In less than a millionth of a second after a nuclear detonation or a severe nuclear reactor accident, an enormous burst of energy heats the surrounding air and materials. Everything in the vicinity is vaporized into a hot, glowing cloud of gas and plasma. As that nuclear
When people think about wildfires, they usually think about flames, smoke and evacuations. However, for many communities, some of the most important damage begins after the fire has passed.
In the early 1990s, crime-loving television audiences could choose mainly between cozy, fictional detective series such as Columbo and Murder, She Wrote. The US docuseries Unsolved Mysteries brought a few real cold-case investigations to light, but coverage of forensic science
Living bacteria embedded in coatings could clean wastewater, capture carbon and generate biofuels—but only if they survive the manufacturing process. Researchers at the University of Surrey and the University of Warwick have developed a method that keeps bacteria submerged
For most of the 20th century, the model of human origins was a tree: with the trunk dividing into branches, and then twigs. Each species of human relative (hominin) was a neat, single branch.
Honeybees are among the widely studied insects, due to their sophisticated, hierarchical social organization and their essential ecological role. Bees can move swiftly in natural environments, passing through narrow openings and identifying the best paths to reach their
The science academies of G7 member countries have identified international space governance as a pressing issue for the G7 Leaders' Summit, to be held from June 15–17 in Evian, France.
The latest discoveries by an international research team, which includes Academy Research Fellow Ferhat Kaya from the University of Oulu, Finland, offer a detailed view of how early humans lived, moved, and adapted to their environment 100,000 years ago. The group has been
Being able to see light and detect radiation is of utmost importance at any frequency. While this challenge has been solved in the visible range, radiation detectors in the far-infrared and terahertz regimes are either not sensitive, slow, or require bulky and expensive, often
Changes in work capacity can provide early signals for who is at risk of sick leave, according to a doctoral thesis from the University of Gothenburg. The findings point to new ways to identify the need for support before employees leave work.
A surprising study suggests vitamin D2 supplements may reduce the body’s levels of vitamin D3 — the more effective form of vitamin D. Researchers found D3 not only boosts vitamin D status more efficiently, but may also play a unique role in helping the immune system fight off
A team of U.S. astronomers has observed a binary pair of white dwarfs where one star is actively devouring material from the other. Led by Emma Chickles at MIT, the researchers revealed one of the clearest views yet of how ultracompact white dwarf binaries exchange mass at
Scientists found that storing mangoes at 54°F dramatically slows ripening and keeps the fruit fresh far longer than typical tropical temperatures. The cooler conditions helped mangoes stay firm, retain moisture, and preserve important antioxidants while reducing cellular
Across the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and West African coasts, massive arrivals of Sargassum seaweed have become an annual crisis. Thick mats of algae blanket beaches, disrupt fisheries, damage tourism and release harmful gases as they decay, with cleanup costs reaching hundreds
A breakthrough lithium-extraction method could help solve one of clean energy’s dirtiest problems. Researchers at Columbia Engineering have developed a fast new technique that pulls lithium directly from salty underground brines using a temperature-sensitive solvent, avoiding
Today's announcement by Texas-based de-extinction company Colossal Biosciences about a successful hatching of chicks from an artificial egg would represent a major innovation, if the claims can be verified.
A new analysis is raising concerns about Wegovy, the blockbuster weight-loss drug, after researchers found it may carry the highest risk of a rare “eye stroke” that can cause sudden vision loss. The study, based on millions of FDA side-effect reports, found the risk signal was
John Hammond voice: "Welcome... to Saturday Citations." We're talking about different types of T. rexes today, along with some unwelcome news about cardiovascular health, but this week also brought news about the connection between poor grip strength and depression; scientists
Scientists have created an AI-powered system that can scan and map an entire mouse body in extraordinary detail — and it just uncovered a surprising new effect of obesity. Beyond disrupting metabolism, obesity appears to damage facial sensory nerves linked to touch and
Researchers from UC Santa Barbara's Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory (BOSL) and local partners in San Francisco have unveiled new technology in their ongoing efforts to prevent whales and oceangoing vessels from colliding in and near the busy San Francisco Bay.
