Faced with historic drought, the Dutch rethink water management
On the banks of the Waal, the Dutch branch of the Rhine, swimmers are sunning themselves on a Nijmegen beach that didn't exist before the river level dropped a few months ago.
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Magnitude 7.7 earthquake strikes off coast of Indonesia and tsunami warning issued
A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia early Saturday, damaging buildings and homes, and triggering a tsunami warning. Authorities urged people on affected coastlines to move to higher ground.
After commercial whaling nearly erased them, blue and fin whales are slowly reclaiming the southeast Atlantic
More than 40 years after the end of commercial whaling, new research reveals a recent increase in sightings of the world's two largest whale species in the southeastern Atlantic. The findings, published in the African Journal of Marine Science, compiled more than 60 years of
'Starwashing': How space companies use the greenwashing playbook while causing environmental damage
From launchpads to low Earth orbit and beyond, space companies and their affiliates are deploying a familiar marketing tactic—with a new twist. In a space economy projected to reach US$1.8 trillion by 2035, they sell space exploration narratives by appealing to a desire to
The false and the furious: We aren't just bothered by different beliefs—we're bothered when we think others are wrong
Why do disagreements about vaccines, climate change or elections often feel so personal? Our research suggests it is not simply because other people have different beliefs. It is because we think those beliefs are mistaken.
Green roofs can help cool cities in the summer heat, but building them is only the first step. Many don't survive
As summer temperatures soar across the United States and Europe, cities are being forced to confront the difficult reality that they're getting dangerously hot.
Airborne observatory improves views of solar corona during cloud-covered eclipse
Using unique equipment installed on NASA's WB-57 aircraft flying above heavy clouds off the coast of Iceland, a Southwest Research Institute-led team successfully observed a total solar eclipse on Wednesday. The high-altitude jet followed the moon's shadow at 50,000 feet
Wheat gene behind Hessian fly resistance cloned after 50-year search
Researchers at the University of Maryland and their collaborators have cloned a gene that makes wheat resistant to feeding by Hessian fly larvae and demonstrated its direct interaction with a protein produced by the insect. The research breaks through a longstanding barrier to
Unlocking the past: New method helps gain insights into old tissues
A book sits atop a table. Although it's closed, its title, "Encyclopedia of Human Tissue," promises untold secrets. Perhaps with this book, you can learn about different cell types and what they look like under normal conditions or conditions of disease. Maybe you can learn how
Europe's mountain summits are warming—vegetation is responding in surprisingly different ways
Decades of climate change have not left Europe's mountain vegetation unscathed. However, the changes observed do not always match expectations. As a new international study by a research team led by researchers from the University of Vienna, the Austrian Academy of Sciences and
Engineered microbe speeds CO₂ capture and recovers critical metals
A genetically engineered bacterium can rapidly break down one of Earth's most abundant minerals, opening a promising new pathway for simultaneously removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and recovering critical elements used in electric vehicle batteries, according to new
Bones of medieval kings saved from Spanish wildfire
Firefighters raced to save a 1,000-year-old monastery in northeastern Spain on Friday as a growing wildfire prompted the hasty removal of the bones of medieval monarchs buried there.
Cell biochemistry beyond membranes: Condensate physics reveals general rules for chemical responses
Basic biology courses teach that cells contain organelles—such as the nucleus, mitochondria and Golgi apparatus—set apart by lipid membranes to get things done. Recent cell biology research has revealed another organizational principle at work in cells across all orders of
Bound gravitational waves inspired by photonic systems
When one mentions "waves," we immediately think of a perturbation that propagates. This applies to waves on the shore, sound waves in the air or electromagnetic waves that we use to transmit information via optical fibers. The same idea of propagating perturbations applies to
Cells pulse together as they grow—and malignant cells pulse the longest
Epithelial cells are the tiny shields that line and protect our bodies. In a developing embryo, epithelial cells grow, divide and move into positions to form the outer layers of our skin and the surfaces of our organs and blood vessels. When we scrape our skin, suffer an
Guangzhou crucibles provide earliest direct evidence of brass-making in East Asia
For centuries, scholars have read ancient documents describing the production of brass in 10th-century A.D. China. The problem was that the earliest physical evidence of brass production would be found nearly 600 years later, in the 16th century A.D.
