Speaking More Languages May Help Slow Brain Aging
A new study suggests multilingual people have younger brains The post Speaking More Languages May Help Slow Brain Aging appeared first on Nautilus .
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Unexpected discovery yields new graphene oxide production method
Researchers in the Texas A&M University J. Mike Walker '66 Department of Mechanical Engineering have developed a new method for producing graphene oxide, a high-value carbon nanomaterial used in batteries, electronics and advanced manufacturing.
What do people really eat? New global database gives best answer yet
A major new resource that provides one of the most comprehensive pictures yet of what people are eating around the world has been introduced in a new study by a UCL and University of Oxford researcher.
Paleontologists make 'one in a million' discovery of soft tissue preserved in 450-million-year-old fossil
Before the oldest dinosaur, before animals or even plants had expanded onto dry land, ancient relatives of starfish called crinoids, resembling stalked sea flowers, were among the first creatures to flourish in Earth's earliest coral reefs more than 450 million years ago. The
Astronomers spot an extremely rare galaxy mega-merger
Scale in the universe is hard to understand from a purely human perspective. Many times, the math just doesn't sit well with our brains, which evolved to capture and process data about the world around us rather than grok the complexities of stellar dynamics and galaxy mergers.
Alpine butterflies track warming uphill, but habitat loss may pose bigger risk
A new study published in the journal Alpine Entomology has found that alpine butterflies in the Swiss National Park are closely matching the pace of local warming in their range shift to higher elevations.
Early parenting shapes the brain and socio-sexual behavior, rodent study shows
Past psychology studies have consistently highlighted the importance of social bonds for survival, showing that enduring relationships are linked with a longer life expectancy, a more resilient immune system, better cardiovascular health and a lower risk of psychiatric
Hidden fungal networks deliver carbon to green plants, experiment confirms
Beneath forests, grasslands and wetlands lies a hidden underground network of fungi known as mycorrhizal networks, sometimes nicknamed the "wood-wide web." These fungi live in partnership with plant roots, helping plants absorb nutrients from the soil in exchange for carbon
Satellites reveal when toxic algal blooms flare in Blue Mesa Reservoir
The summers of 2021 and 2022 were tough seasons for Colorado's Blue Mesa Reservoir. A severe drought gripped much of the western U.S., prompting emergency water releases that brought the reservoir to its lowest level since 1984. Marinas and boat ramps closed, remnants of a
Scientists solve a 30-year rye pollen mystery that could transform cancer research
Scientists have finally solved a nearly 30-year-old mystery surrounding two unusual molecules found in rye pollen that once showed an intriguing ability to help animals fight tumors. By determining their exact 3D structures, researchers have unlocked the blueprint needed to
Discrepancies in AI lunar crater catalogs discovered
A new Southwest Research Institute-led study compared eight AI-generated lunar crater catalogs, discovering that many of their published performance metrics drop sharply when the databases are evaluated using the same scientific standards humans are held to. Crater catalogs
Wordle, but for art history—Anthropeum turns the Met Museum into an online game
Anthropeum is a daily game that uses the Met’s open-access data to showcase underrepresented art and artifacts
Childhood trauma may erode adult relationships through daily communication struggles
Traumatic events from your childhood could have a lingering impact on your adult relationships, according to new research from the University of Georgia.
Universities must rethink how they prepare students for an AI-powered world, study argues
Universities need to rethink how they teach, assess and prepare students for employment as artificial intelligence becomes an increasingly important part of everyday life and work, according to a new study from the University of Manchester. The paper, published in Frontiers in
How healthy is your brain? We now know how to find out
In our efforts to keep our brains healthy, how do we know what is working? Helen Thomson explores a new generation of tests that can reveal whether our efforts are paying off
Why Antarctica froze millions of years before the Arctic
East Antarctica hosts the largest ice sheet on Earth, containing enough water to raise global sea levels by 52 meters (171 feet) were it to fully melt. Yet scientists have been puzzled for decades about how and why this ice sheet formed.