NASA’s Psyche spacecraft skimmed past Mars in a precision flyby that helped catapult it deeper into space toward its ultimate target: the bizarre metal-rich asteroid Psyche. During the encounter, it snapped detailed images of heavily cratered Martian terrain, including the
NASA scientists were stunned when a strange radio signal from the Sun refused to fade away. Instead of lasting a few hours or days like normal solar radio bursts, this one persisted for an astonishing 19 days — shattering the previous record. Using a fleet of spacecraft spread
A new study has shown that messages of hope can be effective in promoting creative problem-solving around sustainability. Experts from the University of Nottingham's School of Psychology developed a new measure of climate creativity that indicates that positive emotions have a
A new Yale study identifies a distinct species of eyeless cavefish, a discovery that challenges long-held conventional wisdom that caves and other subterranean ecosystems are evolutionary dead ends.
How heat muddles animal brains The post They Call It Stupid Hot For a Reason appeared first on Nautilus .
Our universe appears flat—but this observation still leaves plenty of options for its true shape. In fact, our cosmos could resemble a donut
Editor in chief Nancy Shute introduces a new social sciences column that explores what it means to be human.
A colossal new sea predator named Tylosaurus rex has been identified from fossils found in Texas, revealing a brutal 43-foot-long hunter that ruled ancient oceans 80 million years ago. The discovery not only introduces one of the biggest mosasaurs ever known, but also shakes up
A Hong Kong astronaut will join a Chinese space mission for the first time as part of a three-person crew launching on Sunday, as Beijing edges closer to its goal of landing people on the moon.
SpaceX launched its biggest, most powerful Starship yet on a test flight Friday, an upgraded version that NASA is counting on to land astronauts on the moon.
If you're trying to stand out on LinkedIn, it might seem like posting about your own achievements is a smart approach. But new research from The University of Texas at Arlington suggests a different strategy: highlight others.
Scientists in Germany have demonstrated a startling new form of surveillance: identifying people using nothing more than ordinary WiFi signals. By analyzing how radio waves bounce around a room, researchers can effectively “see” and recognize individuals — even if they are not
As the Bayeux Tapestry comes to London, the year 1066 and the Norman Conquest are in the spotlight. The tapestry—an embroidered cloth nearly 70 meters long, created soon after the events it depicts—tells the story of the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and William of Normandy's
The most destructive wildfire season on record in Europe was in 2025, with more than 1 million hectares burned and tens of thousands of people displaced by fires across the continent.
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, compile more than 60 years of
A German–Israeli research team led by Dr. Andreas Furchner has demonstrated how imaging ellipsometry enables non-destructive characterization and quality control of microstructured MXene thin films during device fabrication. The authors used two complementary ellipsometry
Friday's test flight marks a major milestone for SpaceX as the company gears up to go public and to participate in NASA's Artemis III mission in 2027
Like schools of fish and flocks of birds, our cells can also migrate collectively in coordination with their neighbors. This harmonious movement of cells occurs during embryonic development, wound healing, and cancer metastasis. However, since individual cells can only sense
When the solar system formed, a disk of gas and dust orbited the young sun. Over the course of millions of years, the dust gradually clumped together to form kilometer-sized chunks known as planetesimals. Some grew into planets, while the rest are considered to be the
Society depends on chemistry far more than we consciously realize, from medicines to energy to electronics. However, chemistry is viewed with as much apprehension as gratitude, because of the pollution and health problems that some chemicals cause.
Solo living in your own home places a greater strain on the planet's resources than living with others, as everyone needs their own appliances—a toaster, a washing machine and so on. The Nordic countries stand out: Almost half of all households are solo-living households.
Biomolecules, also known as organic molecules, include sugars, proteins and lipids and are the building blocks of all life. They play a role in the structure and metabolism of all living organisms. To make them visible under a microscope, researchers use special dyes to make
Researchers at Kyoto University and Tohoku University have developed a new porous polymer gel that selectively recognizes specific molecules (referred to as "guests" in the study) through coordination chemistry and converts these invisible molecular-scale interactions into
