A research team at the University of Würzburg has deciphered another aspect of poxviral gene activation. They have revealed a unique viral mechanism: A molecular ring anchors the viral copying machine to the DNA. Their findings are published in the journal Nature Communications.
How does our DNA store the massive amount of information needed to build a human being? And what happens when it's stored incorrectly? Jesse Dixon, MD, Ph.D., has spent years studying the way this genome is folded in 3D space—knowing that dysfunctional folding can cause cancers
Intense radiation emitted by active supermassive black holes—thought to reside at the center of most, if not all, galaxies—can slow star growth not just in their host galaxy, but also in galaxies millions of light-years away, according to a study led by Yongda Zhu, a
According to the ISAF 2025 shark attack report, global unprovoked shark bites returned to near-average levels in 2025, following a sharp reduction the year prior. A total of 65 unprovoked shark bites occurred worldwide in 2025, slightly less than the most recent 10-year average
Some say we’ve entered a new age of AI-enabled scientific discovery. But human insight and creativity still can’t be automated.
The drought-tolerant shrub affectionately known as Old Man Saltbush is mostly used as stock fodder, but can also be added to salads or cooking and has been used as bush tucker by Indigenous Australians for thousands of years. Now, early research suggests it could be a healthy
Fire is a natural and essential part of the Australian ecological landscape, with many native plant species regenerating after fire that occurs under the right conditions. However, a new study, "Ecological Resilience of Restored Mediterranean Climate Woodlands to Experimental
Changing corporate strategies are putting more pressure than ever on chief financial officers (CFOs), a change that's reflected in record-high turnover of the position in U.S. businesses despite the fact that pay is at an all-time high. What can stop the churn? According to a
Lasers, devices that emit intense beams of coherent light in specific directions, are widely used in research settings and are central components of various technologies, including optical clocks (i.e., systems that can keep time relying on light waves as opposed to the
As cultured meat moves toward commercialization, people want to understand how it impacts health compared to conventional animal meat. So, researchers publishing in theJournal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry conducted an initial food safety study to identify potential
Analysis of a violent, unprecedented cosmic outburst The post Did Astronomers Finally Witness a Black Hole Eat a White Dwarf for the First Time? appeared first on Nautilus .
Researchers have uncovered more than a thousand previously unknown tectonic ridges across the Moon’s dark plains, showing the Moon is still contracting and reshaping itself. These features are among the youngest geological structures on the lunar surface. Because they form
A major new study has spotlighted three familiar medicines that could take on an unexpected new role in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease — with a shingles vaccine emerging as the front-runner. After reviewing 80 existing drugs, an international panel of experts identified
While there are plenty of historical topics U.S. citizens agree on—generally, events and figures from the Civil War up to the end of the Cold War—the birth of the nation isn't one of them, according to a new report from Johns Hopkins SNF Agora Institute and a nonprofit called
Putting humans and LLMs head-to-head in classic tests of judgment from human psychology underscores the differences between them
While killer whales (Orcinus orca) can trigger the immediate departure of white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias), extended absences from their aggregation sites are also part of the sharks' natural behavior, new research reveals.
India's ambitious and high-profile bid to reintroduce cheetahs received a major boost Wednesday with the announcement of the birth of three cubs, the environment minister said.
VO2 max is an important measure of aerobic conditioning, whether you’re an Olympian or just a person hoping to stay healthy
Below the surface, Greenland’s ice appears to be churning up, a process one scientist described as akin to a “boiling pot of pasta”
How AI‑powered “smart home” technologies could improve safety and ease caregiver burden for people with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia
A new study led by the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) has unveiled the first biomaterial that is not only waterproof but actually becomes stronger in contact with water. The material is produced by the incorporation of nickel into the structure of chitosan, a
Studying foraging behavior in marine mammals is especially difficult. Unlike terrestrial animals, which can often be directly observed, marine mammals feed underwater and across vast, remote areas, making it challenging to determine where and what they eat. Most diet studies
Comparisons and competitiveness among employees have been around as long as there have been workplaces. But those frictions are taking fresh shape as the use of artificial intelligence and robotics starts to spread through businesses.
Scientists are sounding the alarm over the spread of bird flu across Antarctica, with a leading Chilean researcher telling AFP Tuesday of an observed strain "capable of killing 100% of infected fauna."
An ungainly barrel of a shark cruising languidly over a barren seabed far too deep for the sun's rays to illuminate was an unexpected sight.
NASA began another practice launch countdown Tuesday for its first moonshot in decades with astronauts after making repairs to fix dangerous fuel leaks that already have bumped the flight into March.
