Will Scotland's planned four-day week for teachers work?
The Scottish government recently announced plans to pilot a four-day school week. The proposal comes amid growing concerns about teacher supply and well-being.
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Three things that might trigger massive ice sheet collapse
The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are highly vulnerable to global warming and scientists are being increasingly worried about the possibility of large parts of the ice sheets collapsing, if global temperatures keep on rising.
Magnetic liposomes reveal sugar–protein binding patterns in solution
Polydopamine-coated magnetic liposomes offer insight into the lectin–glycan interactions in motion. By observing minute changes in the rotational motion of magnetic nanoparticles under alternating magnetic field, the technique reveals binding patterns, including strong
Beloved Ancient Chinese Cats Were Wilder Than Once Thought
People in ancient China grew a millennia-spanning friendship with wild felines long before domestic cats came on the scene The post Beloved Ancient Chinese Cats Were Wilder Than Once Thought appeared first on Nautilus .
'Light-bending' material that controls blue and ultraviolet light could transform advanced chipmaking
Researchers from TU Delft and Radboud University (The Netherlands) have discovered that the two-dimensional ferroelectric material CuInP₂S₆ (CIPS) can be used to control the pathway and properties of blue and ultraviolet light like no other material can.
Fight over fossil fuels nixes key text of UN environment report
The UN on Tuesday unveiled its largest-ever scientific assessment on the dire state of the environment, but a crucial summary of its findings was torpedoed as nations feuded over fossil fuels.
Environmental shifts and migration foster human cooperation, simulations suggest
Researchers at University of Tsukuba have demonstrated, through multi-agent simulations in a two-dimensional space, that the combination of environmental variability and human migration may foster the evolution of human cooperative behavior because their joint effect disrupts
Reclaiming control to build workforce resilience
University of Phoenix College of Doctoral Studies announced the publication of "Reclaiming Control: Autonomy as the Key to Workforce Resilience and Career Optimism," a new white paper by Karen Johnson, Ed.D. The report argues that restoring a sense of autonomy is essential to
Geomorphological approach evaluates Galápagos watersheds
Galápagos is a living laboratory where every environmental decision matters. On Santa Cruz, the most populated island of the archipelago, freshwater is a limited and increasingly vulnerable resource due to urban growth, agricultural pressure, saltwater intrusion, and climate
Lighting strongly influences people's experience while listening to music, study suggests
When you go to your next concert or listen to your favorite music on an app, you might first consider the lighting around you.
San Antonio saw average of 7 guns per day stolen out of cars in 2024, research finds
An average of seven guns were stolen out of cars in San Antonio each day in 2024, according to researchers at UTHealth Houston.
How Many Insects Fill the Air on a Typical Summer Day in the US?
NOAA weather radar stations help track the ups and downs of insect abundance The post How Many Insects Fill the Air on a Typical Summer Day in the US? appeared first on Nautilus .
Small proteins, big impact: Why SUMO proteins are crucial for plant chromosomes
Cell division is essential for the correct transmission of genetic information. Each chromosome within a plant contains a centromere, a region that plays a central role in controlling chromosome movement during cell division. The kinetochore protein complex forms at the
K-DRIFT pathfinder: A compact telescope for observing faint galactic structures
Conventional telescopes are limited in detecting low-surface-brightness (LSB) structures, which are essential for studying galaxy evolution. Now, researchers have developed a new telescope system featuring a confocal off-axis design with three freeform mirrors, optimized for
Novel kirkovirus may be associated with colitis in horses
In a pilot study, researchers from North Carolina State University have found a novel kirkovirus that may be associated with colitis—and potentially small colon impactions—in horses. The study could offer a route to new therapies for horses with colitis symptoms from unknown
New NASA sensor goes hunting for critical minerals
Cradled in the nose of a high-altitude research airplane, a new NASA sensor has taken to the skies to help geoscientists map rocks hosting lithium and other critical minerals on Earth's surface some 60,000 feet below. In collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the
A new way to analyze copper chelators for potential Alzheimer's therapy
It is widely known that Alzheimer's disease is mainly associated with the overproduction of β-amyloid peptides and damage caused by oxidative stress.
