Cell cultures—single layers of cells grown in a small dish—have enabled researchers to study biological growth, develop or test drugs and even discover what causes some diseases. Cell spheroids, 3D versions of cell cultures built using a process known as cell aggregation, are
U.S. officials are taking a closer look at what's in America's drinking water, including microplastics and leftover medications.
In Puerto Rico, drought doesn't always arrive slowly. Sometimes, it appears in days. That speed can leave producers scrambling, reservoirs dropping, and communities facing water restrictions before they can react. In a place often associated with heavy rain and hurricanes,
Just as embroiderers, with needle and thread, can transform plain fabric into an intricate pattern, engineers can use lasers and polymers to create flexible, complex structures that could transform life-saving sensing technology. An interdisciplinary team at the University of
Reef sharks are observed less frequently on Caribbean reefs that have high levels of diving activity and greater coastal development, according to new research published in the Journal of Applied Ecology. Even recreational activities that are often considered low impact are
Insects just aren’t what they used to be The post What Happened to the Ancient Bug Giants of 300 Million Years Ago? appeared first on Nautilus .
How can we predict species' responses to always-arising changes in our world? A long-term ecological study from Yokohama National University researchers suggests the answer may lie in a few small simple biological traits. Their findings offer a framework for better anticipating
New evidence suggests that a disease-causing tapeworm that has been spreading across the United States and Canada has arrived in the Pacific Northwest. The tapeworm, called Echinococcus multilocularis, lives as a parasite in coyotes, foxes and other canid species and can cause
Most people think of diamonds as high-end adornments. Not Ania Bleszynski Jayich. The UC Santa Barbara physicist sees diamonds, which she grows in the UC Quantum Foundry, as a potentially powerful foundation for quantum sensors. Sensors are currently much farther along in their
University of Tennessee Knoxville professor and Goodrich Chair of Excellence in Civil Engineering Frank Loeffler and his co-authors published new research on the environmental impacts of "forever chemicals" in Nature Microbiology. Their study uncovered that bacteria incorporate
With its striking San Francisco Bay settings, director Alfred Hitchcock's iconic horror film "The Birds" has captivated audiences for more than 60 years. For Hitchcock, the film—set in an ocean-side town terrorized by swarming, murderous birds, was about how an unexpected
Debates over how geometry is understood and learned date back at least to the days of Plato, with more recent scholars concluding that only humans possess the foundations of this understanding. However, a new analysis by New York University psychology professor Moira Dillon
Imagine a creature nearly twice the size of a modern African elephant, which can weigh up to 6,000 kg. This was Elephas (Paleoxodon) recki, a prehistoric titan that roamed the landscape of what is now Tanzania nearly two million years ago. Now, imagine a group of our ancestors
When a father of astronomy wrote the first science-fiction book about the dark side of the moon The post Did This 17th-Century Novel Presage the Coming Artemis II Observations? appeared first on Nautilus .
Warming temperatures from climate change cause tree swallows to nest up to two weeks earlier than they did in the 1970s, but early spring cold snaps can hinder nestlings' growth and survival, according to a new study that incorporates a four-decade Cornell dataset on the birds.
An understanding of community resilience and risk analysis is vital when it comes to protecting civilians and infrastructure from natural hazards, such as hurricanes or earthquakes. Artificial intelligence is an efficient way to rate a community's resilience and vulnerability.
It transports far more than 100 times as much water as all of the Earth's rivers combined: The Antarctic Circumpolar Current rushes around the southern continent unhindered by land masses and is therefore a fundamental component of the climate system. In a recent study
A longstanding mystery in mosquito biology has been solved, opening a potential new path for controlling mosquitoes and the diseases they spread. For decades, scientists believed that juvenile hormone, a chemical signal essential for mosquito reproduction, needed two different
Why do cats often leave food unfinished? Many cat owners have experienced this puzzling behavior. Domestic cats are well known for eating multiple small meals throughout the day, a pattern thought to reflect their evolutionary origin from the African wildcat (Felis silvestris
Researchers at Cornell University have developed a powerful new genetic toolkit that allows scientists to study how genes function at the level of individual cells, an advance that could accelerate discoveries in development, neuroscience, and disease. The work is published in
The four astronauts embarking on NASA's lunar flyby became on Monday the humans to travel farthest from our planet, as they begin documenting areas of the moon never before seen by the naked eye.
Snow leopards, leopards, and Himalayan wolves all share similar stomping grounds in Nepal's Lapchi Valley in the Himalayas. A recent study, published in PLOS One, has taken a closer look at how these apex predators have found a way to coexist, despite limited resources.
Suggesting deep evolutionary roots of rhythm in animals The post Bumblebees Bounce to the Beat appeared first on Nautilus .