Life on Earth may have learned to breathe oxygen long before oxygen filled the skies. MIT researchers traced a key oxygen-processing enzyme back hundreds of millions of years before the Great Oxidation Event. Early microbes living near oxygen-producing cyanobacteria may have
Antibiotic resistance is racing toward a global crisis, with “superbugs” projected to cause over 10 million deaths annually by 2050. Now, scientists at UC San Diego have unveiled a powerful new CRISPR-based tool that doesn’t just fight resistant bacteria—it can actively strip
A 125-million-year-old dinosaur just rewrote what we thought we knew about prehistoric life. Scientists in China have uncovered an exceptionally preserved juvenile iguanodontian with fossilized skin so detailed that individual cells are still visible. Even more astonishing, the
As the planet warms, many expected ecosystems to change faster and faster. Instead, a massive global study shows that species turnover has slowed by about one-third since the 1970s. Nature’s constant reshuffling appears to be driven more by internal ecological dynamics than by
Vomit is gross—but 290-million-year-old vomit is a scientific marvel
A new University at Buffalo study suggests cannabis-infused beverages could help some people cut back on alcohol. In a survey of cannabis users, those who drank cannabis beverages reported cutting their weekly alcohol intake roughly in half and binge drinking less often. Nearly
NASA has pulled off a high-flying aurora investigation, launching three rockets into the glowing northern lights over Alaska. One mission targeted mysterious dark patches called black auroras, while the twin GNEISS rockets created a 3D scan of the aurora’s electrical currents.
Refugees from Ukraine who suffer from potential war trauma are less likely to work than their compatriots who do not. This is the result of a study published as an RFBerlin discussion paper.
For years, satellite data suggested that autumn snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere was actually increasing — a surprising twist in a warming world. But a new analysis reveals that this apparent growth was an illusion caused by improving satellite technology that became
Northern Japan, especially the island of Hokkaido, is home to some of the snowiest cities in the world. Sapporo, the island's largest city and host of an annual snow festival, typically sees more than 140 days of snowfall, with nearly six meters (20 feet) accumulating on
Imagine someone has chronic pain. One doctor focuses on the body part that hurts and keeps trying to fix that single symptom. Another uses a more comprehensive brain-body approach and tries to understand what's keeping the nervous system stuck in alarm mode—perhaps stress, fear
Scientists in China have unveiled a breakthrough way to mass-produce powerful cancer-fighting immune cells in the lab. By engineering early-stage stem cells from cord blood—rather than trying to modify mature natural killer (NK) cells—they created a streamlined process that
The value of wetlands on the landscape cannot be overstated—they store and filter water, provide wildlife habitat, cool the atmosphere and sequester carbon. Yet, in the farmland area of Canada's Prairies, wetlands are being drained to increase crop production and expand urban
It's long been assumed the Jomon people, who had inhabited the Japanese archipelago since around 16,000 years ago, had multiple lineages resulting from different migration routes. But new genetic evidence, including mitochondrial DNA from 13 newly sequenced Jomon skeletons,
What does it mean to love your job? The language of love has become increasingly common in contemporary discussions of work. People say they want to love their jobs, organizations promise roles candidates will love, and recruitment ads frame employment as an emotional
Frank Cuozzo and Michelle Sauther first traveled to South Africa in 2012 to search for some of the most unusual primates on Earth—bushbabies. These animals are nocturnal and small, often around the size of a housecat. Bushbabies have big ears, round eyes and get their names
Thousands of people were killed by Iranian security forces in days of protests in January 2026. Meanwhile, in the same month, the killing of two protesters in Minneapolis shone a light on the use of fatal force by American law enforcement—a phenomenon that in 2025 saw the
The role of soil and forests in greenhouse gas sequestration has been studied for a long time. However, forests are also home to invisible organisms that may affect the climate. "Soil, water and peatlands have been studied in the Biogeochemistry Research Group at the University
Most Hawaiʻi residents believe sea level rise is already affecting the state, expect major impacts within their lifetimes, and support significant changes to how and where development occurs. At the same time, many remain uncertain about how large-scale adaptation should be
Yesterday, an international team of researchers from various disciplines set off aboard the German research vessel METEOR for an expedition along the west coast of Africa, led by the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel. The expedition focuses on two poorly
Forecasting earthquakes presents a serious challenge on land, but in the oceans that cover around 70% of Earth's surface it is all but impossible. However, the vast network of undersea cables that crisscross the world's seas could soon change this. As well as transmitting data
I'm still processing the devastating mass school shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C. Like many people across the country, I'm thinking about the families and communities directly impacted while trying to anticipate next steps.
A woman was buried with two children, but they were not her own. In another grave, two children were placed. They were not siblings and were more distantly related, perhaps cousins. In a new study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences,
Sports talent scouts' decisions are influenced by various common cognitive biases that can affect their work and undermine team success, a paper published in the International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology has suggested. The research team reviewed the scientific and
