Development of a new tool to help local authorities govern commercial influence on health
The actions of big business shape public health, so local authorities need to carefully consider how to govern their relationships with them.
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Trimming rice genes boosts yields up to 25% and improves drought tolerance
The way to make a plant grow more may be to take something away. Trimming a section off a plant gene raised rice harvests by up to 25% in new tests by University of Chicago scientists. The plants also showed a better tolerance for drought and heat.
Political moderates may be perceived as disloyal by both sides
In the increasingly polarized political realm, moderates may be viewed as disloyal by both conservatives and liberals when the opposing side seems threatening, according to research published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology.
Seals’ amphibious hearing developed a long, long time ago
Researchers scanned the ears of hundreds of marine mammals to deduce when pinnipeds evolved to hear well in both air and water.
How flying together helps Andean condors save energy
Animals are constantly moving to find food, water, suitable habitats, mates and safe places to rest. Because moving requires substantial energy, animals often rely on various biological and behavioral strategies to reduce unnecessary costs while seeking available resources.
Could we send a spacecraft to a black hole?
Black holes represent some of the most extreme environments in the universe. They are the sources of the strongest gravitational fields, allowing us to test Einstein's theory of general relativity to an extent impossible with small objects. But we are also reaching the limit of
Exploring why societies around the world no longer bury their dead at home
There are countless cultures and societies around the world, spanning thousands of years. One thing they all have in common is that death is a part of everybody's life. Examining how different societies commemorate their dead can give archaeologists and anthropologists insight
Are we missing alien lighthouses?
Searching for extraterrestrial intelligence has so far primarily meant focusing on one particular type of signal—and that signal has normally been based on our own current cutting-edge technology. But what if that's the wrong way to look for signs of alien intelligence? What if
Physicists capture first direct evidence of a Floquet topological state
A new study published in Nature Physics reports the first direct experimental evidence of a Floquet topological state, a novel light-induced phase of matter that, until now, has existed only on paper and in simulations. Topological insulators can conduct electricity along their
Koalas Are Getting a Vaccine to Help With Their STD Problem
It’s a key step in saving them from extinction The post Koalas Are Getting a Vaccine to Help With Their STD Problem appeared first on Nautilus .
Are aliens harvesting the spin of stars?
One of the challenges of searching for technosignatures (i.e., signs that intelligent life somewhere in the universe has created technology) is understanding what to look for. Technology is a very broad area, and different types would show up as different features. One of the
Oh deer: The threat munching its way through NZ's native forests
The need for a national deer management strategy to manage the decline of native forests is highlighted in a new research paper published today in the New Zealand Journal of Ecology. Led by Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC) Emeritus Professor David
New research reveals mass shootings and suicide deaths share summer peaks
A new study has found that mass shootings and deaths by suicide in the United States share seasonal patterns, reaching their highest levels during summer months. Analyzing national data spanning 2014–2021, researchers observed consistent summertime peaks in both mass shootings
Can bees sense magnetic fields?
Magnetoreception is one of the most controversial animal senses. And several bee species might have it
Virtual reality fish platform offers insights into the impact of artificial light on aquatic life
A virtual reality (VR) platform has given researchers new insights into how artificial light at night alters the way coral reef fish respond to predators. The study brings together, for the first time, the metabolic expertise of the University of Glasgow with an innovative
The best science books to read this summer, according to Scientific American editors
From ecohorror to science-inspired poetry, discover the books Scientific American staffers are recommending this summer
A US-Russian space crew lands safely in Kazakhstan after an 8-month stint on the ISS
A U.S.-Russian space crew landed safely in the steppes of Kazakhstan on Sunday after an eight-month stint on the International Space Station.
French firefighters face 'pyrocumulonimbus' for first time
The gigantic wildfire ravaging southwestern France has created an extremely dangerous "pyrocumulonimbus"—a phenomenon never before seen in the country—the spokesman for the country's National Firefighters Federation of France (FNSPF) told AFP.
