The Monstrous Appetite of Japanese Giant Salamanders
Body size pushes these river monsters to become apex predators The post The Monstrous Appetite of Japanese Giant Salamanders appeared first on Nautilus .
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Engineering heat-tolerant, high-yield rice for a warming planet
Rising day and night temperatures are threatening rice, wheat, and maize production by disrupting plant growth, grain filling, and grain quality, putting global food security at risk. Precision breeding and genome editing offer ways to reprogram plant clocks, optimize flowering
Challenging California's water 'scarcity' narrative
California doesn't have a water scarcity problem. It has a distribution problem, according to Nícola Ulibarrí, whose new research is reshaping how policymakers think about one of the state's most pressing challenges.
Promise the Earth: Why real climate action means restraint
A new book by a Cambridge engineer and an Oxford theologian argues that our faith in technology to solve the climate crisis is distracting us from the uncomfortable truth: that saving the planet is neither a task for future technologies nor for world leaders alone. It is
The evolutionary trap that keeps rove beetles alive
Rove beetles have evolved a neat trick to survive. They cloak themselves in ant pheromones, allowing them to enter and remain undetected within ant colonies. But it comes with a catch. Once a rove beetle lineage evolves this kind of obligate symbiotic relationship, it can never
The only U.S. particle collider shuts down – so a new one may rise
The famed collider at Brookhaven National Laboratory has ended operations, but if all goes to plan, a new collider will rise from its ashes.
When the interaction between fungi and bacteria becomes a dangerous alliance
Rivals or allies—how do bacteria and fungi interact in our bodies? Until now, bacteria on our mucous membranes were primarily considered to be antagonists of fungi, as they can inhibit their growth. However, an international research team led by the Leibniz Institute for
Rare natural compound from teak tree shows promise for treating diabetes and lipid disorders
In a study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology on January 29, researchers from the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences identified a rare natural compound derived from the Teak tree (Tectona grandis) which works in two
Gut physiology, not host species, dictates microbiome diversity: Study
A large-scale population metagenomic study has shed new light on the spatial heterogeneity of viral communities across the gastrointestinal tracts of ruminants, which are closely linked to human history. The team, led by Prof. Tan Zhiliang from the Institute of Subtropical
How gold is formed in China's Tianshan mountains
A new study led by Prof. Xiao Wenjiao from the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences sheds light on the ore-forming process and key mechanisms of the gold deposit in the South Tianshan of northwest China. The research was published in
When the fish stop biting, ice fishers follow the crowd
Study showcases how modern-day foragers stick together when seeking food. Such social forces could help explain the emergence of complex thinking.
The Ape Who Could Play Make-Believe
Kanzi, the bonobo, once again topples barriers between humans and great apes by demonstrating imagination, a cognitive capacity thought unique to humans The post The Ape Who Could Play Make-Believe appeared first on Nautilus .
Study of 174 U.S. law firms finds when employers 'build' vs. 'buy' talent
Firms flush with resources tend to develop talent internally while younger firms, facing unpredictable workloads, will hire from the outside to fill their talent gap, according to a new USF study.
Amino acid 'stickers' help decode spider silk's strength and flexibility
Scientists have identified the molecular interactions that give spider silk its exceptional strength and flexibility, opening the door to new bio-inspired materials for aircraft, protective clothing and medical applications, and even advancing our understanding of neurological
If the universe is expanding, how can galaxies collide?
You might think galaxies can’t ever find each other in our runaway cosmos, but it turns out gravity can sometimes overcome even the stretching of space itself
Snakes on a train? King cobras may be riding the rails in India
A new study suggests king cobras may be accidentally boarding trains across India
A push to redraw the map of mental illness
Why psychiatry’s diagnostic system may undergo major changes, and what the scientific debates over how mental illnesses should be defined are
Giant snails and tiny insects threaten the South's rice and crawfish farms
Josh Courville has harvested crawfish his whole life, but these days, he's finding a less welcome catch in some of the fields he manages in southern Louisiana.
