Ancient DNA tests the notion that allergies are due to our dirtier past
An analysis of ancient DNA and modern disease risk suggests some immune genes may reduce allergy risk rather than increase it.
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New approach to detect ultra-rare part-per-sextillion isotopes could also sharpen dark matter searches
The detection and study of isotopes, atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons, could expand the scope of physics research and enable new scientific discoveries. So far, rare isotopes have been primarily detected using a technique known as accelerator
Warming El Nino set to return in mid-2026: UN
The El Niño weather phenomenon, which pushed global temperatures to record highs the last time around, is expected to return in mid-2026, the UN said Friday.
Could warming seas bring great white sharks back to the North Sea? A 5‑million‑year‑old shark tooth may provide clues
As Earth shifts to climates not seen for several hundred thousand years, we may need to look at ancient environments for clues about what could happen next.
Beavers leave a trail as they head into the Arctic and reshape the landscape
A study has provided new evidence of beavers' expansion into the Canadian Arctic by dating the changes they have made to the tundra landscape as they spread northward. Published in the journal Ecosphere, the research combines tree-ring analysis, or dendrochronology, with
NASA scientist says a "fifth force" may be hiding in our solar system
Scientists are grappling with a cosmic mystery: why does the Universe behave differently on massive scales compared to our own solar system? While distant galaxies reveal clear signs of something bending the rules of gravity—often attributed to dark energy or a hidden “fifth
Astronomers may have found a strange new kind of cosmic explosion
A mysterious cosmic explosion has astronomers buzzing, as a strange event may hint at an entirely new kind of stellar cataclysm. After detecting ripples in space-time, scientists spotted a fast-fading red glow that initially looked like a rare kilonova—the kind of collision
Lower-intensity coconut farming boosts yields and soil health in West Africa
New research shows that lower-intensity management of coconut palm plantations can sustain, or even increase, crop yields while improving soil health. The new approach, published in Plants, People, Planet, reduces harmful pathogens and promotes beneficial mycorrhizal fungi,
One blue whale song unlocks oceans of data
Trying to find a whale song in the ocean is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. But now, UNSW Sydney researchers say they've trained a model, with just a single case study, to find blue whale songs in recordings that span across decades and entire ocean basins.
What Mummies Read Before a Long Nap
Archaeologists have recovered a scrap of the Iliad in the belly of an interred Egyptian The post What Mummies Read Before a Long Nap appeared first on Nautilus .
Scientists warn about golden oyster mushrooms sold in Florida markets
The golden oyster mushroom may be a culinary hit, but it’s becoming an ecological problem. Scientists warn it’s spreading quickly through U.S. forests, where it outcompetes native fungi and reduces biodiversity. In just a decade, it has appeared in more than 25 states, largely
Orbital dances unlock true masses of Orion's young stars
A star's mass determines its entire life story, from how it shines to how it dies. For young stars shrouded in dust, getting an accurate mass has long been difficult, but new radio measurements are beginning to change that. Astronomers are helping unravel the mass mystery of
This battered Jurassic sea giant held on against the odds, and its fossil hints at an unexpected survival strategy
A fossil discovery in Mistelgau, Northern Bavaria, Germany, reveals that the last representatives of the giant ichthyosaurs of the genus Temnodontosaurus survived longer in the Southwest German Basin than previously thought. The Early Jurassic marine reptile is exceptionally
An agricultural mosaic in Taiwan
About 23 million people live in Taiwan, a Pacific island about the size of Maryland. Despite its size, the island produces a tremendous amount of agricultural goods per year—about $18 billion, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Agriculture.
Some rays flash decoy eyes while others never do, as evolution's hidden trade-off comes into focus
From butterflies to peacocks, bold circular "eyespots" are among nature's most eye-catching patterns. But why do they appear in some animals and not others? A new study of skates and rays finally provides an answer—and it lies in the full range of defenses an animal has at its
Quantum 'dark modes' no longer block phonon control, opening new paths for scalable devices
Three RIKEN researchers have demonstrated a way to stop problematic "dark modes" from squelching intriguing effects in quantum systems. This advance could help with the development of more versatile quantum devices that can be used to control the storage and transmission of
The secret to perfect espresso? It’s physics
Inspired by gas and liquid flow in earth science, researchers brewed an equation to calculate the speed of water percolation through ground coffee.