Like living cells, oil-in-water droplets form 'arms' in response to their environment
Oil-in-water droplets respond to chemical cues by forming arm-like extensions that resemble filopodia, which are used by living cells to sense and explore their environment.
Connections between coral reefs boost their health
Coral reefs may seem like paradise, but they are being degraded by a range of global and local factors, including climate change, poor water quality, and overfishing. New research reveals that connections between reefs help stabilize reef health, reducing the risk of collapse,
Antarctica's only native insect is already eating microplastics
A global research team led by researchers from the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment has found that Antarctica's only native insect is already ingesting microplastics, even in one of the planet's most remote regions.
Fast-tracking a natural climate solution by compressing millennia of carbon capture into hours
What if it were possible to take a very slow geological process, one that takes thousands of years in nature, and speed it up so that it happens within hours, in order to slow the rate of global warming?
RFK, Jr., Questions Safety of Approved RSV Shots for Babies
FDA officials are newly scrutinizing several approved therapies to treat RSV in babies despite the fact that these shots were shown to be safe in clinical trials
Limitations of AI-based material prediction: Crystallographic disorder represents a stumbling block
Computer simulations and artificial intelligence often make significant errors when predicting the properties of new, high-performance materials, according to a new international study led by the University of Bayreuth. In their research, published in Advanced Materials, the
Nearly 8,000 animal species are at risk as extreme heat and land-use change collide
Almost 8,000 animal species could be pushed closer to extinction by the end of this century as the interacting effects of climate change-driven extreme heat and human land-use change create increasingly unsuitable conditions across their habitats, according to new research from
New nanomagnet production process improves efficiency and cuts costs
Researchers at HZDR have partnered with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, and the Institute of Nuclear Physics in the Polish Academy of Sciences to develop a method that facilitates the manufacture of particularly efficient magnetic nanomaterials
The Methuselah worm: The oldest university in the U.S. is home to the world's oldest ribbon worm
Penicillin, X-rays, vulcanized rubber—some of the greatest scientific discoveries happened by accident. Thanks to his love of invertebrates, William & Mary Biology Professor Jon Allen has added another entry to that list of happenstance achievements. Meandering around the mud
Human Missions to Mars Must Search for Alien Life, New Report Finds
A major new study lays out plans for crewed missions to Mars, with the search for extraterrestrial life being a top priority
Artificial photosynthesis catalyst converts carbon dioxide into fuel using sunlight
A joint research team has developed a highly efficient photocatalyst that can convert carbon dioxide into the high-value-added fuel, methane, using sunlight, while explaining its operating principles. The work is published in the journal ACS Catalysis.
First human DNA-cutting enzyme that senses physical tension discovered
An international research team has identified a human protein, ANKLE1, as the first DNA-cutting enzyme (nuclease) in mammals capable of detecting and responding to physical tension in DNA. This "tension-sensing" mechanism plays a vital role in maintaining genetic integrity
Mini-vortices in nanopores accelerate ion transport for faster supercapacitor charging
Tiny cavities in energy storage devices form small vortices that help with charging, according to a research team led by TU Darmstadt. This previously unknown phenomenon could advance the development of faster storage devices.
Durable catalyst shields itself for affordable green hydrogen production
An international research team led by Professor Philip C.Y. Chow at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has unveiled a new catalyst that overcomes a major challenge in producing green hydrogen at scale. This innovation makes the process of producing oxygen efficiently and
Museum staff are overwhelmingly in favor of behind-the-scenes tours
If natural history museums can be said to have a problem, it's that they have too many specimens for any one person to see and not nearly enough exhibit space to show them off. The Florida Museum of Natural History, for example, is home to more than 40 million specimens and
Viruses help drive carbon cycling in deep-sea ecosystems, study reveals
A research team led by Prof. Sun Chaomin from the Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOCAS) has unveiled the crucial role of viruses in deep-sea carbon cycling and microbial community structure. Their findings are published in Nature Communications.