Moving inductions to early morning could shorten labour by 6 hours
By matching uterine contractions up with the body’s natural circadian rhythms, inducing labour in the early morning is linked to shorter labour and fewer emergency c-sections
The internet names a new deep-sea species of chiton
The Senckenberg Ocean Species Alliance (SOSA), in partnership with the scientific publisher Pensoft Publishers and science YouTuber Ze Frank, have let the internet name a newly discovered deep‑sea chiton (a type of marine mollusk). The formal description of the species is
An invisible chemical rain is falling across the planet
A new study reveals that chemicals used to replace ozone-damaging CFCs are now driving a surge in a persistent “forever chemical” worldwide. The pollutant, called trifluoroacetic acid, is falling out of the atmosphere into water, land, and ice, including in remote regions like
Mars’ water mystery may have a simple ice answer
Scientists have found that ancient Martian lakes could have survived for decades despite freezing air temperatures. Using a newly adapted climate model, researchers showed that thin, seasonal ice could trap heat and protect liquid water beneath. These lakes may have gently
A new scan lets scientists see inside the human body in 3D color
A new imaging breakthrough combines ultrasound and light-based techniques to generate vivid 3D images that show both tissue structure and blood vessel activity. Developed by researchers at Caltech and USC, the system delivers detailed results quickly and without radiation or
This paper-thin chip turns invisible light into a steerable beam
Researchers have built a paper-thin chip that converts infrared light into visible light and directs it precisely, all without mechanical motion. The design overcomes a long-standing efficiency-versus-control problem in light-shaping materials. This opens the door to tiny,
Raising human capital in BRICS is linked to lower emissions, study suggests
Climate change and worsening environmental conditions have brought into sharp relief how we must reconcile development with sustainability. This issue is nowhere more starkly relevant than among the fastest-growing economies. Research published in the International Journal of
A superfluid freezes and breaks the rules of physics
Physicists have watched a quantum fluid do something once thought almost impossible: stop moving. In experiments with ultra-thin graphene, researchers observed a superfluid—normally defined by its endless, frictionless flow—freeze into a strange new state that looks solid yet
Light-driven probe enables sensitive detection of epigenetic intermediates
Epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation play a key role in regulating gene expression. Emerging evidence suggests that intermediates generated during DNA demethylation may have distinct biological roles. However, their detection remains challenging due to their low
Governments urged to fix faulty radar in economic models disregarding climate risk
Economic models used by governments, central banks and investors are increasingly understating physical climate risk because they rely on assumptions that break down as the world moves toward higher levels of warming, according to a new report from University of Exeter and
Study: Why Nobel Prize-level materials have yet to reach industry
Excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, polluted water, and increasingly strict environmental regulations are driving the search for materials that can efficiently trap pollutants at the molecular level. For more than two decades, this challenge has drawn scientific attention
Into the neutrino fog: The ghosts haunting our search for dark matter
Ciaran O'Hare scribbles symbols using colored markers across his whiteboard like he's trying to solve a crime—or perhaps planning one. He bounces around the edges of the board, slowly filling it with sharp angles and curling letters. I watch on, and when he senses I'm losing
Large study shows scaling startups risk increasing gender gaps
When startups scale quickly, founders often make hurried hiring decisions that unintentionally disadvantage women, according to new study from the Stockholm School of Economics in Sweden. The study shows how the pressures of rapid growth increase the likelihood that founders
New VRscores database maps workplace politics across 530,000 US employers
Researchers, including Professor of Management and Organization Reuben Hurst at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business, have produced VRscores, an unprecedented public database for understanding the partisan lean of different employers in the United
What Olympic athletes see that viewers don't: Machine-made snow makes ski racing faster and riskier
When viewers tune in to the 2026 Winter Olympics, they will see pristine, white slopes, groomed tracks and athletes racing over snow-covered landscapes, thanks in part to a storm that blanketed the mountain venues of the Italian Alps with fresh powder just in time.
Why cheaper power alone isn't enough to end energy poverty in summer
Australia is an energy superpower. We have abundant natural resources, high average incomes and one of the highest per-capita rates of rooftop solar uptake in the world.