Traces of Earth's primordial magma ocean discovered in lava from a modern volcanic eruption
In May 2018, the island of Mayotte, between Madagascar and Mozambique, began to experience a series of earthquakes that led to the discovery of an underwater volcano, now called Fani Maoré. Multiple scientific expeditions followed, taking samples of the recently erupted lava.
Astronomers characterize 'improbable' system shaped by brown dwarf
In the course of studying planets beyond our solar system (6,316 confirmed exoplanets and counting), scientists have discovered some very interesting systems. Consider TOI-201, a compact system populated by three bodies, including a brown dwarf, orbiting on the same plane. The
Nanobubbles cleaned up the Lincoln reflecting pool: Here's how they could be used on dying seas and lakes
Ahead of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in the U.S., an ozone nanobubble system has been used to keep the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool clear. Months before the celebrations, a massive cleanup of the pool had taken place, but despite this, an algae
New approach boosts microplastic removal from wastewater
RMIT University researchers have tested a more effective way to capture microplastics from wastewater, using a combination of microbubbles and nanobubbles to achieve removal rates of more than 90%.
A Super El Niño is coming: 5 hard‑won lessons the world can learn from Africa
Climate prediction scientists announced in June 2026 that El Niño, a cycle that happens every two to seven years, had formed. It was expected to develop into one of the strongest on record—a "super" El Niño.
Larger brain, smaller face: Human evolution took a different course than previously thought
A new study, published July 6, 2026, in the journal Nature Communications, suggests that two of the best-known trends in human evolution—brain growth and the reduction in the size of the face and jaw—may be far less attributable to directed natural selection than scientists
Japan releases snowman-like asteroid image after flyby
Rare images taken by a Japanese space probe during a flyby of a near-Earth asteroid have revealed that the space rock resembled a snowman, scientists said Monday.
Moving forests to save them: Here are the risks and rewards of assisted tree migration
Climate change is shifting forest conditions faster than local tree species can adapt. Higher temperatures, more frequent droughts and less predictable winters can weaken species that have been established in a region for centuries. In light of this, one idea is gaining ground:
Q&A: How camera-equipped homing pigeons could improve robotic vision in flight
Contrary to common assumptions, pigeons do not lock their eyes in place during flight. Instead, they make slow, subtle eye movements that may help them gather more information about their surroundings.
Pickles glow when you plug them in. Science explains why
A scientist, a jar of pickles and a power strip walk into a room. The punchline involves physics, glowing condiments and a scientific party trick.
Engineers solved an airflow mystery hidden nearly a mile underground
Engineers at a deep underground research facility noticed something strange during major rainstorms: airflow underground sometimes reversed direction. Using new sensors and mathematical modeling, they found that water rushing down a shaft was effectively pushing air through the
Webb uncovers dust-shrouded heart of Centaurus A after galaxy clash 2 billion years ago
In new images from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to celebrate its fourth science anniversary, a familiar galaxy transforms into something far richer and far more complex than ever seen before. Webb's unprecedented sensitivity across near- and mid-infrared wavelengths cuts
We assume students see pictures in their minds as they learn. But not everyone can
Picture a bright red apple. Most people can do this easily. They imagine the apple's shape, color and shine. But for others, the image is vague and blurry or they "see" nothing at all. This is known as aphantasia—a "blind mind's eye."
Scientists discover smart way to supercharge soft robotics and better support rehabilitation patients
Researchers have found an ingenious way to make soft robots and wearable technology more than three times more powerful by harnessing the surface tension of a tiny liquid metal droplet smaller than a raindrop.
Scientists want to quarantine alien life on the Moon before it reaches Earth
Scientists are calling for a lunar quarantine facility where samples from Mars, the Moon, and beyond would be examined before being brought to Earth. They warn that even a tiny alien microorganism could have unpredictable effects on Earth's ecosystems. By using robotic handling
Researchers Reveal the Power of ‘Quantum Proofs’
When checking that solutions to certain problems are correct, it turns out, you can’t get around the inherent complexity of the quantum world. The post Researchers Reveal the Power of ‘Quantum Proofs’ first appeared on Quanta Magazine
Upside‑down whales aren't sick or hurt—they're just resting
If you stand on one of Australia's southern shorelines at this time of year, you might be lucky enough to spot a southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) swimming in the shallow waters. These ocean giants have migrated from the Southern Ocean and Antarctica to breed, give
The evolutionary pressure behind sexual asymmetry revealed in yeast cell study
A major transition in evolution is the shift from asexual to sexual reproduction in early organisms. But why would a yeast cell, which usually reproduces asexually, choose to mate with a very different partner in times of stress?
