The hair cells lining the inner ear are among the most sophisticated structures in the human body: capable of detecting sounds as faint as a whisper, while helping to maintain our sense of balance. Through new models detailed in PRX Life, a team led by Roman Belousov at the
Neanderthals hunted European pond turtles (Emys orbicularis) in Central Europe, though probably not for food. The careful cleaning of carapace elements at Neumark-Nord indicates that shells were reused, perhaps as small containers or scoop-like implements, according to an
During their historic lunar flyby, astronauts on NASA's Artemis II mission witnessed meteorites striking the rugged surface of the moon, a sight that has piqued scientists' curiosity.
Each winter, thousands of blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus) migrate to the clear, shallow waters off South Florida, where they are easily spotted from the air—a movement that coincides with seasonal beach nourishment projects. In northern Palm Beach County, beach
A new Yale study of roundworms, a species with the unique ability to regenerate, reveals that disruptions in the body's internal map of cellular organization may play a part in age-related decline.
The potent emerald-green blend of wormwood, green anise and fennel, known as "the Green Fairy," was once celebrated by French society, including artists from Baudelaire to Van Gogh. By the early 1900s, France consumed more absinthe than the rest of the world put together. Yet
Leo is a prominent sight for stargazers in April. Its famous sickle, punctuated by the bright star Regulus, draws many a beginning stargazer's eyes, inviting deeper looks into some of Leo's celestial delights, including a great double star and a famous galactic trio.
Helping to preserve artifacts, some potentially 2,000 years old, was an irresistible privilege. Since 2016, an Australian-Lao team led by Louise Shewan, Dougald O'Reilly and Thonglith Luangkhoth has conducted archaeological research in the mysterious "Plain of Jars," located in
A new international study is shaking up how we think about elite sprinting, arguing there’s no single “perfect” running style behind the world’s fastest athletes. Instead, speed emerges from a complex mix of an individual’s body, coordination, strength, and training—meaning
An Iran-linked hacktivist group recently claimed to have hacked into the private emails of Kash Patel, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, posting photos and documents online.
Scientists at The University of Manchester have developed a new way to measure how traffic contributes to rising urban temperatures, revealing that everyday vehicle use can play a measurable role in making cities warmer. The researchers created a new physics-based module that
Take a tour through volcanic history on the edge of the Sierra Nevada near Mammoth Lakes, California. Between the tall granite peaks to the west and the Basin and Range province to the east, overlapping volcanic complexes imprint the landscape with a collection of craters,
For all its ancient, familiar features, the Moon is still changing—and sometimes in dramatic ways. Scientists recently identified a fresh 22-meter-wide crater by comparing orbital images taken years apart, revealing a relatively recent impact that no one actually saw happen.
A hidden milestone lurks in the U.S.’s Artemis-focused lunar ambitions—the nation’s first-ever successful robotic moon rover
Roman leader Julius Caesar is said to have kept a stock of it in the treasury. Ancient writer Pliny the Elder says Rome's Emperor Nero owned the last stalk of it. And some have suggested rampant extramarital sex in elite Roman circles led to demand outstripping supply, and it
As humanoid robots enter the real world, new studies suggest that people project human racial biases onto them—but the research is divided on whether those biases persist outside the lab and in real-world interactions
The Artemis II astronauts were jetting toward Earth and sharing their lunar flyby souvenirs Tuesday, delighting colleagues both at home and in space with captivating tales of their historic journey.
A sharp rise in U.S. measles cases is linked to falling MMR vaccination rates and growing immunity gaps
A new University at Buffalo study finds that people in the United States generate similar amounts of plastic packaging waste regardless of income, education level or where they live. Yet wealthier and more college-educated communities are much more likely to recycle soda
The Artemis II astronauts—three Americans and one Canadian—hurtled deeper into space than any other humans during a moon flyby Monday that marks NASA's lunar comeback.
Still aglow from their triumphant lunar flyby, the Artemis II astronauts made more history Tuesday: calling their friends aboard the International Space Station hundreds of thousands of miles away as they headed home from the moon.
Research in New Phytologist shows that plants can acquire nutrients not only from the soil but also from atmospheric dust that settles and dissolves on their leaves, releasing elements such as phosphorus and iron.
A bizarre, record-breaking neutrino detected in 2023 may have originated from an exploding primordial black hole—a relic from the early universe. Scientists suggest these black holes could carry a mysterious “dark charge,” causing rare but powerful bursts of energy that current
Planetary exploration may be about to get a major speed boost. Researchers tested a semi-autonomous robot that can move from rock to rock, analyzing each without waiting for human instructions. The system completed missions up to three times faster than traditional methods
Last year Kenya Wildlife Service warned of a growing demand for garden ants in Europe and Asia, where some people view them as exotic pets. An attempt to smuggle over 2,000 garden ants out of the country's main international airport made the news in 2026. Echoing this, in 2025,
Quantum computers struggle with a major flaw: their information vanishes unpredictably. Scientists have now created a new method that can measure this loss over 100 times faster than before. By tracking changes in near real time, researchers can finally see what’s going wrong
A new paper in Molecular Biology and Evolution, finds that changes in animal development induced by climate shock persist generations after the initial event. The escalating effects of climate change are likely to, in effect, speed up evolution.