'Dispersal-driven' evolution fuels diversity at the air-liquid interface
As in a batch of kombucha or a barrel of sherry, microbes can assemble into a mat-like layer at the boundary between air and liquid. In laboratory culture, the bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25 is widely known for doing exactly that: starting from a non-mat-forming
Statins don't cause most of the side effects listed on their labels
A review of the evidence suggests that statins are no more likely than a placebo to cause most of the side effects listed on their labels
Inside the Mouth of Earth’s Oldest Bird
A new look at an Archaeopteryx skull reveals some familiar and fascinating structures The post Inside the Mouth of Earth’s Oldest Bird appeared first on Nautilus .
How to close the justice gap: What a health-linked legal model showed in three years
A three-year study has found that legal services work best when they are designed with communities, delivered face-to-face and closely linked to health and well-being, offering important lessons for improving access to justice in the U.K. The research, led by Nottingham Law
Scientists outline case for next-generation ocean iron fertilization field trials
A team of ocean and climate researchers is calling for a new generation of carefully designed ocean iron fertilization (OIF) field trials to determine whether this marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) method can safely and effectively leverage a natural ocean process to pull
Thinking of AI-written vows? A study explains why it can backfire
Psychologists at the University of Kent are suggesting people think wisely about their use of ChatGPT this Valentine's Day after new research has revealed that we judge people most when they use AI to write love letters, apologies, and wedding vows. Their findings, published in
Tuning topological superconductors into existence by adjusting the ratio of two elements
Today's most powerful computers hit a wall when tackling certain problems, from designing new drugs to cracking encryption codes. Error-free quantum computers promise to overcome those challenges, but building them requires materials with exotic properties of topological
When lasers cross: A brighter way to measure plasma
Measuring conditions in volatile clouds of superheated gases known as plasmas is central to pursuing greater scientific understanding of how stars, nuclear detonations and fusion energy work. For decades, scientists have relied on a technique called Thomson scattering, which
A smarter way to watch biology at work: Microfluidic droplet injector drastically cuts sample consumption
Watching proteins move as they drive the chemical reactions that sustain life is one of the grand challenges of modern biology. In recent years, X-ray free-electron lasers, or XFELs, have begun to meet that challenge, capturing ultrafast snapshots of molecules as they shift
An estimated 8,000 cold-stunned iguanas removed from parts of Florida
An estimated 8,000 invasive green iguanas were removed from various Florida communities this week after a record-breaking freeze event that sent overnight temperatures down to the mid-30s for two nights in a row. On Wednesday, the Florida Fish and Wildlife and Conservation
NASA Langley makes final preparations for Artemis II mission to launch around the moon
When Apollo 17 astronauts returned from the moon in 1972, they visited NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, to thank staff for their contributions to the mission, saying "we stood on the shoulders of giants as we shot for the stars."
Research team finds E. coli, other pathogens in Potomac River after sewage spill
Following one of the largest sewage spills in U.S. history, University of Maryland researchers have detected high levels of fecal-related bacteria and disease-causing pathogens in the Potomac River, raising urgent public health concerns and underscoring the risks posed by aging
Why has SpaceX not launched from Kennedy Space Center this year?
SpaceX launched 26 missions from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39-A in 2025, including four human spaceflight missions. That era is coming to an end. A massive crane was put in place this week with speculation it will soon remove the crew access arm from the historic launch
Detection system uses gravitational waves to map merging black holes
An international collaboration of astrophysicists that includes researchers from Yale has created and tested a detection system that uses gravitational waves to map out the locations of merging black holes—known as supermassive black hole binaries—around the universe. Such a
Researchers propose multi-sector approach for global challenge posed by presence of pharmaceuticals in environment
Pharmaceutical products are essential for health, and they play and will continue to play a key role in disease prevention and treatment. However, they are exerting a major impact on the environment by affecting ecosystems and human health, and contributing to biodiversity
Natto fermentation actively produces health-promoting supersulfide molecules, study reveals
Supersulfide molecules, metabolites from plants that are important in cellular metabolism, are attracting attention in the medical and nutritional fields for their potential in supporting health and disease prevention. Natto, a Japanese food made from soybeans fermented with