Wildfires have destroyed an area of protected tropical forest twice the size of Wales since 2001, study reveals
Over 4 million hectares (9.9 million acres) of protected tropical forest—an area double the size of Wales—have been lost to wildfires since 2001.
The Real “Mummy’s Curse” Lurks Online
A booming market for mummified remains poses health risks The post The Real “Mummy’s Curse” Lurks Online appeared first on Nautilus .
Tropical Storm Lala nears Hawaii as forecasters expect it to strengthen into a hurricane
Hawaii rarely sees direct hurricane hits—if Lala strengthens, it will be just the third recorded hurricane to make landfall there
Early settlement dynamics in the Pacific revealed through ancient DNA
New genetic analyses of ancient human skeletons from western Remote Oceania are shedding light on the complex history of settlement in this vast Pacific region over the past 3,000 years. With island nations such as Vanuatu, Fiji and Tonga, the region is home to societies with a
Constipation is common in astronauts—blood tests provide new answers
For astronauts in space, constipation is a well-known problem. But why this happens has long been unclear. Now, a new study from the University of Copenhagen in collaboration with NASA provides an idea of what happens in the stomach without the influence of gravity.
A new way to beat jet lag? Engineered cells speed circadian adjustment
Adjusting to a new time zone or work schedule can leave the body's internal clock out of sync for days, contributing to sleep disruption, metabolic changes and other health consequences. Researchers at Rice University and Northwestern University have developed an implantable
Where Human Sleep Went Wrong
A conversation with David Samson, evolutionary anthropologist and author of The Sleepless Ape , about how to sleep The post Where Human Sleep Went Wrong appeared first on Nautilus .
X-band radar data sharpen simulation of westerly weak tornado
Tornadoes are among the most destructive weather phenomena on Earth. Their small scale, short life cycle and sudden onset make them extremely difficult to predict. This challenge is amplified for weak tornadoes embedded within midlatitude westerly flows, which often hide in
Controlling the rotation direction of light without complex new materials
A new pathway has opened for controlling the rotation direction of light simply by changing how molecules are arranged, without having to synthesize complex new materials. Circularly polarized light is a special form of light that travels while rotating like a pinwheel to the
Bringing butterflies back from the brink of extinction
On a summer day in Michigan, a tiny Poweshiek skipperling butterfly—smaller than a quarter—takes flight over a restored prairie.
Mysterious Cygnus Bubble may trace back to microquasar, astronomers suggest
Astronomers have proposed a new explanation for the mysterious Cygnus Bubble, a vast cloud of ultra-high-energy gamma rays stretching thousands of light-years across the sky. While the bubble has generally been linked to the Cygnus X star-forming region, the new study argues
Q&A: What are chalk streams and why are these rare rivers under threat?
Chalk streams are among the world's rarest river habitats. Fewer than 300 exist globally, and most are found in England. They support rich wildlife and have been described as England's 'Great Barrier Reef' due to their biodiversity. But they face pressure from climate change
New findings overturn 100-year-old assumption about common bacteria in the lungs
The human body is teeming with more than 35 trillion bacteria, coexisting in microbiomes inside the gut, mouth, lungs, skin and urogenital tract. While it's now clear these microbes are associated with health and disease, scientists have only begun to uncover the full scale of
The Conditions on a US Aircraft Carrier Sound Concerning
Can science point the way toward designing environments to maximize mental health in such situations? The post The Conditions on a US Aircraft Carrier Sound Concerning appeared first on Nautilus .
How a brutal drought may have helped unleash yellow fever in Brazil
Animals searching for water brought the forest to the city, perhaps sparking Brazil’s first yellow fever outbreak in decades.
