A 100-year-old equation and a fiber-optic cable off the coast of Svalbard led researchers to discover they could detect swimming whales—even if they were completely silent. The discovery broadens the tools biologists could someday use to detect and monitor these marine giants.
Artificial intelligence (AI) can identify landslides and other geological changes that threaten electricity transmission towers, potentially helping operators intervene before infrastructure fails, according to research in the International Journal of Power and Energy Conversion.
More than 20% of the workload on the world's 500 fastest supercomputers is spent simulating how atoms and molecules move—with applications ranging from material design to identifying drug interactions to understanding protein folding.
In the post-COVID-19 era, worker unionization campaigns have increasingly been organized by groups who feel stung by virtue signaling from corporations espousing progressive values, especially those pertaining to LGBTQIA+ issues.
As the United States approaches its 250th birthday celebrations on July 4, Washington, DC's monuments, statues and fountains are being prepared to put on a show.
For the first time, scientists have shown that ancient human DNA can survive for thousands of years on cave walls, opening new ways to study prehistoric human activity. This interdisciplinary study was conducted within the framework of the First Art project, which is led by
We have developed genetic technologies that could wipe out entire species of pests that are harmful to us. Columnist Michael Le Page says the flesh-eating screwworm is the most likely first target
Florida International University scientists have, for the first time, detected a toxic tire-derived chemical in Florida waterways and developed a new testing method that makes it easier to find and monitor the pollutant at extremely low levels. The study focuses on 6PPD-quinone
Over five decades, popular songs in the U.S. and Germany have become more self-focused—as indicated by the use of pronouns such as "I," "me" and "mine"—while no such trend was seen for the most popular songs in Japan and Hong Kong. Marius Golubickis of United Arab Emirates
Sicilian populations have been genetically diverse for many centuries, and they have remained that way even through major regime changes and religious transitions, according to a study published in PLOS One by Aurore Monnereau of the University of York, U.K., and colleagues.
Data spanning nearly half a century shows that endangered southern resident killer whales are spending less time in inland waters, whereas their larger cousins, Bigg's killer whales, are increasingly present in Puget Sound.
In a new perspective paper, Qin Huang of Arizona State University and colleagues propose that the worst damage from extreme weather events could be prevented through Weather Jiu-Jitsu, a theory-based approach to "nudge" weather systems away from harmful trajectories. The paper
A bolt may ignite seeming genius, but is more likely to deliver agony The post The Unlucky Ones: What It Feels Like to Get Struck By Lightning appeared first on Nautilus .
The organic molecules could come from life or from ordinary chemistry — only samples returned to Earth can settle it.
Climate and ocean models use a series of equations to represent complex natural processes. However, the equations used in these models are often derived from limited observations and a series of assumptions.
In the Pilbara of Western Australia, some of Earth's oldest rocks lie beneath the sky, as they have for billions of years. They are dark, weathered volcanic rocks, close to 3.5 billion years old, cut by veins and stewed by deep time.
60 million stars never looked so good The post See the Milky Way’s Galactic Bulge, Captured in Unprecedented Detail appeared first on Nautilus .
If, in space, no one can hear you scream, it seems that you can actually hear the sound of a crash when two black holes collide. Using the loudest gravitational wave ever heard, two Australian scientists and colleagues have been the first to witness the previously elusive
On Earth, garnet is best known as the fiery red January birthstone—popular in jewelry since the Bronze Age and valued highly by ancient Egyptians.
One of the world's most significant collections of plant specimens is under threat from the ongoing war in Ukraine, prompting an international call for urgent digitization and global collaboration to preserve an irreplaceable scientific resource.
Scientists have extracted and analyzed the first-ever ancient proteins from the fossils of Homo naledi, revealing a potential all-female burial site. The study, published in the journal Cell, raises the possibility that South Africa's famous Rising Star Cave system could
Reading difficulties, like dyslexia, are common and often affect achievement and outcomes during school and later in life. A new study, published in Current Biology, reports that current methods used to test for reading disabilities in young children may be missing a certain
England is sweltering under a red heat health alert and could see its hottest June day on record. In North America, football fans and players are suffering, with a quarter of this summer's World Cup matches forecast to be played in dangerous heat.