One-way phonon synchronization could survive noise and defects, theoretical physicists suggest
A novel approach for realizing the one-way quantum synchronization of phonons has been proposed by three theoretical physicists at RIKEN. Importantly, this method is remarkably resilient against practical challenges such as imperfections and environmental noise. Their paper,
Scientists just found where airborne microplastics really come from
Microplastics are floating through the atmosphere and spreading across the globe, but their true origins have been misunderstood. New research shows land sources emit over 20 times more microplastic particles into the air than the ocean, challenging earlier beliefs. Scientists
Amateur armed with ChatGPT 'vibe-maths' a 60-year-old problem
A ChatGPT AI has proved a conjecture with a method no human had thought of. Experts believe it may have further uses
Scientists just uncovered a 3 million-year climate mystery in Antarctic ice
Ancient Antarctic ice is revealing a surprising new chapter in Earth’s climate story, stretching back 3 million years. By analyzing tiny pockets of trapped air and rare gases, scientists have discovered that while the planet cooled significantly—especially in the oceans—levels
Early deliveries can lower product ratings by 0.2 stars, analysis of 11 million reviews finds
When it comes to package delivery, early isn't always better. A new study published in Production and Operations Management by researchers at the University of Iowa's Tippie College of Business finds that when a package that's ordered online is delivered earlier than the
The Problem with Psychedelic Research
A conversation with a psychedelics researcher about a fundamental flaw in how we test these mind-bending drugs The post The Problem with Psychedelic Research appeared first on Nautilus .
How deceptive content reached millions of voters during the 2020 US elections
Over the past decades, the diffusion of fake news and other deceptive content on social media platforms has become a heated topic of debate. Some past studies have explored the broad impact of online misinformation, while others have tried to determine whether deceptive content
How geneticists uncovered a common root of two neurological diseases
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) can have the same genetic cause, a discovery that won two neurogeneticists a portion of the 2026 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences
988 crisis hotline linked to drop in young adult suicide rates
The states with the greatest increases in 988 crisis hotline use since 2022 experienced the greatest decrease in suicide mortality, but the hotline alone may not explain the drop
What happens if you’re hit by a primordial black hole?
Subatomic black holes from ancient cosmic history could, in principle, make you have a very bad day. But chances are you’ll never encounter one
Trump wants Iran's 'nuclear dust.' Here's how the U.S. could remove the uranium
President Trump keeps promising to secure Iran’s nuclear “dust,” which is actually a gas
QBox theory may offer glimpse of reality deeper than quantum realm
Physicists have long suspected that there is a layer of physical reality beneath quantum theory and a new mathematical model unveils just how strange it might be
From pet stores to pandemics—how wildlife trade helps diseases jump to humans
New research shows the global wildlife trade is rapidly accelerating the spread of animal pathogens that can jump to humans
Africa could split apart sooner than scientists thought
New research reveals that a rift in Earth’s crust is just a few million years away from splitting the continent of Africa into two—and creating a new ocean
How electron structure affects light responses in moiré materials
In materials science, if you can understand the "texture" of a material—how its internal patterns form and shift—you can begin to design how it behaves. That's the focus of the work of Zhenglu Li, assistant professor in the Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and
Wild Balkan berries keep gin taste steady as climate shifts
As he threaded his way through the scrub in Serbia's southern hills, Slobodan Velickovic stopped to inspect the small indigo berries that have made the Balkans a key part of the global gin industry.
Is stem cell therapy about to transform medicine and reverse ageing?
A clinical trial to reverse age-related vision conditions using stem cell treatment could finally deliver on the promise of a major discovery in ageing and regeneration made 20 years ago, says columnist Graham Lawton
A third of animal habitats on land could experience multiple extreme events by 2085, new study suggests
By 2085, 36% of species' current habitats on land could be exposed to multiple types of climate-driven extreme events such as heat waves, fire or floods if warming continues to rise into the latter half of the century. The findings are part of a new study published in Nature
Wildfires spread towards northern Japan town
Flames from raging wildfires in northern Japan were spreading towards the center of a town Friday, with authorities urging more than 2,500 people to evacuate their homes, media reports and the government said.