A team of university and Tribal researchers has developed a blueprint for creating research agreements that enable respectful research with Tribes and on Tribal lands. The guidance was developed to address shortcomings in most research policies that are written without Tribal
Florida is among the wettest U.S. states, but that doesn't mean it is drought-free. Nearly all of Florida faced at least "moderate" drought, and nearly 80% faced "extreme" conditions in April 2026, according to data from the U.S. Drought Monitor. Unusually dry conditions
Scientists have zoomed in on how phosphoric acid moves electrical charges so efficiently in both biology and technology. By freezing a key molecular pair to extremely low temperatures, they found it forms just one stable structure—contrary to predictions. This structure relies
A famous “oldest octopus” fossil has been exposed as a case of mistaken identity. Advanced imaging revealed hidden teeth showing it was actually related to a nautilus, not an octopus. The confusion came from decay that altered its shape before fossilization. This discovery
Differences of opinion on climate change among the Dutch have not increased over the past 40 years; in fact, they have decreased, according to a study conducted by sociologists Anuschka Peelen and Jochem Tolsma of Radboud University. The researchers also found no evidence that
Researchers have developed a cutting-edge technique that uses RNA “barcodes” to map how neurons connect, capturing thousands of links with single-synapse precision. The method transforms brain mapping into a sequencing task, making it faster and more scalable than traditional
Bumble, Tinder or Hinge—they're the fast-paced, image-driven dating platforms millions rely on to find everything from love to a late-night fling. But new Adelaide University research suggests they may also be undermining how young adults see their bodies.
Scientists at Cornell University may be closing in on the long-sought “holy grail” of male contraception: a safe, reversible, nonhormonal method that completely halts sperm production. In a breakthrough mouse study, researchers used a compound called JQ1 to temporarily shut
In a high-end fashion store or luxury car showroom, the term "vegan leather" sends a strong message of quality. For many shoppers, it promises the look and feel of real leather without using animal skins. As brands move away from animal leather, "vegan" has come to suggest
Disinformation communicated by and on behalf of foreign powers is now part and parcel of digital statecraft in the information age, an expert from Cardiff University has said.
An extract of turmeric and ginger helps bone implants bond strongly while killing bacteria and cancer cells, according to new research from Washington State University with implications for millions of patients with joint replacements and bone cancer. In early tests, the
A new Earthset image has been captured by the crew of Artemis II, 58 years since the iconic Earthrise photograph taken by the crew of Apollo 8. Over these past six decades, the climate has changed dramatically.
Researchers at Koç University have developed a light-driven method to produce porous semiconducting polymers under ambient conditions without the need for metal catalysts. The study, led by Prof. Dr. Önder Metin from the Department of Chemistry, in collaboration with Dr. Melek
The United States is planning new tariffs on some name-brand medicines.
A famous 300-million-year-old fossil that was thought to be the world's oldest octopus—even featuring in the Guinness Book of Records—has turned out to be something else altogether. In what amounts to a case of mistaken identity, the fossil hid its true nature through decay 300
Uncovering a case of mistaken cephalopod identity The post This Record-Breaking Octopus Fossil Isn’t an Octopus After All appeared first on Nautilus .
In 2000, researchers thought they found the oldest fossil octopus, which lived over 300 million years ago. But it may just be a half-rotten nautilus.
In an editorial, National Academy of Engineering President Tsu-Jae Liu presents a forward-looking perspective on the role of artificial intelligence in engineering. She describes AI not as a replacement for engineers, but as a tool that can expand their capacity to solve
In December, The Conversation hosted a webinar on AI's revolutionary role in drug discovery and development. Science and technology editor Eric Smalley interviewed Jeffrey Skolnick, eminent scholar in computational systems biology at Georgia Institute of Technology, and
Researchers at Umeå University have contributed new insights into how cancer cells protect themselves from cell death. The study provides a deeper understanding of how key proteins interact within the cell and could, in the long term, support the development of new cancer
In a discovery recently published in Nature, MIT chemists led by Professor Alison Wendlandt have developed a precision technique that allows scientists to seamlessly relocate alcohol functional groups from one spot on a molecule to a neighboring site. The paper is titled
Global efforts to limit climate change require deep cuts to carbon emissions. However, global emissions are still growing. Currently, we emit roughly 42 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide from fossil fuel use and land use changes every year.
Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have built a molecular "leash" to pull directly on a force-sensing protein called Piezo1, and discovered it switches on at about 15 piconewtons, proving that it can be activated by physical tethers, not only by membrane
