million years ago. Researchers found that most modern crabs inherited this trait from one ancestor—and never looked back. The movement likely gave them an edge, helping them dodge predators with
Good caregivers are often in short supply, but after the COVID-19 pandemic hit the U.S. in early 2020, staff levels at nursing homes dropped by 10%. What was a simple personnel shortage has moved closer to being a nursing-care crisis.
A centuries-old vision of a mechanical volcano has finally erupted into reality, as two University of Melbourne engineering students recreated a design first imagined in 1775 by volcanology enthusiast Sir William Hamilton. Drawing from an 18th-century watercolor and a preserved
We're focusing on space news this week, but we did cover the usual amount of local news down here in Earth's gravity well: A new Tokamak reactor regime sustained stable plasma fusion for one full minute. An anomaly in global sea level rise turns out to be due to deep ocean
Scientists have discovered a way to help the brain clean itself of harmful Alzheimer’s plaques by activating its own support cells. By increasing a protein called Sox9, researchers were able to boost the activity of astrocytes, star shaped cells that help maintain brain health.
Two of the most dangerous fault systems on the U.S. West Coast may be more connected than scientists once thought. New research suggests the Cascadia subduction zone and the San Andreas fault can “sync up,” triggering earthquakes within minutes or hours of each other. This rare