The four astronauts onboard NASA’s moon mission just broke the record for the farthest distance from Earth traveled by any human
Scientists have found a new way to detect subtle chemical signatures in seawater, revealing previously invisible details about the ocean's chemistry from data continuously collected by thousands of autonomous robotic floats drifting across the seas.
A new study led by scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) reveals that endangered sei whales regularly use the New York Bight as a key spring habitat, underscoring the importance of this heavily trafficked region
Fences are among conservation's most controversial interventions. To some, they are essential for conserving wildlife, minimizing encroachment, and preventing the type of conflict that happens when humans come into contact with wildlife.
Today, the four astronauts of Artemis II are observing the far side of the moon, setting distance records and experiencing a solar eclipse.
Iodine deficiency is on the rise among people in the UK, the US and Australia. A century ago this led to drops in IQ, height and thyroid health – and the modern fancy salt fad may be leading to a resurgence, says columnist Alice Klein
If you were rewarded for following a particular pattern of behavior, wouldn't you keep doing it? The answer turns out to be more nuanced than you might think. In a new study, University of Iowa researchers report that pigeons rewarded with food after pecking five buttons in any
As governments worldwide explore how artificial intelligence can transform decision-making, a recent study from Sultan Qaboos University demonstrates how AI can uncover hidden connections within legal systems—offering a powerful tool to support smarter lawmaking. Published in
Timing is key The post Unraveling the Chemical Secrets of a Wholesome Plant-Pollinator Relationship appeared first on Nautilus .
Experts in echolocation use multiple clicks and echoes to sense objects, offering insight into how the brain builds perception.
Newt Gingrich raised eyebrows with a social media post about using nuclear bombs to cut a new channel in the Strait of Hormuz. There’s history there
Just because a female olive baboon has mated with a specific male doesn't mean he will be the father of her offspring. According to a new study published in PLOS Biology, mate selection continues long after copulation as the vaginal tract appears to "weed out" genetically
Cultivating flowering plants for pollinator gardens, commercial farms, or home landscapes often relies on the use of herbicides to manage unwanted weeds. Honeybees are attracted to these locations and play a critical role in their success. So what happens when foraging bees
Quantum mechanics tells us that a particle can never be perfectly still. But how precisely can it be oriented? A research team at the University of Vienna, together with colleagues at TU Wien and Ulm University, has now cooled the rotational motion of a levitated silica
For decades, scientists have tried and failed to explain how the force that binds the heart of atoms together really works. But new mathematical tools are finally prising the problem open
The 19th-century science fiction novel Frankenstein explores the idea of combining artificial materials with human body components, purely as a matter of imagination. Two centuries later, such concepts have become integral to our medical science. Synthetic materials and devices
The Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX) has discovered tens of thousands of gigantic hydrogen gas halos, called "Lyman-alpha nebulae," surrounding galaxies 10 billion to 12 billion years ago. Known as Cosmic Noon, this is an epoch in the early universe when
Everyone's idea of the perfect cup of coffee is different. Whether you have yours black, with a splash of milk or extra sweet, you like it your way. But is there a universal law that governs how that flavor gets into your cup? According to new research published in the journal
Four Artemis II astronauts are taking a giant step for humankind Monday when they shoot deeper into space than anyone before and glimpse parts of the moon never seen by the naked eye.
The astronauts will have a front-row view of the farside of the moon, including sunlit features, an eclipse and a re-creation of the famous Earthrise.
A vast meshwork of soil-bound fungi governs life aboveground. In Alaska, and at field sites around the world, researchers are racing to understand exactly how, with essential stores of carbon at stake. The post An Arctic Road Trip Brings Vital Underground Networks into View
A plant uses a rare scent to guide its pollinator to male flowers first and to female flowers later, finds a study led by Kobe University. The work, appearing in Current Biology, uncovers a precise chemical system that not only keeps this partnership specific but also helps
Using NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), an international team of astronomers has discovered a new "hot Jupiter" exoplanet. The newfound alien world, designated TOI-7169 b, orbits a metal-poor star, which is rare among exoplanets. The finding was detailed in a
When people are talking, they can start to unconsciously mirror each other, for instance, in the words they use, their sentence structures and even hand gestures. This tendency to mirror others can lead to smoother conversations, while also fostering empathy and collaboration.
The transition from green to yellow is more complicated than previously thought The post What Goes On Inside a Ripening Banana appeared first on Nautilus .
The electrons that power our society flow left and right through the circuitry in our electronics, back and forth along the transmission lines that make up our power grid, and up and down to light up every floor of every building. But the electrons in newly discovered "moiré
The fifth day in space for Artemis II saw space suit tests, an Easter egg hunt and final preparations for an imminent close encounter with the moon