Student researcher leads discovery of fastest gamma-ray burst ever recorded
Sarah Dalessi, a fifth-year student in the College of Science at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of The University of Alabama System, is the lead author of a paper published in The Astrophysical Journal detailing the discovery of the fastest gamma-ray
The U.S. Southwest's disappearing precipitation is also due to human-driven climate change, according to report
The Colorado River Basin, like much of the southwestern U.S., is experiencing a drought so historic—it began in 1999—that it's been called a megadrought. In the basin, whose river provides water to seven states and Mexico, that drought is the product of warming temperatures and
Male bonobos track females' reproductive cycle to maximize mating success
Male bonobos can decipher females' unreliable fertility signals, allowing them to focus their efforts on matings with the highest chance of conception, according to a study by Heungjin Ryu at Kyoto University, Japan, and colleagues published in PLOS Biology.
The Table Condiment That Powers Plant-Eating Giants
Some parts of Africa lack megaherbivores—salt scarcity in the environment could explain why The post The Table Condiment That Powers Plant-Eating Giants appeared first on Nautilus .
New report outlines science priorities for human Mars exploration
As humanity prepares to take its first steps on Mars, a comprehensive report released by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and steered by scientists at Penn State lays out a detailed science strategy to guide the initial human missions to the red
Decoding the chemistry of life: Maximum entropy reveals how mutations alter enzymes and drive drug resistance
For decades, Arieh Warshel, USC Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and a 2013 Nobel laureate, has used computer simulations to understand how enzymes—fundamental to nearly every biological process in living organisms—carry out the essential work of life.
Spain probes bird flu after hundreds of storks die near Madrid
About 400 storks have been found dead along a river near Madrid, officials said Tuesday, raising concerns that a highly infectious strain of bird flu may be circulating.
How to watch one of the year's best meteor showers, the Geminids
It's time for one of the strongest meteor showers of the year.
Chemical traces of 2023 Canadian wildfires detected in Maryland months after smoke subsided
In 2023, Canada's worst wildfire season on record produced so much smoke that it spilled across national borders into the United States. At times, a thick haze enveloped much of the U.S. East Coast and triggered "Code Purple" and "Code Maroon" alerts—the most hazardous air
Simplified lab process produces potent nerve-blocking molecules found in shellfish
Chemists have long been fascinated and frustrated by saxitoxin: a molecule that causes temporary paralysis by blocking the electrical signals that nerve cells (neurons) use to activate muscle, and which accumulates in shellfish like clams, oysters and scallops.
Adult female bark spiders produce superior and tougher silk than males do
Dragline silk or major ampullate (MA) silk, the part of a spider's web that forms the main frame and spokes, is one of the toughest materials known to science. That is, it can absorb massive amounts of energy from a sudden impact without breaking, outperforming most other
How oxygen first reached Earth's oceans
For roughly 2 billion years of Earth's early history, the atmosphere contained no oxygen, the essential ingredient required for complex life. Oxygen began building up during the period known as the Great Oxidation Event (GOE), but when and how it first entered the oceans has
US communities are getting older and more livable
Frequently framed as a crisis, the aging of the U.S. population also provides an opportunity to build more livable communities.
Melatonin wakes up plants, stimulating growth and boosting stress tolerance
In an interesting turn of botanical events, University of Houston engineers report that while melatonin keeps us asleep, it wakes up plants, helping them grow.
Lower-cost space missions like NASA's ESCAPADE are starting to deliver exciting science, but at a risk
After a yearslong series of setbacks, NASA's Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers, or ESCAPADE, mission has finally begun its roundabout journey to Mars.
2025 was chock full of exciting discoveries in human evolution
From an incredible series of revelations about the ancient humans called Denisovans to surprising discoveries about tool making, this year has given us a clearer picture of how and why humans evolved to be so different from other primates
NASA’s JWST Spots Most Ancient Supernova Ever Observed
Astronomers have sighted the oldest known stellar explosion, dating back to when the universe was less than a billion years old