For just one day, our dark universe detective, Euclid, turned its gaze toward the light: the extremely bright inner region of our Milky Way galaxy, known as the galactic bulge. This special request came from astronomers who were after what Euclid does best: capturing huge areas
The Netherlands is a major agricultural exporter. But look beyond euros to land, animal feed, calories and protein, and a different picture emerges. In a study published in Nature Food, researchers at Wageningen University & Research (WUR) conclude that the Dutch contribution
Physicists and instrument makers in Leiden have succeeded in optimizing a spring that almost completely filters out vibrations at temperatures near absolute zero. This breakthrough opens the door to a new generation of highly sensitive experiments. The research is published in
The hunt for these ghostly particles has required some of the most audacious experiment setups ever built. The post How Physicists Track and Trap the Elusive Neutrino first appeared on Quanta Magazine
An analysis of tooth proteins suggests all 23 Homo naledi individuals found in the Rising Star cave in South Africa were female, which strengthens the case that they were placed there deliberately
Jessica Atkin knows more than anyone else about what it would take to supply food for a moon base. She reveals how to build a lunar farm and what astronauts can expect to dine on
Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science has developed a toxicity assessment system that automatically measures and analyzes the heart rate of Daphnia magna. Capable of processing heart rate data from approximately 150 individuals per hour, the system can assess the
Genetic analysis of Neanderthals in north-western Europe reveals that this population was surprisingly genetically diverse, hinting that inbreeding didn’t lead to the species' demise
Living cells constantly exchange ions (i.e., charged particles) via the thin barrier that surrounds their interior, known as the outer membrane. Neuroscientists and medical researchers have long been trying to devise effective methods to measure this exchange of ions, which is
An enigmatic new species of wormlion fly, whose larvae construct clever pitfall traps to capture prey, has been revealed in a study led by researchers at Dali University in China.
People living in Germany have more confidence in themselves today than 20 years ago. They have more faith in their ability to influence their own lives and key life events. This has now been shown in a long-term study conducted by Dr. Theresa M. Entringer from the University of
When it comes to choosing a partner, some species prefer males that stand out from the crowd. Evolutionary biologists call the resulting process negative frequency-dependent selection. It means that a male has a huge mating advantage when his appearance is rare but loses that
It is important that teachers and students are aware of and understand the major shortcomings of technology, state Norwegian researchers who have studied the use of AI in the classroom.
A large asteroid that will zoom harmlessly past Earth on Saturday will be visible to stargazers using a small telescope or large binoculars, the European Space Agency announced Wednesday.
To function normally, nearly every cell in the human body relies on G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to receive and send signals. That's why GPCRs are targeted by roughly one-third of all FDA-approved drugs.
It's time we gave seagrass the credit it's due. This hero of a plant protects coastlines, stores vast amounts of carbon and supports ecosystems that people and wildlife depend on. But we don't often hear about it when it comes to ocean conservation. That's partly because we
Diamonds have long been coveted for their beauty. Their dazzling color and clarity make them perfect candidates for luxury jewelry. However, it's their other unique characteristics, including their hardness, thermal conductivity and chemical resistance, that make diamonds
The company has been touting its quantum technology for years, but some experts say these claims just don’t pass muster
They’re evolving faster than we can stop them The post How City Rats Are Becoming Resistant to Poison appeared first on Nautilus .
Researchers were unsure whether alpha particles would aid or hinder fusion. Simulations suggest they help, by dampening turbulence.
What if consciousness isn’t limited to brains like ours? Philosophers Eric Schwitzgebel and Jeremy Pober argue that consciousness could arise in many different forms of life, even in beings built from radically different materials than those found on Earth. Drawing on the
From detecting the ripples of colliding black holes to imaging individual chemical bonds, mechanical transducers have repeatedly transformed our understanding of the universe. So far, however, the sensitivity of these devices has been intrinsically limited by the laws of
Researchers in Taiwan have developed a cell-free extracellular matrix material from axolotl skin that helped mouse burn wounds close faster and show signs of reduced fibrotic scarring. The findings suggest that one of nature's most remarkable regenerators may inspire future
A research team from Hiroshima University, the University of Colorado, and other collaborators have demonstrated that space-time crystals—exotic structures that, under external drive, loop endlessly through both space and time—can be created using everyday liquid-crystal
Oestrogen levels fluctuate throughout a woman's menstrual cycle, which may impact how efficiently a drug that targets the brain can reach its destination
As companies face increasing pressure to address climate change, many are choosing to publicly announce voluntary carbon-elimination goals.
Researchers at Oregon State University have potentially found a new way to treat the most aggressive form of brain cancer, glioblastoma, whose two-year survival rate is less than 30%.