How Animals Communicate Across Species
From honeyguides to cleaner fish, cross-species cooperation abounds The post How Animals Communicate Across Species appeared first on Nautilus .
5 things to know about sunscreen, according to a skin cancer expert
How much sunscreen should you be using, when should you apply it, and are there any downsides to doing so? Skin cancer expert Rachel Neale is here to answer all of these questions and more
A last dance before death: Binary stars and the origins of interacting supernovae
When massive stars die, they unleash some of the most powerful explosions in the universe. Yet not all supernovae are created equal. Some continue to shine brightly for months or even years as their expanding debris crashes into dense clouds of gas surrounding the star. These
Climate change is silencing the Pilbara barking gecko
New research from Monash University has provided the first comprehensive assessment of the Pilbara barking gecko (Underwoodisaurus seorsus) and revealed the species is facing a heightened risk of extinction under a rapidly warming climate.
NASA’s exoplanet mission accidentally discovers a world it was never meant to find
The exoplanet telescope TESS revealed a distant world using an entirely different detection method than the one it was built around
Ancient hobbit-like humans may have survived on meat left behind by Komodo dragons
Arguably one of the most curious ancient human relatives is Homo floresiensis, a 3-foot-tall species that lived on the Indonesian island of Flores and has been nicknamed "hobbit" for its diminutive stature. Even though they had small brains, scientists had thought they were
Chinese spacecraft Tianwen-2 beams back first image of Earth’s “mini moon”
China’s Tianwen-2 aims to collect samples from asteroid Kamo’oalewa and return them to Earth
Scientists observe water's behavior in a single molecular layer
New research has revealed that water behaves differently when confined to spaces just one molecule thick. For the first time, scientists have directly measured the vibrational signatures of truly two-dimensional water. In a study published in Nature Communications, researchers
Chemists capture structure of the elusive borylnitrene trapped in a crystal using X-ray
Nitrenes are the ghosts of synthetic chemistry, formed in an instant and gone just as quickly, rearranging into something entirely different. These highly reactive intermediates are widely used in synthesis, yet remain notoriously difficult to study because they rapidly
Atomic-level engineering of Cu nanoclusters improves conversion of CO₂ to fuel
Researchers at Tohoku University have discovered a promising strategy that converts harmful carbon dioxide into valuable fuels and chemicals by precisely altering nanoclusters made of copper.
‘Hobbits’ likely scavenged dragons’ kills
Homo floresiensis may have scavenged Komodo dragon leftovers instead of hunting small elephant relatives.
New workflow tool gives scientists a clearer view of how DNA is regulated
Researchers from the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore (CSI Singapore) at NUS have developed a new method that allows scientists to better understand how DNA is organized and regulated inside cells. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications on May 26, 2026,
From birdsong to galaxies: Unleashing the potential of citizen science
Everyone could contribute dramatically more to scientific knowledge if given better recognition, administrative support and funding stability, new research has found. An international collaboration of 16 organizations used surveys and group discussions to identify key
AI maps 991 aromatic plants, identifies scent compounds that may improve sleep
Food scientists at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have used machine learning to sift through more than 2,300 scent molecules from aromatic plants and identify compounds with sleep-promoting potential, an approach that could accelerate the discovery of natural sleep
Earth's deepest rocks help define upper limit for viscosity beyond which materials effectively become rigid
Viscosity is one of the most fundamental physical properties used to describe how materials flow. It governs the movement of liquids, molten rocks and even slowly deforming regions deep inside the Earth. While scientists have long studied materials with low or moderate
Older than the sun: Astronomers find new clues to the origin of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS
Astronomers have used the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (ESO's VLT) to study the composition of 3I/ATLAS, the brightest interstellar object ever seen, in detail. By measuring specific chemical fingerprints—the first observations of this kind for a comet