Whales at risk, hungry pelicans: Marine heat wave hits California
On a boat off the coast of California, Sara Lesser gazes wistfully at dozens of dolphins playing in the vessel's wake. This summer, extreme heat is making such a scene increasingly rare.
France, Spain battle 'monster' wildfires with more heat on the way
Firefighters battled massive blazes tearing through forests across France and Spain on Monday, as authorities warned of a fresh heat wave set to engulf the scorched French wine-growing region around the major city of Bordeaux.
Saber-toothed cats' spinal tumors suggest inbred species struggled to survive
The fossilized spines of saber-toothed cats in the La Brea Tar Pits reveal evidence of an unexpectedly high prevalence of rare spinal nerve tumors, suggesting that the species became inbred just before extinction. These tumors, which cause significant pain and reduced limb
Spines of saber-toothed cats tell a tale of the doomed species
Remains pulled from the La Brea Tar Pits revealed deformed vertebrae and rare tumors, possible signs of inbreeding among now-extinct saber-toothed cats.
Tigray's old grapevines have survived against the odds: New research uncovers their genetic and historic value
The northern highlands of Ethiopia are among Africa's oldest agricultural landscapes. Some of the world's most important crops originated here, particularly pulses and grains, including teff. Yet another crop has a less well-known history in Ethiopia's Tigray region: the
Near a black hole, gravity changes a quantum circuit's readings, not its rules
Imagine holding one of our most precise quantum devices at a fixed position outside a black hole. A Josephson junction—two superconductors separated by an ultrathin barrier—can turn a voltage into a quantum oscillation with extraordinary precision. Would intense gravity change
Forest productivity, not rapid warming, shapes Northern Eurasia's carbon sink
Northern Eurasia contains about 20% of the world's forests and plays a crucial role in mitigating climate change by absorbing atmospheric carbon dioxide, thereby acting as a major carbon sink. However, understanding the region's carbon sink is challenging because it is
Twisted laser light distinguishes mirror-image molecules by their fragment counts
Many molecules exist in two mirror-image forms—like left and right hands—that look identical but can behave very differently, especially in biological systems and pharmaceuticals. Distinguishing between these enantiomers (also called chiral molecules) is a longstanding
When a teenager makes the 'stupid choice,' their brain is working exactly as designed
When an adult refuses to let an injustice pass—stands up to a bully or asserts their rights—we call it principle. When a 15-year-old retaliates to an insult thrown in a school corridor, risking detention, we call it a failure to think ahead. It's easy to ascribe this to a
Gamma-ray pulsations reveal extreme 3.2-millisecond pulsar 3,900 light-years away
By analyzing the data from NASA's Fermi gamma-ray space telescope, Chinese astronomers have investigated a recently identified millisecond pulsar known as PSR J0435+3233. As a result, they found that the pulsar exhibits gamma-ray pulsations. The discovery was detailed in a
Trace molecules emerge as chemical 'keystones' that steer life's communities
In nature, the rarest ingredient can be the one that holds everything together. In a new article published in Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Dr. Erika C. Freeman of the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) in Berlin argues that a handful of scarce
A quantum heat engine that simultaneously provides work and refrigeration
The laws of thermodynamics state that heat naturally flows from hotter systems or regions to colder systems or regions until a state of thermal equilibrium is reached. This simple principle underpins the operation of numerous technologies, ranging from refrigerators to power
DNA vacuum captures animal traces from air to map Danish wildlife
Researchers have developed a DNA vacuum that can suck genetic traces from animals out of the air and reveal which animals live in an area. In two new studies, the researchers collected air samples in three natural areas in Denmark and showed that the method can be used to map
Jimothy the Raccoon Survived Against the Odds, a Testament to Sophisticated Brains and Devoted Mothers
Surviving in the wild is no small feat for animals, especially ones like Jimothy, with rare conditions and yet he persevered to viral celebration, thanks to an adaptable brain and a caring mother The post Jimothy the Raccoon Survived Against the Odds, a Testament to