Scientists develop method to deliver sugars directly into cells
Sugars, or glycans, play a crucial role in biology—from cell signaling and recognition to interactions with pathogens. Changes in glycosylation are also associated with diseases including cancer. But studying glycans poses a major challenge: because many glycans are highly
Stable RNA elements open new possibilities for mRNA therapeutics
A research team led by Director Kim V. Narry at the Center for RNA Research within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) has discovered compact viral RNA elements that can make mRNA more stable and increase protein production. These elements could provide a simple way to
Why 14 inches of rain fell in Japan in just one day
This extreme rain was deadly, with at least eight people killed and many others stranded
Sediments off Brazil's northeast coast reveal sudden changes in heat transport in the Atlantic
According to a new study led by researchers from Brazil and Germany, the main system that transports heat from one end of the Atlantic Ocean to the other may undergo sudden changes in intensity driven by climate change similar to what we are experiencing now, even when it is
Quality vs. quantity: Why 'super-shedders' may not be the superspreaders of disease outbreaks
A host that sheds an abundance of parasites might seem like an obvious disease-spreading threat. But new research suggests that shedding large volumes of parasites does not dictate transmission efficiency—and "super-shedders" may not be the superspreaders of infectious disease
Genetic analysis reveals new species of endangered baobab tree in Madagascar
Madison researchers recognize a new species of baobab tree, Adansonia bozy, unique to Madagascar, according to a study published in the journal Taxon. Previously, members of A. bozy were classified within a different species of Malagasy baobab, Adansonia za.
Long-lost convent rediscovered under a soccer field in Denmark
A medieval monastery complex, long believed to be lost, has now been identified using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) in Roskilde, Denmark. The investigations have uncovered extensive and well-preserved remains of the St Clare's Convent from the 13th century, approximately 1
Why is Illinois suddenly being hit with so many tornadoes?
This state, which has seen more than 200 twisters this year, could beat Texas’s all-time record of 244 tornadoes in 12 months
How Vipers Got Their Venom
Although it serves as a defense, it’s really all about securing a meal The post How Vipers Got Their Venom appeared first on Nautilus .
A light-based scan could detect deadly bowel disease in preterm babies
Necrotizing enterocolitis strikes premature babies with almost no warning. A new approach aims to detect it early with a quick, low-risk scan.
US could exhaust domestic phosphorus within 40 years, but waste offers reserves
The United States could exhaust its domestic phosphorus supply within 40 years. Europe, Latin America and Southeast Asia already depend on imports from China and Morocco to meet their needs. Without phosphorus, crops cannot grow—and without a reliable supply of the mineral, the
Four hazards converge in East Portland, where underinvestment deepens vulnerability
When it comes to compounding natural hazards like landslides, wildfires, flooding and extreme heat, where you live makes all the difference. New research from Portland State University underscores this disproportionate reality, finding that in Portland, the areas most
Butterfly-inspired technology could change the way we monitor air
Respiratory infectious diseases and air pollution remain persistent global health challenges. Yet the tools used to monitor airborne threats are often expensive, power-hungry and difficult to deploy outside laboratories.
Cells use a little-known molecule to protect themselves from iron overload
Iron is essential. Our cells need it to produce energy, carry oxygen throughout the body and power countless chemical reactions that sustain life. But this metal has a dark side. When too much of it is left free inside cells, it can trigger destructive reactions that break down
Tiny satellite will use the dark side of the moon to eavesdrop on whispers from the early universe
A tiny UK-developed satellite, roughly the size of a small carry-on suitcase, could help answer one of the biggest questions in cosmology: What happened during the roughly 150 million years of the cosmic dark ages, before the universe's first stars appeared?
The Extraterrestrial Rings of Bronze Age Greece
Meteorites were hot fashion accessories back then The post The Extraterrestrial Rings of Bronze Age Greece appeared first on Nautilus .
Tiny DNA rotor lets microscopes track gene transcription one base pair at a time
Scientists often describe life as a series of chemical reactions. Pallav Kosuri, Ph.D., describes life as movement. Chemical reactions are how you drive the movement of atoms, proteins, cells and bodies—without movement, there is no life.
Why climate-driven droughts and floods rarely become international news
Three factors—spectacular images, a high death toll and strong personal ties—make it more likely that the media in one country will report on a natural disaster in another, according to a study by the University of Bonn, the University of Warwick and Imperial College London,
Human blood may have helped preserve ancient Chinese rock art for 2,000 years
The Huashan rock art landscape in southern China, close to the border with Vietnam, is a remarkable UNESCO World Heritage site. Thousands of images are painted on river cliffs across more than 80 locations stretching 260 kilometers (162 miles). They depict people, musical