Q&A: Apollo astronaut Schmitt talks about getting back to the moon and life in the universe
It was 1972 and Apollo astronauts Harrison "Jack" Schmitt and Eugene Cernan had just stepped onto the moon's surface to begin collecting rock and soil samples.
Stunning 132 million-year-old dinosaur tracks are rewriting history
A long-standing mystery in southern Africa’s fossil record is beginning to unravel. After massive lava flows 182 million years ago seemed to erase evidence of dinosaurs in the region, scientists have now uncovered surprising new clues along the Western Cape coast. Dozens of
A massive, unstable ice block stalls Everest climbers at base camp
A massive ice block on the route just above the Mount Everest base camp has forced hundreds of climbers and their local guides to delay their attempt to scale the world's highest peak, officials said Friday.
This 100 million-year-old snake had hind legs and a lost bone that changes evolution
Nearly 100 million years ago, snakes weren’t the sleek, limbless creatures we know today—they still had hind legs and even a cheekbone that has almost vanished in modern species. A remarkably preserved fossil of Najash rionegrina from Argentina has reshaped how scientists think
This 2,200-year-old Roman wreck hid a repair story that rewrites how ancient ships survived long voyages
Ever since humans have embarked on sea voyages, they needed to ensure vessels were waterproof, resistant to salty seawater, and could withstand microorganisms or sea-dwellers like worms. Until the mid-20th century, however, the study of non-wood materials used to build ships
Examining threats to monetary sovereignty in the digital era
The world is undergoing a fundamental change to how money works, and New Zealand should choose its response wisely, an Otago researcher cautions. New University of Otago—Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka research co-authored by Dr. Murat Ungor from the Department of Economics, and his
Smoke caused by seasonal fires shrouds northern Thailand
Chiang Mai, Thailand's second-largest city, lies within a network of narrow valleys in the country's northern highlands. Though the historic city is known for panoramic views of the surrounding mountains, clear skies have become less common. In recent decades, smoke has
Extreme rain on snow is testing aging dams across Michigan and Wisconsin—this is the future in a warming world
Michigan and parts of Wisconsin are in the midst of a historic flooding event in spring 2026. Days of heavy rainfall on top of snow have sent lakes and rivers over their banks and threatened several dams in both states, forcing people to evacuate homes downstream. By April 20,
Climate change means more landslides in NZ—but new tech can help reduce the risk
Thousands of slips in Tairāwhiti in January. The loss of eight lives in the Bay of Plenty later that month. And, days ago, landslides that damaged homes, forced evacuations and blocked roads across the North Island.
New bioreactor turns stem cells into an immune-cell factory, producing 40 million human macrophages per week
Researchers at Hannover Medical School (MHH) have developed a method for the efficient production of human immune cells, such as macrophages, in medium-sized bioreactors. These immune cells can be derived from induced pluripotent stem cells and are important for disease
DNA damage just got more complicated: A long-missed weak spot emerges when light and oxygen strike
In everyday life, our genetic material is constantly under attack from many factors. Environmental influences such as light, along with internal processes like inflammation, can generate oxidative stress that damages DNA and its downstream partner, RNA, which can lead to faster
Milky Way's 'little cousins' may hold clues about infant universe
Ultra-faint dwarf galaxies—tiny satellite galaxies orbiting the Milky Way—have long been seen as cosmic fossils. Now, a new study published today in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society uses an unprecedented set of simulations to show just how powerfully these
Retrospective genre bias can misread art; AI helps recover original context
Featuring gory attacks by bloodthirsty vampires, one may be quick to categorize "Sinners" as a horror movie. That classification, however, may not be fair to the artists who created it. In "Sinners," the creators cleverly use horror as a metaphor for violent racism in the Deep
Could Neanderthals Speak Like Us?
They had the right genes for it The post Could Neanderthals Speak Like Us? appeared first on Nautilus .
